1949 Peters Choc Wedge launched
One of the all-time favourites in the Peters range, Choc Wedge was a new variant of the vanilla icecream/chocolate coating… Read More
1940s
1949 Jaffle craze hits Australia
That Aussie icon, the jaffle iron, has a shorter history than you may think. It was invented in 1949 and… Read More
1949 Aerophos Recipe Book
Issued by the "manufacturers of AEROPHOS food phosphate raising ingredients" the Aerophos Recipe Book was a fixture in many Australian kitchens… Read More
1949-74 Snowy Mountains Scheme
The Snowy Mountains Hydro-electric Scheme was an ambitious engineering project to turn back the waters of rivers that flowed east… Read More
1949 Jan gets Spotty’s dinner
An unfortunate episode involving a high chair, a fox terrier called Spotty and a dish of cooked ox hearts. For… Read More
1948 Sunbeam Mixmaster launched
Sunbeam can trace its Australian history back to 1902, when the American Chicago Flexible Shaft Company (later the Cooper Engineering Company) set up… Read More
1948 Australian Vegetarian Society re-founded
Although the first Australian Vegetarian Society was founded in 1886, there is little evidence of its activities between 1900 and… Read More
1948 First Chinese cookery book for Australians
In 1948, Roy Geechoun (otherwise Lee Lock Gee Choun) published a Chinese cookery book written for non-Chinese Australians. It was… Read More
1948 FruChocs first produced
FruChocs, now made by Menz Confectionery are unique to South Australia. Originally produced by W. Menz & Co., biscuit and confectionery… Read More
1948 Wagon Wheels invented
Although we like to think of Wagon Wheels as a classic Australian treat, they were actually invented in England and… Read More
1948 Price control referendum
During World War II almost every aspect of Australian life was under the control of the Federal Government, including wages,… Read More
1948 First all-Australian Holden car
The first Holden or, at least, the first all-Australian Holden, was unveiled by Prime Minister Ben Chifley at the GM-H… Read More
1949 Dagwood Dog vs Pronto Pup
In a 1949 courtcase, a couple who claimed exclusive rights to sell ‘Pronto Pups’ sought to stop competitors from selling a similar… Read More
1947 Nescafe launched in Australia.
When Nescafé launched in Australia, it began the conversion of Australians from tea-drinkers to coffee drinkers. Coffee was associated with… Read More
1947 Raleigh Preserving Co. registers Biddy’s trademark
Raleigh Preserving Company is among Australia's forgotten food companies. Once a popular brand, the company manufactured a range of canned… Read More
1947 DON® Smallgoods founded
When it comes to the history of Don Smallgoods, it's another case of "don't let the facts spoil a good… Read More
1947 Royal wedding cake frenzy
Australians love a good royal wedding. So when Princess Elizabeth married Lieutenant Philip Mountbatten, Australian organisations were falling over each… Read More
1947 Returned soldiers open supermarket
In 1947, Change Over, the magazine published by the Ministry of Post War Reconstruction, reported on a group of ex-R.A.A.F.… Read More
1947 Wizz Fizz sherbet confection launched
This childhood favourite was originally a paper sachet of sherbet with a liquorice straw. The Wizz Fizz is still made… Read More
1947 Golden Circle cannery opens
By the mid-1940s, the pineapple industry was well established in Queensland. To provide marketing and financial stability, a cooperative was… Read More
1947 – Four ‘n Twenty Pie introduced
The iconic Four 'n Twenty Pie was invented in Bendigo, Victoria by L.T. McClure in 1947. He started selling them at the… Read More
1947 First Barossa Vintage Festival
The original Barossa Vintage Festival was a single event - a Thanksgiving Ball to celebrate the end of harvest and… Read More
1947 Jan Trezise born on 12 March
I am the author of this timeline, once Jan Trezise and now Jan O'Connell. I am a baby-boomer, born in… Read More
1947 Liquor Referendum NSW
Pubs in most states of Australia, including New South Wales, had been closing at 6pm since 1916, when temperance advocates… Read More
1945 Kombucha makes news in Australia
In recent years, Kombucha, in the form of a tea-based drink, has made the transition from fringe to mainstream as… Read More
1945 Garlic bread arrives in Australia
To be honest, it's impossible to say when someone ate the first slice of garlic bread in Australia. But the… Read More
1944 Frozen vegetables first processed in Australia
Amidst the food rationing of the war years, imported quick frozen vegetables became available in Australia. The first Australian plant… Read More
1944 Wild’s Ezy-Sauce trademarked
Not being one to make my own pickles and sauces, I had never heard about Wild's Ezy-Sauce. Not until it… Read More
1944 World’s first organic farming society in Sydney
The Australian Organic Farming and Gardening Society (AOFGS), founded in Australia in October 1944, was the world’s first organic farming… Read More
1944 Meat rationing
From January 1944, meat coupons for adults could purchase an average of 2¼ lbs (just over 1 kg) of meat… Read More
1943 Splayds invented
Splayds are a combination of knife, fork and spoon. They were invented by William McArthur in Sydney, supposedly after seeing… Read More
1943 Butter rationing introduced
In June 1943, butter was added to the list of rationed foods. The allowance for each adult was 1lb per… Read More
c1943 The soldier’s friend F.R.E.D.
Introduced around 1943, the F.R.E.D., a combination can opener, bottle opener and spoon, was included in military ration packs. Officially… Read More
1942 Women’s Land Army formed
When the Japanese entered World War II and young Australian men joined the armed services or war industries, there was… Read More
1942 Instructions for American Servicemen in Australia
A 54-page booklet titled Instructions for American Servicemen in Australia was produced for American forces stationed here during World War… Read More
1942 Beer rationing
Wartime beer rationing took the form of limits imposed on production. In March 1942 breweries were required to cut their… Read More
1942 WWII food rationing – tea and sugar rationed
To conserve food during WWII, rationing regulations were gazetted in May 1942 and food rationing began in June. Tea was… Read More
1942 Call for Victory Gardens
During WWII, a combination of labour shortages, drought and the difficulty in importing goods led to the threat of food… Read More
1942 Beefless days introduced
In a first step towards World War II food rationing, newspapers throughout Australia announced on 16 January that "The eating… Read More
1942 The Dug-Out club opens for Allied servicemen on leave
The Dug-Out or, officially, the Allied Services Club, was a facility operated by the Australian Comforts Fund during World War… Read More
1941 Franklins founded
The discount supermarket chain, Franklins, was founded in 1941 in Sydney and went through many changes of ownership over the… Read More
1941 Rise of the tuna casserole
Easy Ways to Good Meals: 99 Delicious Dishes Made With Campbell's Soups popularised the tuna and noodle casserole made with… Read More
1941 The Oslo lunch
The Oslo lunch, invented by the Norwegian Professor Schiotz, had been associated with improved child health and weight gain in… Read More
1940 Raw prawn enters the Australian lexicon
"Don't come the raw prawn with me, mate" is universally understood in Australia to mean "don't try to fool me… Read More
1940 William Angliss Food Trades School opens
When I was writing the book based on this timeline, I spent some time in the library of the William… Read More
1940 Beer riot in Brisbane
In October 1940, a group of soldiers rioted in Brisbane as authorities began strict enforcement of the 8 o'clock closing… Read More