Cyril P. Callister

Cyril Percy Callister (16 February 1893 – 5 October 1949)^[1] was an Australian chemist and food technologist. He is credited with the invention of Vegemite^[1].

Early life

Sign marking the birthplace of Cyril Callister

Callister was born in Chute, near Ballarat in the Australian state of Victoria on the 16 February 1893. The son of a teacher and post master and one of nine children, he attended the Ballarat School of Mines^[1] and later won a scholarship to the University of Melbourne.^[2]. He gained a Bachelor of Science degree in 1914 and a Master of Science degree in 1917.^[3] In early 1915, Callister was employed by food manufacturer Lewis & Whitty, but later that year he enlisted in the Australian Imperial Force. However, he was soon withdrawn from active service and assigned to the Munitions Branch, making explosives in Britain.^[4]. Following the end of World War I, he married Scottish girl Katherine Hope Mundell and returned to Australia and resumed employment with Lewis & Whitty in 1919.

The invention of Vegemite

In the early 1920s, Callister was employed by Fred Walker and given the task of developing a yeast extract, as imports from the United Kingdom of Marmite had been disrupted in the aftermath of World War I. He experimented on spent brewer's yeast and independently developed what would later be called Vegemite, a product first sold by Fred Walker & Co in 1923.

Working from the details of a James L. Kraft patent, Callister was successful in producing processed cheese. The Walker Company negotiated a deal for the rights to manufacture the product, and in 1926, the Kraft Walker Cheese Company Ltd was established. Callister was appointed chief scientist and production superintendent of the new company.^[4]

Later life

Callister got his Doctorate from the University of Melbourne in 1931, with his submission largely based on his work in developing Vegemite.^[5]

He was a prominent member of the Royal Australian Chemical Institute, helping it to get a Royal Charter in 1931.^[1]

Callister died in 1949, following a heart attack and is buried at Box Hill Cemetery.

References

1. ^ ^{a b c d} Dorothy Wickham. "Cyril Callister (1893-1949) Industrial Chemist and Food h Technologist (Inventor of Vegemite)". http://www.ballarat.edu.au/aasp/is/library/collections/art_history/honour-roll/honourroll_callister.shtml. Retrieved 2008-02-23. 
2. ^ "Cyril Percy Callister the man who gave us Vegemite". Kraft. http://www.kraft.com.au/Products/KRAFTHistory/FredWalkerFounder/PercyCallister.htm. Retrieved 2008-02-23. 
3. ^ "Bright Sparcs Biographical Entry". Bright Sparcs. http://www.asap.unimelb.edu.au/bsparcs/biogs/P000946b.htm. Retrieved 2008-02-23. 
4. ^ ^{a b} K. T. H. Farrer. "Callister, Cyril Percy (1893 - 1949)". Australian Dictionary of Biography. http://www.adb.online.anu.edu.au/biogs/A070531b.htm. Retrieved 2008-02-23. 
5. ^ "Feeding the Nation". National Museum of Australia Canberra. http://www.nma.gov.au/exhibitions/now_showing/nation/feeding_the_nation/. Retrieved 2008-02-24. 

Persondata
Name	Callister, Cyril Percy
Alternative names
Short description	Australian chemist and food technologist
Date of birth	16 February 1893
Place of birth
Date of death	5 October 1949
Place of death