This churn, from the Kakapo Bay household of Albert Guard, was likely used to make small quantities of butter for household use. It is comprised of a large glass jar with a metal screw lid, surmounted by a cream-coloured metal cylinder which has been riveted to the top. The cylinder contains an Archimedian screw, and has a metal and wood handle attached which turns a metal churn inside the jar. The metal lid has a section of airholes. The churn was made by the Taco manufacturing company of Burnley, England, and 'Taco Burnley England' is inscribed on the cylinder.
A 'new invention'
Until well into the twentieth century it was common for rural families to keep a house cow, providing them with a ready supply of fresh milk. Wooden barrel churns were available for making large quantities of butter, but glass churns like this one would have been a convenient way to make small batches. Household glass churns were advertised as a 'new invention' in New Zealand from 1906, and this churn is similar in design to the 'Lightning glass churn' advertised in the 1920s.
