The Man Who Invented Vegemite

The Man Who Invented Vegemite
ISBN: 9781743360446
Publication Date: 29 January 2014

Vegemite is perhaps Australia's most enduring cultural icon. But how did this pungent, salty black paste, which for most of us is how we start the day, come to be created?

Today more than 22 million jars of Vegemite are sold each year, but when the salty black paste was first produced in 1923 the public wasn't interested. In fact, it took another fifteen years and a world war before we embraced it.

The Man Who Invented Vegemite spans the Gold Rush, the Depression and two world wars and it opens a fascinating window both on the evolution of modern Australia and the quiet achievements, and tragedies, of one man. Jamie Callister sets out to learn more about the grandfather he never met and, along the way, discovers that extraordinary things can happen to (almost) ordinary people.

About the Author

James Callister was born in Melbourne in 1960. After university, he travelled and worked overseas for several years before moving to Queensland. He has since worked in television and media as well as building and construction. A keen surfer, Jamie lives on the Sunshine Coast with his wife and three children. This is his first book.