- George Marchant
George Marchant (
17 November 1857 –5 September 1941 ) was anAustralian soft-drink manufacturer andphilanthropist .Marchant was born in
Brasted ,Kent ,England , the son of a builder and hotel keeper. As a boy he become interested in thetemperance movement . He arrived inBrisbane ,Queensland ,Australia on the "Ramsey" on9 June 1874 cite web |url=http://www.adb.online.anu.edu.au/biogs/A100394b.htm |title=Marchant, George (1857 - 1941) |accessdate=2007-07-15 |author=Helen Gregory|work=Australian Dictionary of Biography , Volume 10 |publisher=MUP |year=1986 |pages=406] at 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 acarter in anaerated water s factory, himself purchasing theginger beer manufacturing business of John R. Palmer inElizabeth Street, Brisbane in 1886. Marchant then opened a factory in Bower Street, Spring Hill, Brisbane and hissoft-drink business eventually became the largest in Australia, with other plants inSydney ,Melbourne ,Adelaide , and Newcastle.Marchant believed in social equality and had read
Edward Bellamy 's ; 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 thebenefactor of many charitable causes, including providing land in Ann St for theNew Jerusalem Church and in Chermside, where "Marchant Park" is named after him. A ward of theBrisbane 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 .References
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
* [http://home.alphalink.com.au/~loge27/p_war_aus/Eco/pwar_aus_ec_softdrinks.htm SOFT DRINKS, 1945 - 65] History of Marchants company
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