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Adelaide Crystal Ice Company was a South Australian ice manufacturing business founded in 1879 which started manufacturing "Alaska" ice cream in 1915 and in 1922 founded the Alaska Ice Cream Company. ==History== The company was formed in 1879 by Logan, Weber, Barnfield, Lawrance and others and installed American ice-making machinery〔 This reference contains much useful technical information on the plant installed at Ebenezer Place.〕 at their premises, the old Ebenezer Chapel〔The chapel, built by the Methodist Church in 1851 was later a schoolroom for the Adelaide Educational Institution.〕 in Ebenezer Place off Rundle Street, with offices in Gresham Chambers, King William Street (later Eagle Chambers, Pirie Street), and a depot in Thebarton. They had ten carts delivering ice to all suburbs, also by paddle-steamer to River Murray towns as far as Wentworth. In 1881 the machinery was moved to Thebarton, where their production capacity was 50 tons a week. In 1880 the company bought out a rival company and sold its refrigeration plant to a Queensland meat processing business. A second machine was purchased in 1881. Almost from the outset, the company diversified into other products, some of which seem to bear little relation to the core business of ice-making. The motive behind this decision was the desirability of retaining workers during winter months, when their only occupation was maintenance and overhauling of machinery. Starch: A trial batch of this commodity, which previously had to be imported, was well received at the 1884 Exhibition; production began in 1885, closely followed by cornflour. In 1898 a new building was constructed at Queen Street, West Thebarton with completely new machinery, imported from Halle. This plant, comprising three independent machines of different capacities, could produce 40 tons of ice per day, and more efficiently, so the price could be reduced by a third. In 1910 the old ice storage room, which was used as sleeping quarters for some of the workers, was destroyed by fire; some equipment was damaged but prompt action by the Hindmarsh voluntary fire brigade averted a catastrophe.〔 This reference has considerable detail on the disposition of the iceworks buildings.〕 The company was in the happy situation of being the major supplier in a seller's market, and although highly seasonal, the company made a healthy profit for its shareholders in most years. Crystal's main competition was the Adelaide Ice and Cold Storage Works in Light Square, and in an attempt to control the price of ice, it was purchased in 1910 for £36,000 by the Verran (Labor) South Australian Government. The venture immediately proved troublesome, and after two independent enquiries, the Light Square factory was turned by the Peake government from a derided competitor to a contractor for the supply of ice to Crystal. Crystal started making "Alaska" ice cream in 1915. It was by no means the first ice cream manufacturer in South Australia: S. Albert had a factory in Rundle Street in 1883; Edwin Ellis had a factory in Gouger Street, and was associated with Peters Ice Cream from 1914. Other early manufacturers were A. Williams with his "Snowdrop" factory in Rosa Street, Goodwood; Felice Maggi had the Imperial Ice Cream Factory in St. Vincent Street, Port Adelaide, then Excelsior Ice Cream factory on South Terrace, destroyed by fire, deliberately lit, in 1929; There was Wattle ice cream, made at the Mile End Cold Stores and P. Smyth had a factory in Murray Bridge, later known for "Freesia" ice cream. The famous AMSCOL ice cream did not appear until 1923 and "Golden North" in 1953. :Alaska Ice Cream became a separate company in 1922, with offices at Queen Street, Thebarton, and acquired the rights to manufacture the confection known as "Eskimo Pie" in 1923. The company, along with the Interstate Fruit and Produce Company (which operated the East End Market) and the Broken Hill Ice and Produce Company, became part of Peters Alaska Ice Cream Company and changed its name accordingly in 1929. :Following a court case Peters American Delicacy Co. Ltd. v. Peters Alaska Ice Cream Co. Ltd., the company was renamed Alaska Ice Cream and Produce Company Limited in August 1932. A new office block was erected at Beans Road, Thebarton in 1953. Longtime managing director was Leonard Maurice Hocking (c. 1887 – 6 October 1948), and chairman of directors was T. E. Malone. In 1930 Crystal combined with the Government Produce Depot and Amscol as the "Clear Ice Service" under chairman W. D. Price, and acted as a government-controlled monopoly supplier of an essential commodity, producing standard sized blocks of ice, and making available suitable icechests made in Unley by Chittleborough and Company, or could be produced by a do-it-yourselfer. Demand for ice fluctuated wildly, from practically zero to peaks like in March 1930 when reserves (around 3,000 tons) were exhausted, demand exceeded manufacture and supplies had to be rationed. Ice storage capacity reached a peak around 1944 then became redundant as domestic refrigerators became commonplace and home delivery of ice ceased around 1960. Both companies are now defunct; the factory complex at Hindmarsh was taken over as part of University Research Park; one building has become "Alaska Towers".〔(【引用サイトリンク】title=SA Memory: Alaska Eskimo Pie )〕 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Adelaide Crystal Ice Company」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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