More than a Glass and a Half: A history of Cadbury in Australia by Robert Crawford

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 is 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.

Robert Crawford comes from Melbourne, but lived in Sydney for many years before returning to Melbourne where he now lives with his wife and daughter. He is Professor of Advertising and Associate Dean of Research and Innovation in the RMIT University’s School of Media and Communication. His field includes history of communication, marketing, and business. He focusses on the growth and development of advertising, marketing, and public relations industries.Prof. Crawford’s academic books include Digital Dawn in Adland: Transforming Australian Agencies (Routledge, 2021). Behind Glass Doors: The World of Australian Advertising Agencies 1959-89 (with J. Dickenson, University of WA Press, 2016), But Wait Theres More . . .: A History of Australian Advertising (MUP, 2008). His co-edited collections include Decoding Coca-Cola (Routledge, 2021), Global Advertising Practice in a Borderless World (Routledge, 2017), and Consumer Australia: Historical Perspectives (CSP, 2010). He is also the author of over 80 book chapters, articles and encyclopaedia entries.

ISBN: 9781925043709

Halstead Press 2022