From the early 1900's to the 1970's the Manning River, on the NSW Mid North Coast echoed with the sound of stainless steel milk cans clanging loudly as they were loaded onto more than a dozen Cream Boats (or Milk Boats) that plied the tranquil waters of the scenic Manning River.br/The Cream Boats were a lifeline to river communities, not only picking up dairy milk from individual farm wharves along the river but also delivering supplies as well as providing a means of transport for children going to school in Taree.br/The decaying wharf seen in these images is the old Peters Creameries milk wharf which delivered milk to a highly mechanized Peters milk Factory not far away by rail.br/A railway spur line passes by the Peters factory and continues to Peters Wharf then on past thos fprmer produce store to the old Peeress Butter Factory further east on Pitt St Chatham. The line is still evident today.br/With advanced cold refrigeration tankers coming into the industry from the late 1960s both milk factories eventually closed as the Milk industry contracted to larger producers serviced by a large fleet of refrigerated tankers.br/Sadly both these facilities could have offered something as tourism infrastructure had they been even minimally maintained. Today they stand rapidly deteriorating with demolition almost inevitable.br/The wharves represent extremely important historic links to the bustling history of the Manning River yet this is apparently all to be lost within the next 10 years as no preservation of the wharves appears to be planned under the a href="http://www.gtcc.nsw.gov.au/files/FP_Strategic_Planning/Figtrees.pdf"; target="_blank"2010 'Fig Trees on Manning'/a development grand plan for this historic riverfront precinct. br/The riverfront land here is in multiple ownership but the plan aims for a mix of residential and commercial as well as a marina with the 3 major land parcels integrating as they are developed. The historic Peeress Butter Factory will largely be demolished but certain buildings are marked for for adaptive re-use as a museum and for other purposes.br/With the creamboat wharves gone and the Butter Factory reduced to a mere skeleton some of the last vestiges of the history of the Manning River will fade away forever.