AMSCOL
| Company type | Cooperative |
|---|---|
| Industry | Dairy |
| Founded | 1922 |
| Founder | Beauchamp brothers and local milk producers |
| Fate | Taken over by Streets in early 1980s |
| Headquarters | Adelaide , Australia |
| Products | Milk, butter, cheese, ice cream |
AMSCOL (Adelaide Milk Supply Co-Operative Limited) was a dairy enterprise based in South Australia, primarily recognized for its ice cream products and the advertising phrase "It's a food, not a fad". Established in 1922, the company was eventually taken over by Streets during the early 1980s.
Background
The company’s roots trace back to the Beauchamp brothers, who operated a milk delivery business from 150 Carrington Street, Adelaide. Descendants of John Beachim Beauchamp (c. 1830 – 1913), who migrated from Somerset to South Australia, the family initially engaged in farming before acquiring a dairy farm in Rosewater where Herbert, Frank, George, Walter, Harry, and Richard were raised. Around 1906, George Beauchamp relocated to the United States and launched a prosperous ice cream venture in Chicago, becoming a significant shareholder in both Whelan Icecream Company and Hydrox Dairy Corporation by 1926.
Walter John Chancellor Beauchamp (1884–1966) gained milk delivery experience in Melbourne prior to returning to Adelaide in 1909. He launched his own route serving 120 customers with daily deliveries of 110 litres before 8:30 am. The business expanded as he enlisted several of his brothers. In 1917, the Beauchamp Brothers combined forces with rival Anderson & Co., creating the Adelaide Milk Supply Company, which employed 35 workers including 28 carters.
Company history
In January 1921, P. C. Manuel, a dairy manager based in Enfield, played a key role in founding the Wholesale Milk Producers' Association. By 1922, nearly all local milk producers—94%—agreed to jointly acquire a milk distribution firm to oversee supply from production through delivery, leading to the formation of AMSCOL as a cooperative. Farmers contributed milk proportional to their shareholdings and received payments based on butterfat content.
Directorship included Manuel and Walter Beauchamp, while Harry Beauchamp supervised the Murray Bridge depot. Francis Charles Zebedee Steeds "Frank" Beauchamp acted as works manager. The acquisition of the Woodside butter factory enabled AMSCOL to broaden its production into butter and cheese.
By that year, AMSCOL operated 41 delivery carts distributing 18,000 litres daily across 26,000 households, servicing 50 vendors and numerous milk shops. In 1927, George W. Beauchamp introduced advanced ice cream and block ice production machinery capable of producing up to 70 tons per day to meet refrigeration demands before electric refrigerators became common in homes. AMSCOL also led initiatives delivering bottled milk to schools under government health programs.
During the 1950s, popular items included freezer-compatible ice cream blocks along with Dandies, Eskimo Pies, Dairy Chocs, Hi Tops, Twin Chocs, and Berry Bars.
Faced with growing competition by 1978, AMSCOL was acquired by competing cooperatives SA Farmers Union and Dairy Vale. Later in 1982, the company was sold to Streets, owned by British multinational Unilever. The AMSCOL brand was later revitalized in 2012 by private entrepreneurs as part of a dining establishment.
External links
- AMSCOL Photographs, State Library of South Australia
- Promotional material (1924), Department of Primary Industries and Regions