Leith Road (Okato)

Leith Road leads from State Highway 45 to the sea, just north of Ōkato. It appears to have been named after Leith, a district of Edinburgh, Scotland, joining several other roads in the area referencing United Kingdom locations, including Perth Road, which connects onto Leith Road forming a ring road.

This country road’s main claim to fame is the Leith Road Creamery which opened in 1911 under the management of a Mr H. Richardson. The local newspaper reported the creamery was opened without any kind of fanfare; “There was no christening ceremony or flourish of trumpets, the suppliers just being content to take and receive their milk as if the opening of new creameries was an everyday occurrence. The Ōkato public cannot be said to indulge in outside show on occasions like these.”

The creamery was built by the Ōkato-Puniho Dairy Co. which was formed by local suppliers when they bought out the Crown Dairy Company. It appears the creamery may have at first been on a property opposite the end of Leith Road on State highway 45, but by 1915 the company had decided to start manufacturing cheese so several new factories were built, including one on Leith Road.

This was built just past the intersection of Leith and Perth Roads. In 1938 the factory was enlarged and in 1948 a new house was built for the manager. But by 1962 the factory was closed as a manufacturing unit and fully closed a year later. The remains of the Leith Road dairy factory can still be seen at the site today.

This story was originally published in the Taranaki Daily News.