Early History of the Tauranga Branch of Sanford

Sanford - known by locals as Sanfords - is a business that seems to have been around forever. The recent closure of its fish processing plant at Sulphur Point made me wonder, just how long has it had a presence in Tauranga and what is its early history here? 

According to the Sanford Company, its founder Albert Sanford arrived in New Zealand in 1864 and almost immediately began fishing in the Hauraki Gulf. After some initial setbacks, Albert started a successful business on Rakino Island supplying Auckland residents with smoked snapper. In 1894, Albert established a fish market in Auckland and spent the next decade expanding beyond the Auckland region, including an ice plant in Thames. In 1904 Sanford became a limited liability company and was run by Albert, with the assistance of his children (www.sanford.co.nz).

A big catch: 1500 dozen fish in Sanford’s fishyard, Thames, Auckland
Auckland Weekly News, 26 October 1905
Image courtesy of Auckland Libraries Heritage Collections

The first recorded visit of a Sanford representative to Tauranga was in August 1906. Following their inspection of the town the Bay of Plenty Times reported that Mr A. Sanford was “so well satisfied with the results that he has decided upon the erection of suitable premises for curing and smoking fish, which will be packed and forwarded to the firm's Auckland headquarters” (BOPT, 15 August 1906). This proved accurate and by October 1906 local architect Mr G. Arnold Ward had been engaged to oversee the building’s construction. A lengthy description of the facility, built by J. C. Adams, appeared in the paper in February 1907. “The factory consists of a large cleaning room and four smoking chambers. The cleaning room is built of corrugated iron … measuring 40 feet by 20 feet, with concrete floor” (BOPT, 18 February 1907).

Sulphur Point, showing Sanford’s fish factory in the proper right corner of the photograph
The building was completed in February 1907
Image courtesy of Tauranga City Libraries, Acc No 3246

With the factory ready for business, Gilbert Sanford, Albert’s son, called a meeting at the Star Hotel of those interested in the local fishing industry and a ‘satisfactory arrangement’ was made with Tauranga boat-owners (BOPT, 25 February 1907). Within days of the meeting Sanford commenced trading with locals. This included Maori from Rangiwaea Island who sold a catch of 70 dozen ‘schnapper’. The fish was smoked and 30 cases sent to Auckland. (BOPT, 1 & 3 March 1907)

Although this first trade appeared to go well, it was quickly apparent that not everyone was happy. On 6 March 1907 a meeting of concerned parties was again held at the Star Hotel – this time without Sanford representation. Complaints about price and quantities of fish purchased were made and it was the opinion of many of the attendees that Mr Sanford would be the main beneficiary of any trade under the present conditions. It was proposed at the meeting that local fishermen ‘stick together’ and form their own works. It was also agreed that those present would not accept a price lower than 2s 6d per dozen. A further meeting with Gilbert Sanford was requested (BOPT, 6 March 1907). If a meeting eventuated it was not reported and in the following months Sanford advertised twice a week in the Bay of Plenty Times. In October 1907 Captain Clark, who attended the March meeting, was catching large quantities of hapuka for the company - perhaps solidarity amongst locals did not last long (18 October 1907).

A Sanford advertisement from the Auckland Weekly News, 16 December 1916
Image courtesy of Tauranga Heritage Collection

In the ensuing years business was good and by 1912 Sanford looked to expand. Seeing a need for a freezing works in Tauranga it floated the idea: “The question of a large freezing plant capable of handling and freezing sheep, beef, fish etc., curing bacon, chilling butter; also canning works, boiling down works and fish offal drying for manure, requires a great deal of consideration from the people of Tauranga” (BOPT, 29 April 1912). Two months later the company withdrew the proposal explaining that the time was ‘not ripe’ for erecting a large plant in Tauranga on their own (BOPT, 26 June 1912).

In 1913 Sanford’s purchased the Te Ope fish and bacon factory. Te Ope, also operating at Sulphur Point, had been established by the Salvation Army to assist local Maori. Following the acquisition local fishermen, including Maori, were again complaining about low prices Sanford paid for their fish. However, oversupply meant Sanford could have closed their factory in Tauranga rather than pay more (BOPT 5 May 1913). They didn’t increase the price paid to fishermen and the factory remained open. A year later the factory commenced curing bacon – a side of the Te Ope business that had been initially discontinued by Sanford. The return of this service was praised and assistance to improve water supply to the operation was given by the Borough Council (BOPT, 11 January 1915).

Reginald Watkins inside the Te Ope fish and bacon factory at Sulphur Point. Watkins was a Salvation Army Officer and a man who was held in high esteem by all who knew him
Image courtesy of the Watkins Collection, Tauranga Heritage Collection

In 1916 Sanford began fishing local waters with its own boats. Local fishermen complained of questionable fishing practises including Sanford boats turning off their lights to trawl close to the shore (BOPT, 12 May 1916). Despite these concerns the restrictions around trawling in the Bay were removed. “The appearance of the trawlers [Sanford Limited] has caused considerable consternation among local line fishermen, and a protest has already gone forward to the Minister for Marine on the matter” (BOPT, 27 September 1919).

These protests did not fall on deaf ears and within a month the Minister for Marine, the Hon. W. H. Herries revoked the decision to remove trawling limits in the Bay. No doubt the Member of Parliament for the Bay of Plenty was listening to his constituents.  A swift protest was made by Sanford but the company received little support from locals. William Gifford, the editor of the Bay of Plenty Times, claimed that Herries was “acting fairly towards local fishermen and the industry generally” (BOPT, 25 October 1919). Ill feeling towards Sanford continued and in June 1920 it prompted Albert, now 76, to write a long letter to the people of Tauranga explaining that his company had “no desire to interfere with the men who are now getting a living at fishing, or fishing for pleasure, and to keep the Tauranga people without fish would be the last thing I should think of doing ... I will conclude by saying that Sanford’s trawlers are not the enemies of Tauranga that they are represented to be, and I am seriously thinking of buying a house and ending my days in your beautiful little town” (BOPT, 29 June 1920).

By October 1922 Sanford had pulled out of Tauranga and the Sulphur Point site was occupied by Mr W. S. Marshall. However its absence was temporary, and with trawling quotas settled, the company re-established their factory at Sulphur Point in 1928 (BOPT, 2 March 1928). Albert never did buy his house in Tauranga, dying at his residence in Devonport on 27 September 1924.