The Christmas spirit was in Northcliffe on Sunday evening, 22 December, as Mrs Gina Rinehart celebrated the end of 2024 with the Daubney family and the Bannister Downs team at the Creamery.
The atmosphere was vibrant as sincere and warm thanks were given and we wrapped up this very busy year with the acknowledgement of a long list of incredible achievements.
The entire bannister product range has achieved more than 450 awards both state and national, evidence of the high product quality being achieved. No wonder it is loved by Hancock staff across the Pilbara and in our offices too, also by our ambassador Kyle Chalmers and by several Olympic teams!
Bannister Downs fresh milk is available at both Bunbury Farmers Market in Bunbury and now in Vasse too, and statewide at IGA’s, independent grocers, Coles and Woolworths as well as throughout the Little Farms Supermarket network in Singapore.
December 2024 is another very significant milestone, being 10 years since the official partnership with Gina Rinehart (Hope Dairies WA) and the Daubney Family. With a shared dedication to producing Australia’s finest dairy, a pursuit of best animal welfare practices based on a genuine care for animal health and wellbeing, and a high level of patriotism for Australia and concern for its future, we have been working together over this time to construct a globally recognised facility to achieve the highest levels of food safety and product quality, as well as to provide a wonderful place for our team to work and our cows to come and be milked. Here at our creamery they enjoy massage brushes and individual feed and wellness monitoring. The partnership has been very positive with many shared triumphant moments, hard work and lots of effort and care. Our milk and cream just gets better and better. Evidenced by taking the top dairy award in Australia this year, accepted on behalf of Bannister by the Hon Adam Giles, CEO of Hancock Agriculture.
2024 itself is a very special year for us, apart from being the Paris Olympics, and the above mentioned achievements, it is also 100 years since Northcliffe was settled and since the Daubney Family pioneers bravely ventured out to start this legacy.
Four generations of farming at Bannister Downs represents a long time of resilience, hard work and innovation and we are very proud to have joined the Daubney family to continue the pathway started in 1924 by these volunteer Group Settlers from England. It sure was tough for these pioneers, hand saws to cut the giant hardwood karris, so that the sun could be seen, and pasture started, no home to come to, they had to build a small cabin, two bedrooms, no bathroom inside, for what became parents and 11 children! No shops around, and we’re told that for the first 10 years, all they could eat was the bread and butter they made. The hand churning of the butter took a long time to get very little! We look forward to what can be achieved in the next 100 years and hope that farming will be once again be valued as the essential industry that it is.
Bannister Downs had a fair amount of stage time at the state and national awards this year with a proud string of champion awards at every product competition, most notably being awarded the Champion Flavoured milk (Chocolatte) at the Australia Dairy Awards, the Champion Milk at the Perth Royal Show (Lactose Free Milk), Champion Cream at the Australian Grand Dairy Awards (Double Cream) and the incredible top accolade of Grand Champion Dairy Product at the Grand Dairy Awards, the highest commendation possible. These are great accolades for the hard working team and huge endorsements that Bannister Downs produces the best fresh dairy products in the nation.
