George Marchant
Encyclopedia
George Marchant was an Australian soft-drink manufacturer and philanthropist
.
Marchant was born in Brasted
, Kent
, England
, the son of a builder and hotel keeper. As a boy he become interested in the temperance movement
. He arrived in Brisbane
, Queensland
, Australia
on the Ramsey on 9 June 1874at age 16 with only a few shillings. He worked as a gardener and then a station hand in the country until returning to Brisbane for employment as a carter in an aerated water
s factory, himself purchasing the ginger beer
manufacturing business of John R. Palmer in Elizabeth Street, Brisbane
in 1886. Marchant then opened a factory in Bower Street, Spring Hill, Brisbane and his soft-drink business eventually became the largest in Australia, with other plants in Sydney
, Melbourne
, Adelaide
, and Newcastle
.
Marchant believed in social equality and had read Edward Bellamy
's Looking Backward: 2000-1887
; in 1890 Marchant founded a Bellamy Society. Marchant chaired meetings which raised funds for striking workers and women in his employ were paid more than the average in the food industry. Most of the profits of his business were distributed amongst the employees.
Marchant also invented a bottling machine that came to be used worldwide. With his wife, Mary Jane Dwyer, he was the benefactor of many charitable causes, including providing land in Ann St for the New Jerusalem Church and in Chermside
, where Marchant Park is named after him. A ward of the Brisbane City Council centred on Chermside is also named Marchant Ward.
Marchant's wife died in 1925, and he died 5 September 1941.
Drinks bearing his name today are marketed by Coca-Cola Amatil
.
Philanthropist
A philanthropist is someone who engages in philanthropy; that is, someone who donates his or her time, money, and/or reputation to charitable causes...
.
Marchant was born in Brasted
Brasted
Brasted is a village and civil parish in the Sevenoaks District of Kent, England. The parish is located to the west of Sevenoaks town. The parish includes the settlements of Brasted Chart and Toys Hill, and had a population of 1321 persons . The single slightly winding street of the village has a...
, Kent
Kent
Kent is a county in southeast England, and is one of the home counties. It borders East Sussex, Surrey and Greater London and has a defined boundary with Essex in the middle of the Thames Estuary. The ceremonial county boundaries of Kent include the shire county of Kent and the unitary borough of...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, the son of a builder and hotel keeper. As a boy he become interested in the temperance movement
Temperance movement
A temperance movement is a social movement urging reduced use of alcoholic beverages. Temperance movements may criticize excessive alcohol use, promote complete abstinence , or pressure the government to enact anti-alcohol legislation or complete prohibition of alcohol.-Temperance movement by...
. He arrived in Brisbane
Brisbane
Brisbane is the capital and most populous city in the Australian state of Queensland and the third most populous city in Australia. Brisbane's metropolitan area has a population of over 2 million, and the South East Queensland urban conurbation, centred around Brisbane, encompasses a population of...
, Queensland
Queensland
Queensland is a state of Australia, occupying the north-eastern section of the mainland continent. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales to the west, south-west and south respectively. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
on the Ramsey on 9 June 1874at age 16 with only a few shillings. He worked as a gardener and then a station hand in the country until returning to Brisbane for employment as a carter in an aerated water
Aerated water
Aerated water is, correctly speaking, distilled water to which purified air is added to improve its flavor.The term is, however, frequently applied to carbonated water.-Purpose of aeration:...
s factory, himself purchasing the ginger beer
Ginger beer
Ginger beer is a carbonated drink that is flavored primarily with ginger and sweetened with sugar or artificial sweeteners.-History:Brewed ginger beer originated in England in the mid-18th century and became popular in Britain, the United States, and Canada, reaching a peak of popularity in the...
manufacturing business of John R. Palmer in Elizabeth Street, Brisbane
Elizabeth Street, Brisbane
Elizabeth Street in Brisbane, Australia is a major street in the centre of the city. The street was established at the beginning of settlement in Brisbane as a penal colony...
in 1886. Marchant then opened a factory in Bower Street, Spring Hill, Brisbane and his soft-drink business eventually became the largest in Australia, with other plants in Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
, Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
, Adelaide
Adelaide
Adelaide is the capital city of South Australia and the fifth-largest city in Australia. Adelaide has an estimated population of more than 1.2 million...
, and Newcastle
Newcastle, New South Wales
The Newcastle metropolitan area is the second most populated area in the Australian state of New South Wales and includes most of the Newcastle and Lake Macquarie Local Government Areas...
.
Marchant believed in social equality and had read Edward Bellamy
Edward Bellamy
Edward Bellamy was an American author and socialist, most famous for his utopian novel, Looking Backward, set in the year 2000. He was a very influential writer during the Gilded Age of United States history.-Early life:...
's Looking Backward: 2000-1887
Looking Backward
Looking Backward: 2000-1887 is a utopian science fiction novel by Edward Bellamy, a lawyer and writer from western Massachusetts; it was first published in 1887...
; in 1890 Marchant founded a Bellamy Society. Marchant chaired meetings which raised funds for striking workers and women in his employ were paid more than the average in the food industry. Most of the profits of his business were distributed amongst the employees.
Marchant also invented a bottling machine that came to be used worldwide. With his wife, Mary Jane Dwyer, he was the benefactor of many charitable causes, including providing land in Ann St for the New Jerusalem Church and in Chermside
Chermside, Queensland
Chermside is a suburb on the north side of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.Chermside is a key destination along Queensland Transport's future Northern Busway...
, where Marchant Park is named after him. A ward of the Brisbane City Council centred on Chermside is also named Marchant Ward.
Marchant's wife died in 1925, and he died 5 September 1941.
Drinks bearing his name today are marketed by Coca-Cola Amatil
Coca-Cola Amatil
Coca-Cola Amatil is an Australian company that bottles and distributes The Coca-Cola Company soft drinks and other beverages in several countries...
.
Additional resources listed by the Australian Dictionary of Biography
- W. O. Lilley, Reminiscences of Life in Brisbane and Reflections and Sayings (Brisb,1913)
- Queensland and Queenslanders (Brisb,1936)
- Votes and Proceedings (Queensland), 1891, 2, p 1244
- Queensland Digger, 1 Oct 1941, p 31
- Worker (Brisbane), 1 July, 7 Aug, 1 Sept, 1, 18 Oct 1890
- Boomerang (Brisbane), 27 Sept, 4 Oct 1890
- Queenslander, 16 July 1931
- Sunday Mail (Brisbane), 7 Sept 1941
- Courier Mail (Brisbane), 8 Sept 1941
- S. A. Rayner, The Evolution of the Queensland Labor Party to 1907 (M.A. thesis, University of Queensland, 1947)
- S. W. Jack's newsclipping book, no 41 (State Library of Queensland); company files, COM/1, 1863-88, and company registration, A/ 11849 (Queensland State Archives).
External links
- SOFT DRINKS, 1945 - 65 History of Marchants company