Cyril P. Callister
Encyclopedia
Cyril Percy Callister was an Australia
n chemist
and food technologist
. He is credited with the invention of Vegemite
.
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
and later won a scholarship to the University of Melbourne
.. He gained a Bachelor of Science degree in 1914 and a Master of Science degree in 1917. 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 However, he was soon withdrawn from active service and assigned to the Munitions Branch, making explosives in Britain.. 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.
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.
He was a prominent member of the Royal Australian Chemical Institute
, helping it to get a Royal Charter
in 1931.
Callister died in 1949, following a heart attack and is buried at Box Hill Cemetery
.
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n chemist
Chemist
A chemist is a scientist trained in the study of chemistry. Chemists study the composition of matter and its properties such as density and acidity. Chemists carefully describe the properties they study in terms of quantities, with detail on the level of molecules and their component atoms...
and food technologist
Food technology
Food technology, is a branch of food science which deals with the actual production processes to make foods.-Early history of food technology:...
. He is credited with the invention of Vegemite
Vegemite
Vegemite is a dark brown Australian food paste made from yeast extract. It is a spread for sandwiches, toast, crumpets and cracker biscuits, and filling for pastries...
.
Early life
Callister was born in Chute, near Ballarat in the Australian state of VictoriaVictoria (Australia)
Victoria is the second most populous state in Australia. Geographically the smallest mainland state, Victoria is bordered by New South Wales, South Australia, and Tasmania on Boundary Islet to the north, west and south respectively....
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
University of Ballarat
The University of Ballarat is a dual-sector university in Ballarat, Victoria, Australia. It was formed by the passage of an Act of the Victorian Parliament in 1994, from the Ballarat College of Advanced Education...
and later won a scholarship to the University of Melbourne
University of Melbourne
The University of Melbourne is a public university located in Melbourne, Victoria. Founded in 1853, it is the second oldest university in Australia and the oldest in Victoria...
.. He gained a Bachelor of Science degree in 1914 and a Master of Science degree in 1917. In early 1915, Callister was employed by food manufacturer Lewis & Whitty, but later that year he enlisted in the Australian Imperial Force
Australian Imperial Force
The Australian Imperial Force was the name given to all-volunteer Australian Army forces dispatched to fight overseas during World War I and World War II.* First Australian Imperial Force * Second Australian Imperial Force...
. However, he was soon withdrawn from active service and assigned to the Munitions Branch, making explosives in Britain.. Following the end of World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, 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 WalkerFred Walker (entrepreneur)
Fred Walker was an Australian businessman and founder of Fred Walker & Co. The company is best known for creating Vegemite, a food paste and Australian cultural icon....
and given the task of developing a yeast extract
Yeast extract
Yeast extract is the common name for various forms of processed yeast products made by extracting the cell contents ; they are used as food additives or flavourings, or as nutrients for bacterial culture media. They are often used to create savory flavors and umami taste sensations. Monosodium...
, as imports from the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
of Marmite
Marmite
Marmite is the name given to two similar food spreads: the original British version, first produced in the United Kingdom and later South Africa, and a version produced in New Zealand...
had been disrupted in the aftermath of World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
. 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
James L. Kraft
James Lewis Kraft was a Canadian-American entrepreneur and inventor. Born near Stevensville, Ontario in Canada to Mennonite parents, George and Minerva Tripp Kraft, he was the first to patent processed cheese...
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.
Later life
Callister got his Doctorate from the University of Melbourne in 1931, with his submission largely based on his work in developing Vegemite.He was a prominent member of the Royal Australian Chemical Institute
Royal Australian Chemical Institute
The Royal Australian Chemical Institute Inc. is both the qualifying body in Australia for professional chemists and a learned society promoting the science and practice of chemistry in all its branches. The RACI hosts conferences, seminars and workshops...
, helping it to get a Royal Charter
Royal Charter
A royal charter is a formal document issued by a monarch as letters patent, granting a right or power to an individual or a body corporate. They were, and are still, used to establish significant organizations such as cities or universities. Charters should be distinguished from warrants and...
in 1931.
Callister died in 1949, following a heart attack and is buried at Box Hill Cemetery
Box Hill Cemetery
Box Hill Cemetery is a cemetery located in Box Hill, Victoria in Australia. It is known as the resting place of notable figures from Melbourne and its heritage-registered Columbarium and Myer Memorial...
.