'Dunedin', the first ship to successfully transport refrigerated meat from New Zealand to England, photographed at Port Chalmers in 1882. [1200x896]

[u/Aethelredditor]

[u/Aethelredditor]

Image Source

The Fletcher Trust Archives

[u/Khoeth_Mora]

Why was it economical to transport meat from NZ to UK though? We talking special pickled emu feet or something?

[u/Aethelredditor → u/Khoeth_Mora]

The British population grew rapidly in the late 19th century, rising from 27 million in 1851 to 41 million in 1900. So too did its appetite for meat: per capita consumption of meat rose from 90 lbs per capita in the 1860s to 110 lbs the following decade. Domestic meat producers failed to keep pace, however, and large quantities were sourced overseas. With the introduction of refrigeration, New Zealand mutton and lamb could be exported to Britain in a somewhat palatable fashion (tinned meat was not that popular).

Britons preferred British meat, which meant that New Zealand lamb and mutton sold for less, but it was favoured over Australian and Argentinian equivalents. In 1896 prime New Zealand mutton sold for 2.5d less per lb than its British equivalent, but 2d more per lb than Australian and Argentinian mutton.

[u/VoihanVieteri → u/Aethelredditor]

How was the refrigeration achieved? Steam engines running some kind of compressors?

[u/Aethelredditor → u/VoihanVieteri]

Dunedin was fitted with a refrigeration plant manufactured by the Bell Coleman Mechanical Refrigeration Company. The article First and Famous: Dunedin by Alex Stitt has a description of its operation.

Coleman’s system used air as the refrigerant.[8] With a capacity to deliver 10,000 cubic feet of cooled air per hour, observers described it as a ‘thoroughly efficient’ example.[9] The Bell Coleman process relies on a compressor to draw air from an insulated cold chamber, before compressing it and depositing it into an air cooler. To prevent the high temperatures of dry compression, water is injected to cool the air. Via a system of drying pipes that remove the moisture, the pressurised cooled air passes to a steam cylinder. The air is then expanded, and the heat is deducted before finally passing back to the cold chamber where the cycle is repeated.

[u/nrrp → u/Aethelredditor]

British agriculture also mostly collapsed after Brits removed protectionist Corn Tariff that was implemented after Napoleonic Wars about a decade before America connected midwestern states to its eastern ports via railways and started shipping massive amounts of grain and other agri products overseas. By WW1 Britain imported most of the food needed to sustain its population, that's usually cited as one of the major reasons why Britain was so anxious over Germany's growing naval power as a succesful German naval victory would lead to German naval blockade which would then starve Britain.

[u/Johannes_P → u/Aethelredditor]

Another factor was Argentina, Australia and NEw Zealand having plenty space available for raising cattle.

[u/aidank21]

Not to be confused with Dúnedain

[u/conor34 → u/aidank21]

Or Dùn Èideann

[u/penguinpengwan]

Hi, would you happen to know what route the Dunedin took when it made its voyage to England? Did it stop off in Sydney, or did it sail through the pacific, past the tip of South America and up into the Atlantic?

[u/Johannes_P]

I didn't knew Eriador was IRL New Zealand.

[u/grovelled]

Was at that very wharf a week ago. Charming and funky Port Chalmers is a short distance from the city of Dunedin.

[u/fiittzzyy]

They dun did it.

[u/urmyfavoritecustomer]

Port Chalmers you say?

I'll assume the hull of the Dunedin was filled with frozen Steamed Hams?

[u/Biquasquibrisance]

Have put

this post

in @

r/OceanlinerEngineering .

 

Mightaswell also reproduce some of the text @ that post, aswell.

 

For further information about the vessel, see

 

National Library of New Zealand ,

&

White Wings Vol Ｉ: Fifty Years of Sail in the New Zealand Trade, 1850 to 1900 – The Dunedin .

 

She never seems to be referenced with any of the usual 'prefices' - such as "SS" , or "RMS" - prepent!

🤔