More than a Glass and a Half

This richly illustrated survey of Cadbury’s in Australia includes the story of famous products like Freddo Frogs, Dairy Milk chocolate, Cherry Ripes and Bournville Cocoa. It reveals Australians’ experience of Cadbury during peacetime and war, depression and prosperity. There’s a lot in it for chocolate lovers and for history buffs. Also insights into market leadership, and a record of how the brand earnt and maintained the trust and affection of millions. The checkered and creative careers of Cadbury’s competitors add drama to the narrative. In his balanced survey of highs and lows, Robert Crawford explains how the British parent company founded its first overseas factory, in Tasmania, and how that later helped to launch Australian innovations in China, America and other countries. After a hundred years manufacturing in Australia, Cadbury’s renown is hardly surprising. But this book goes further back, to find Cadbury already a household name in Gold Rush times. It describes distribution hubs Cadbury’s operated in Australian colonies, while representatives covered the country, even travelling the outback with camels. Cadbury’s current ethos of care for the environment and social equity is traced back to the Quaker origins of the British and Australian enterprises. It’s interesting to read of the moral concerns that made Cadbury wary of being identified with the war effort and Sydney’s Gay Mardi Gras. But most interesting in this book is what it reveals about generations of Australians, their memories, and their place in the world.