Click to explore our history
Click to
explore our
history
Our beginnings
1950s
Full-time farmers
1960s
The second generation
1970-1990s
Poultry expansion
2000s
The third generation
2010s
Today
2020s
1950s
Arthur John McLean and Charlotte Hope White were married in Pittsworth in 1950, and raised six children – Lynda, Chris, Jenny, Donna, Brian and Pam. Charlotte “Hope” McLean started their family farm with 500 hens and developed the original 7.5-acre poultry farm located in Quarry Street, Pittsworth – where McLean and White streets are today. The original farm reared and grew birds for free-range egg production.
1960s
Arthur was a dental technician at the time and joined ”Hope” later to become full-time poultry farmers when the business became too big for “Hope” to manage alone. In 1961 a new farm was purchased on Copps Hill Pittsworth, now known as the Main Farm. “Hope” passed away from cancer in 1964 aged 37 and a packing floor was built later that year at the main farm to grade and pack eggs produced from the sites. Hopevale Hatchery was built in honour of Hope McLean in 1966. Chicks were hatched here from eggs off the breeding farms.
1970-1990s
Through the ’70s, ’80s and ’90s the second generation and several spouses worked in different areas and capacities of the company. The business continued to grow and expanded into grain, pulses and cotton production, piggeries and feed milling.
2000s
The 2000’s saw the poultry expansion of the Gardens cage facility increasing bird numbers above 1 million. The second generation became shareholders and Arthur transitioned into retirement at 80 years of age. The third generation gained experience during the ’90s and 2000s, and from 2010 joined the company in full-time careers.
2010s
Arthur McLean, the founding director passed away in February 2015 aged 90, leaving a legacy of 6 children, 15 grandchildren and 12 great-grandchildren at that time. Today the fourth generation is still increasing in numbers.
This decade also saw the construction of the Homestead Free-range Farm consisting of 13 sheds, producing 400,000 eggs per day.
2020s
In the 2020’s McLean Farms further expanded with the construction of Hopevale Barn farm. Hopevale was named in honour of Hope McLean and consists of 17 sheds and produces in excess of 680,000 eggs per day.