Australian's love their sunburnt country and the iconic grub, grog and cozzies that formed the nation's rich identity. But many of the products associated with Australiana, including Speedo, Bundaberg Rum and Arnott's biscuits, are no longer owned by home-grown companies. Billionaires Andrew and Nicola Forrest have bought two major Australian brands in the past three years, R.M. Williams and Akubra, hoping to expand their ongoing success in culture and the marketplace. Dr Forrest said the purchase ensured "companies like Akubra remain Australian owned... both protecting and creating new jobs, particularly in our regions". Speedo, originally named Fortitude, was founded by Scottish immigrant and milkman Alexander McCrae after reaching Australian shores in 1910. His underwear manufacturing company expanded to sock-making for the Australian troops during the First World War, giving Mr McCrae enough money to launch a swimwear line in 1928. The company made a big splash during the 1932 Los Angeles Olympics when 16-year-old Clare Dennis set a new world record in the 200 metre breaststroke wearing a silk Speedo swimsuit but was almost disqualified for showing too much shoulder. British sportswear company Pentland Group bought Speedo in 1990 and have since expanded to manufacture fashion beachwear and triathlon accessories. The first batch of Bundaberg Rum rolled off the production line in 1889 after a group of Queensland sugar cane farmers decided their by-product molasses could be put to good use. Bundaberg's distillery experienced ups and downs in their first few decades due to two major fires causing rum to spill into the nearby Burnett River and forcing periods of closure. Polar bear mascot Bundy R. Bear was introduced in 1961 and while accounts of his mythology are mixed, most explain he could ward off the wickedest chill. British liquor heavyweight Diageo added Bundaberg Rum to its portfolio in 2000 alongside Johnnie Walker, Tanqueray, Smirnoff and Captain Morgan. They faced scrutiny from the Queensland Government after announcing jobs would be moved from Bundaberg to Sydney in 2014. In 1923 Cyril Callister and Kraft Walker Cheese Co. businessman Frank Walker envisioned a spread made from the fragrant yeasty remnants of the beer production process. The iconic Australian delicacy Vegemite was born. Vegemite's recipe has remained consistent over 100 years of production with staff at the factory on Vegemite Way in Port Melbourne celebrating the centenary on October 25. American owned Mondelez International, formerly Kraft Foods Inc., sold Vegemite back to Australian owners Bega Group in 2017 for a reported $460 million. William Arnott completed his baker's apprenticeship in Scotland and set sail for Australia in 1848. By 1865 he had established his first factory in Newcastle making breads, pies and biscuits and became an Australian favourite as production increased. Arnott's Jatz biscuits are the company's highest seller with 16 million boxes per year followed by Barbeque Shapes and Tim Tams. U.S. owned Campbell's Soup Company bought Arnott's in 1997 after a decade of collecting their shares. Campbell's Soup sold Arnott's to U.S. investment heavyweight Kohlberg Kravis Roberts and Co. in 2019 for $3.2 billion. Sydney tram driver Adolphus Herbert Frederick Norman Appleroth, known as Bert, started his jelly business in 1927. He made jelly crystals in his bathtub and distributed them while travelling on his tram route. Aeroplane Jelly became one of the country's largest family owned food manufacturers through creative advertising campaigns and a catchy, if not shrill, jingle. U.S. company McCormick Foods bought the gelatine dessert, which sells 20 million packets in Australia annually, in 1994. Iconic Australian cereal Weet-Bix was developed as a cost-effective breakfast by Bennison Osborne in the 1920s. The dry cereal, which was delivered using a horse and cart at the time, was bought by Sanitarium Health Food Company in 1928. Sanitarium Health Food is wholly-owned by the Seventh Day Adventist Church in Australia. New Zealand mountaineer and explorer Sir Edmund Hillary fuelled his trip to Mount Everest's summit in 1953 by eating the breakfast of champions, Sanitarium said. American brothers William and Ralph Foster set sail from New York to Melbourne in 1886 and began brewing their famous lager two years later. Their crisp style of beer, served colder than the English ales, became a thirst-quenching favourite for Melbourne's labourers. Foster's merged with five other beer companies to form Carlton and United Breweries (CUB) in 1907. CUB was passed from Australia's Elders IXL to British and South African multinational SABMiller to Belgian Anheuser-Busch InBev before it was bought for a whopping $16 million by Asahi in 2019.
