Introduction
Ajax Bay, at San Carlos, was chosen as the site for a Freezer Plant in 1950. It was officially opened in April 1953, slaughtering 14,226 sheep in its first season, before shipping the frozen exports to the UK. Similar projects had been undertaken in the past. In the 1880s the Falkland Islands Meat Company exported 68,000 carcasses, and in the 1890s Waldron, of Port Howard, also undertook the venture, exporting 100,000 carcasses. All three projects, however, failed as they were all economically unviable, losing profit and lacking the enthusiasm to continue. The Falkland Islands Freezer Company, that had been established in 1953, were forced to close down operations at Ajax Bay in August 1955 before their Company officially closed in July 1965.
FC-007-0063. Ajax Bay under construction.
After this, plant machinery was sold on, or remained in the Islands. The staff houses, used for accommodation at Ajax Bay, were re-erected in Stanley, and factory buildings were re-purposed for other projects such as the Stanley Butchery, and the Mink Farm. In 1982 the derelict buildings at Ajax Bay were used by the British Task Force as a base for the medical team, treating up to a thousand British and Argentine servicemen.
The collection of records below provide an insight into the development and operations of the Freezer Plant. These records are still being digitised.
General
AGR-AJG-1-1. Sociedad Menendez Beherty guarantees export of produce to UK.pdf538.86 KB
AGR-AJG-1-2. Suggested freezing of sheep in the Falklands.pdf465.48 KB
AGR-AJG-1-3. Project of establishing a freezer in Colony.pdf589.62 KB
AGR-AJG-1-4. Proposed Establishment of Freezing Works in The Falkland Islands.pdf7.34 MB
AGR-AJG-1-5. Establishment of Cold Storage.pdf408.53 KB
AGR-AJG-1-7. Suggested Establishment of a Freezer at San Carlos.pdf372.21 KB
AGR-AJG-1-8. Requested to Obtain the Services of a.pdf2.64 MB
AGR-AJG-1-9. Proposed Establishment of a Freeze in the Falkland Islands.pdf11.48 MB
AGR-AJG-1-10. Possibility of Introducing a Freezing Works in The Falkland Islands.pdf1001.41 KB
AGR-AJG-1-11. Proposed Establishment of a Freezer in The Falkland Islands.pdf17.94 MB
AGR-AJG-1-12. Proposed Establishment of a Freezer in The Falkland Islands.pdf11.01 MB
AGR-AJG-1-13. Proposed Establishment of a Freezer in The Falkland Islands.pdf20.28 MB
AGR-AJG-1-14. Falkland Islands Freezer.pdf18.59 MB
AGR-AJG-1-15. Proposed Establishment of a Freezer in The Falklands.pdf12.77 MB
AGR-AJG-2-1. Falkland Islands Freezer, Reports.pdf8.82 MB
AGR-AJG-2-2. Colonial Development and Overseas Food Corporation.pdf9.35 MB
AGR-AJG-2-7. Suggested Purchasing of Three Ajax Bay Lodging Houses.pdf4.69 MB
Provisions
AGR-AJR-1-1. Orders of Food.pdf18.16 MB
AGR-AJR-1-2. Petty Cash Receipts.pdf16.13 MB
AGR-AJR-1-3. Invoices Local Purchases.pdf27.34 MB
AGR-AJR-1-4. Rations.pdf61.02 MB
Disclaimer
While every effort has been taken to ensure accuracy the Jane Cameron National Archives does not accept responsibility for any errors in these records.
Copyright guide
Copies of government records may be used freely for private research and educational purposes. If material is to be used for commercial publication, exhibition or broadcast the written permission of the Jane Cameron National Archives must first be obtained. Whenever material from the Jane Cameron National Archives is reproduced in any form or in any medium, the user must acknowledge the Jane Cameron National Archives as the source and give all document references. For non-government records it is your responsibility as the user to ensure that copyright is not infringed and any infringement that does occur is your responsibility.