During the Depression, the ice business became highly competitive and at one stage the cost of ice, at the works, fell to one shilling and three pence per 56 lb block. The Crystal Iceworks also introduced crystal ice, which became very popular. Normally crystal ice, such as supplied from Blaney is the product of clean, low dissolved solids water and a slow freeze to allow the entrained air to escape. Blaney had an excellent water supply and the thick 112lb block resulted in a slow freeze. At that stage, the Broken Hill water supply had limited treatment hence ice could come in various shades, from opaque to brown, the latter after heavy rain. Most iceworks were obliged to install some form of water treatment to limit this problem. The Crystal Iceworks also installed special equipment for manufact-uring crystal ice from the local water. This involved bubbling low pressure air through a tube suspended in the ice mould, while the water was freezing. The entrained air and solids were attracted to the air bubbles and concentrated in the centre of the block of ice being formed. With the block about 75% frozen, the bubble tube was removed and the small amount of unfrozen water surrounding the bubble tube withdrawn with a hand pump and replaced with treated water. This process was very effective and produced an excellent block of crystal ice. Most of the iceworks introduced the system, but the additional labour cost proved to be prohibitive. It was also common to see a block of ice, with a brass bubble tube frozen in it, being delivered to a commercial customer. The system was abandoned by all Works after a couple of years.
The packing of ice for sending to the country, by train or motor coach, was generally as described by Mr Craker. The 56 lb blocks were tapered so that two blocks were placed end for end and two potato/wheat bags, one inside the other, were pulled over the ice. The open end of the inner bag was then sown with a bag needle and sawdust packed between the inner and outer bags to provide insulation. To complete the package, the open end of the outer bag was sewn. Ice packed in this manner needed to get to the customer within 10 to l2 hours.
The problems with the electric power supply affected both sides of the ice business. It not only made the manufacture of ice more difficult than need be, but slowed the introduction of mechanical refrigeration into hotels, shops and private homes. However, as soon as manufactured goods started to become freely available after the war, the writing was on the wall for the iceworks. The Broken Hill Council programmed to changeover the whole city to a 50 cycle power supply and to also install more reliable generating plant. Efficient Temprite beer cooling equipment became available to the hotels and sealed unit refrigerators to private homes. The fall-off in the demand for ice commenced in the early 1950s and the works either diversified to other business, burnt-down or closed. The last ice only works closed in 1967. Some may ask what became of all the heavy icemaking machinery? They may be interested to learn that Broken Hill was well into re-cycling in those days. At least some of the machinery was bought as scrap by the Zinc Corporation foundry and converted into wearing plates and grinding balls for use in the Zinc Corp. and N.B.H.C. concentrators.
NEXT