NRS-20109 | Slaughter House Register [Illabo Shire Council]

This series is comprised of a single volume of a Slaughter House Register for Illabo Shire Council. An Act for Regulating the Slaughtering of Cattle, 1834 (V William IV, No. 1) regulated recordkeeping of cattle slaughtered (section 6). This requirement was continued by the Cattle Slaughtering and Diseased Animals and Meat Act, 1902 (Act No. 36, 1902). The purpose for this regulation was to ensure that only wholesome meat was sold for public consumption. The Act imposed certain responsibilities on local authorities in regard of the regulation of slaughterhouses.The Council was required to keep a register of the name and address of every person using or about to use or build premises as a slaughterhouse, and to record particulars of the slaughterhouse itself. The Inspector determined whether the house complied with standards prescribed by the Act, and if so could issue a licence upon the receipt of the fee. The register was to be kept current by removing the names of businesses no longer operating in the industry, and premises which had ceased to be used for this purpose. The Register was to be made available to the Board of Health who were entitled to examine it, and were entitled to receive any necessary extracts from it. Officers of the Council also required access to the register to enable the inspection of the slaughterhouses, utensils and appliances used there, the carcasses, blood, offal and garbage, in order to ensure that the slaughterhouse continued to meet industry standards in accordance with the Act and regulations made under it. The officers entered into the register comments regarding each inspection.Front of Register reads: ‘Particulars of Registration of Cattle-Slaughtering Premises Under Act no. 36, 1902. Registered by the Local Authority under Section 21, Sub-Section (a) of the Act for the … District of … , for the Year ending 30th June, 19….’Information contained in the register includes:  Date of application; Date of Preliminary Inspection before Registration; Date of Registration; Dates and Details of subsequent inspections, cancellation of registration, Instructions given, and proceedings, if any, taken under the Act; Name of person or firm; Address; Situation of slaughtering premises; Area of land (approximately); Number of Stock (classes) slaughtered per week (about); nature and extent of water supply; Condition of Premises as to: (1) cleanliness (2) Drainage (3) Lighting (4) Ventilation; Disposal of solid and liquid refuse – means used; Number of persons employed; Number of carts or other vehicles used; date and number of license issues; and date of cancellation, if any.