Waipango Chemical Works began operating in 1939 with the processing of podocarp timber to produce turpentine and beech to make alcohol. In 1938 the newspaper said, “It has been estimated that 80,000 tons of sawmill and bush waste is discarded every year in the Southland beech industry. The plant was owned by Amalgamated Chemical Industries which employed about 90 men on the 13 acre site. The trucks are run into big retorts, constructed of half-inch steel plates, which are sealed and placed under conditions of vacuum. The process of slow carbonisation liberates gases and vapours from the wood, which gradually changes in bulk and colour.

Source: Stuff August 03, 2021 00:00 UTC