In February 1923, Fred Walker from the Fred Walker Company, hired a young chemist named Dr. Cyril P Callister to develop a remarkable new spread from brewer’s yeast. 

In spring, the formulation was confirmed – its appealing taste, backed up by its credentials as being one of the world’s richest known sources of natural Vitamin B – marks the start of what will become one of Australia’s most loved products for generations to come. 

Fred Walker ran a competition, inviting the Australian public to create a name for the new product. A prize of 50 pounds – a sizeable sum for that era – is placed into a prize pool for finalists. The winning entrant of the competition is lost in the mists of time except for one thing, the name that was selected: VEGEMITE 

VEGEMITE was sold in a two ounce (57g) amber glass jar, capped with what was known as a Phoenix seal, to keep the contents fresh and described as ‘Pure Vegetable Extract’ – delicious on sandwiches and toast, and as improving the flavour of soups, stews and gravies.