Milk at schools

A DigitalNZ Story by Zokoroa

Memories of the days when glass bottles of milk were delivered to schools!

School, milk, students, nutrition

Memories of the days when glass bottles of milk were delivered to schools!  From 1937 until 10 February 1967 all primary school children received a free half a pint of milk each day. The milk was mainly fresh pasteurised, with powdered or malted milk delivered to schools in the more remoter areas, sometimes in milk churns. This scheme was introduced after the Great Depression years to improve the health of children not receiving enough calcium in their diet.  (See Living Heritage class project (2014) by pupils at Lyall Bay School.) 

Image: Inaugurating the school free milk scheme

In 1937, the first Labour government introduced the free Milk in Schools programme

The scheme started in Wellington, Auckland, Christchurch & Dunedin on 1 March 1937; then extended to other areas

Inaugurating the school free milk scheme

Auckland Libraries

Government's scheme took over the Smith family's initiative of providing free milk to Wellington schools since June 1933

MILK FOR SCHOOLS (Evening Post, 13 June 1933)

National Library of New Zealand

Image: A most up-to-date plant for cleaning, filling, and bottling milk was recently brought into use al the Municipal Milk Depot in Tory Street. After passing through the processes explained in the top picture the filled bottles are crated and ready for delivery, as seen in the other picture. (Evening Post, 18 May 1939)

The milk was pasteurised and then poured into sterilised glass bottles

A most up-to-date plant for cleaning, filling, and bottling milk was recently brought into use al the Municipal Milk Depot in Tory Street. After pa...

National Library of New Zealand

Image: Crating Milk for Schools, Massey Agricultural College

The bottles held a half pint -- about 284 ml

Crating Milk for Schools, Massey Agricultural College

Palmerston North City Library

Image: Cart loaded with milk churns at Whitehall School

Milk was delivered in churns to schools in remote areas

Cart loaded with milk churns at Whitehall School

Hamilton City Libraries

Image: Orini School school milk c. 1939

Orini School school milk c. 1939

Hamilton City Libraries

Image: Orini School school milk c. 1939

Orini School school milk c. 1939

Hamilton City Libraries

Some schools used the milk to make hot cocoa in tins on the classroom log-burner stove during winter. In later years, some children brought along flavoured sachets from home to give a bit more palatable zing to the taste of milk. The milk was often warm in summer and sometimes curdled if left lying in crates out in the sun at the school gates until morning tea time.  

Image: Orini School school milk c. 1939

Orini School school milk c. 1939

Hamilton City Libraries

Image: School milk

School milk

Manatū Taonga, the Ministry for Culture and Heritage

Image: Christchurch school girls drinking milk

Christchurch school girls drinking milk

Alexander Turnbull Library

Image: School milk

School milk

Manatū Taonga, the Ministry for Culture and Heritage

Image: old milk top lids

old milk top lids

Kete Horowhenua

Image: Large group of school children.

Large group of school children.

Nelson Provincial Museum

Image: Standard 2, school milk scheme

Standard 2, school milk scheme

Hocken Collections - Uare Taoka o Hākena, University of Otago

Image: Milton Primary Milk Delivery, 1960s

Milton Primary Milk Delivery, 1960s

Clutha District Libraries

Image: Milton Primary School Milk, 1960s

Milton Primary School Milk, 1960s

Clutha District Libraries

The free milk scheme ceased on 10 February 1967

The second National government ceased the scheme due to the cost & queries being raised over the health benefits of milk

End of free school milk

Manatū Taonga, the Ministry for Culture and Heritage

Find out more:

This DigitalNZ story was updated in Feb 2024