Historical information

This photograph, taken by The Advocate in 1989 is of Graeme Richards, of Richards Dairys located in Wallace Street, Maidstone.

Wallace Stree, Maidstone has a long history of dairies being located in the street.

Richards Dairys has a long association with Sunshine & District with a number of dairies operating in Sunshine and Maidstone.

Significance

Richards Dairies is significant for its contribution to the social and economic fabric of Maidstone and Sunshine.

As a local supplier, it provided essential services to families during a period when home‑delivered milk was central to domestic routines. The dairy supported employment in the area, including delivery drivers, processing staff, and administrative workers.

Its presence reflects the era of small suburban dairies that shaped community identity, local commerce, and neighbourhood interaction. The decline and eventual disappearance of Richards Dairies illustrate broader changes in food distribution, industrial consolidation, and suburban development in Melbourne’s west.

Physical description

Collection of digitally scanned negatives

Inscriptions & markings

7498.01 - Richards Dairy Maidstone 1989 Photographs (Advocate 963).JPG
Graeme Richards

7498.02 - Richards Dairy Maidstone 1989 Photographs (Advocate 963).JPG
Graeme Richards

7498.03 - Richards Dairy Maidstone 1989 Photographs (Advocate 963).JPG
Graeme Richards & Family

7498.04 - Richards Dairy Maidstone 1989 Photographs (Advocate 963).JPG
Dave Stephens

7498.05 - Richards Dairy Maidstone 1989 Photographs (Advocate 963).JPG

7498.06 - Richards Dairy Maidstone 1989 Photographs (Advocate 963).JPG
Dave Stephens