Golden North Icecream at Laura with Lisa McAskill: In the Mid North region of South Australia

Life is pretty good for the Jersey cows wondering around the back paddocks of Laura. They're a pampered lot but so they should be because every morning they deliver litres of rich full cream milk, for the nearby Golden North Factory.

While they may not know it, Daisy and her mates are part of a one hundred and twenty-year tradition. It dates back to when the first owner of the property, William Bowker began supplying milk and vegetables to the miners at Broken Hill in the 1800s. They got into icecream production in 1923.

The advent of electricity meant the Bowker family could freeze and transport their icecream around the State. The factory has come a long way from those early days but according to Golden North's Trevor Pomery, the principles remain the same.

"This is where we make the giant twins," said Trevor showing us the plant. "The icecream goes into the tunnel and comes out the end at minus eighty degrees. It then goes through here where the hot molten chocolate is poured on and it gets an even coating chocolate."

Golden North supply supermarkets around the country and export icecream to China but for locals Ron Heness and his dog Sophie, it's essential that the local deli remains topped up with their favourite flavours. Ron and Soph make regular trips into town to order a few scoops. Ron's a strawberry man and Sophie's partial to vanilla.

"Back in the late 1970s we really extended and started moving forward," explained Les Beyer. "We currently have thirty different flavours in our five litre trays. But we keep our four basics flavours: chocolate, strawberry, honey and vanilla."

There's lime and chocolate, chocolate and orange, rum and raisin, ginger and honey, bosenberry and even a jaffa coloured delight.

It seems word has spread about Golden North and so it should with the company making eleven million litres annually. The Bowker Family sold up in 1983 and following a management buy-out a group of South Australian businessmen now own the company and continues to spread the word.

Golden North is one of the treasures of the mid-north so when you visit Laura you should pop in to the local deli or 'top shop' as the locals call it. It's a treasure trove of rich creamy icecream and for $3 you get the pick of five flavours.

Golden North Icecream is made at Laura and the Top Shop is in the main street at the northern end of town.

Golden North Icecream
Manufacturing Plant
South Tce
Laura

The Top Shop
Golden Grain Café
38 Herbert St
Laura