In 1917, George Francis Davis (later Sir George) arrived in Sydney to found Davis Gelatine. He came from New Zealand, where his father had founded a glue factory. On their father’s death in 1913, George and his brother, Chris, had diversified into gelatine which, at the time, was largely imported into Australia and New Zealand.
The New Zealand Glue Co. expanded into Australia, with George selected to head the operation in Sydney. The first factory, at Botany, was commenced in 1917 with production beginning early the following year. By 1919, the local press was writing about the operation in glowing terms, emphasising the modernity and hygiene of the manufacturing process. The company officially became Davis Gelatine (Australia) Pty Ltd and, by 1925, had opened a Melbourne office and branches in South Africa and Canada to distribute their Australian and New Zealand-made products.
In 1922, the company published the first of many cookery books titled Davis Dainty Dishes. The title, aside from its alliterative memorability, implied that these were out-of-the-ordinary dishes that stood out from plain home cooking. In his book One Continuous Picnic, food historian Michael Symons suggested that daintiness was a much-desired quality in the early 20th century and implied femininity.
Among the recipes featured in the first book were Moonshine Biffs, Celery Relish, Apple Bird’s Nest, Kosciusko Fluff, Bananas in Jelly, Beetroot Mould and many more. For many decades, housewives struggled to produce the wobbly masterpieces displayed in the pages of these recipe books. Among the recipes included in the 1926 edition was one for “Pavlova“. But it wasn’t the meringue-style dessert that has become an Australian classic. It was simply a multi-layered jelly.
In the 1930s, the company proudly announced that it was an Empire organisation, proudly serving Australia, New Zealand, England, Africa and Canada. An advertisement proclaimed that Australia was:
Headquarters of the Davis Gelatine Industry, now an Empire organisation, supplying 62 per cent of the total gelatine produced in the British Empire, and 12 per cent. of the world’s total production. Operates two factories – one at Kensington, Victoria, and the other at Botany, N.S.W., the largest gelatine works in the world.
During World War II, Davis promoted its product as a way to give variety to foods that were plentiful, to make scarce foods go further or to use leftovers skillfully. In a swerve away from “dainty dishes” later advertising also stressed health benefits. Gelatine is a form of protein and during the 1950s and ’60s it was advertised as a slimming aid or to help prevent brittle nails.
The Davis business diversified into other industries including limestone mining, dockyards and oil shale. When George died in 1947, the company continued under the control of his brother and, later, his nephew Malcolm. Under Malcolm’s leadership, the Davis product range diversified to include sealants, food stabilisers and emulsifiers, PVC plastics compounding, gummed tapes and paper coating, wine production, and food essences and flavourings
Malcolm was the last of the Davis family to lead the company, retiring in 1978. Davis Gelatine Consolidated Limited merged with Fielder Gillespie in 1983 and is now owned by DGF Stoess AG of Germany. The Botany plant was closed in 1990 and Davis Gelatine is now made at Beaudesert in Queensland. It is the only gelatine factory in Australia.
In 2021, a new range of products was launched, including candy glazes, frostings and baking protein. There’s even a 100% vegan product using agar agar.