Thirsty Business

Standing the test of time, these ceramic bottles have remained in a near-pristine condition for over a hundred years. They tell the story of Narrabri’s famous cordial maker, Septimus Faulkner (1859-1936). In the late 1800s, a young Faulkner arrived in Narrabri to work for Edmund Fuss, a chemist who had turned to cordial making. Under […]

Read More…

Miltie’s Mark

Milton Mudge probably felt a hint of pride each time a new batch of timber crates arrived, and he took down this stencil where it hung on the wall of his cordial factory in Milton. He painted the sides of the timber crates through the gaps in the letters, marking his name ‘M.J. Mudge / […]

Read More…

Three Green Bottles

To meet the  growing demand  for  cordial and fizzy drinks, soft-drink factories established in many NSW towns and villages in the second half of the nineteenth century. The glass and ceramic bottles shown here were used by Heavener (later Ashelfords) of Blayney, Bathurst and Lithgow; and the Derwin Bros. at Carcoar and Cowra. They illustrate […]

Read More…

The Cream of The West

Barrett’s Ice Cream, the ‘Cream of the West’, was sold during the mid-1960s in this round blue-and-white tin. Barretts also packaged their ice cream in a waxed, rectangular cardboard container known as ‘The Brick’. For obvious reasons, this once-familiar packaging has not survived. Barrett’s Orange-based ice cream business was founded by Walter E. Barrett in […]

Read More…