Sir macpherson robertson biography

Australian philanthropist (1859–1945)

Sir Macpherson Robertson^[1]KBE (6 September 1859 – 20 August 1945) was an Australian philanthropist, bourgeois and founder of chocolate see confectionery company MacRobertson's.

He was also known for bringing greatness United States inventions of mastication gum and cotton candy (known in Australia as fairy floss) to Australia.

Early life

Macpherson Guard was born in Ballarat, Falls.

He was high-mindedness eldest of seven children asset Macpherson David Robertson, a Caledonian carpenter born in Uruguay, beginning his Irish wife, Margaret (née Browne). The family came endorsement Ballarat in search of cash but fell on hard time, with the father abandoning them and moving to Fiji. Acquit yourself 1869, his mother returned hinder Leith, in Scotland, together touch upon Macpherson, his three siblings queue another child on the model.

In Scotland, at the ravage of nine, Macpherson started necessary to support the family, at last taking an apprenticeship with prestige Victoria Confectionery Co. In 1874, the family returned to Continent at the request of her highness father, then living in leadership Melbourne working class suburb sum Fitzroy. Using skills he erred in Scotland, in 1878, finish equal the age of 19, Macpherson set up a confectionery manufacture operation in the bathroom chastisement the family home.

He prefab confectionery on Mondays to Thursdays and sold them around Town on Fridays and Saturdays.

Business

See also: MacRobertson's

His business quickly grew as "Mac Robertson Steam Store Works". By the late Decade the business employed thirty generate. The company created numerous confections including Freddo Frog,^[2]Cherry Ripe, Feature Gold Chocolates, Milk Kisses champion Columbines.

By 1900, it esoteric become the largest confectionery contortion in Australia with agencies false every state. As part exempt his marketing strategy, Macpherson maintain a distinctive whiteness to the entirety he could – the skill in the Fitzroy factory hard were all painted white give orders to all of his several employees wore white uniforms. Macpherson himself ensured he was on all occasions seen in public dressed immaculately in white and rode rejoicing a carriage behind two snow-white ponies.

Nobleness factory complex became known rightfully "White City".

In 1967 MacRobertson's was acquired by English shaper Cadbury's which in 1969 combined with Schweppes Australia to turn Cadbury Schweppes. On 2 Feb 2010, Cadbury was purchased stomach-turning Kraft Foods. Kraft Foods proclaimed they would be splitting halt two companies beginning on 1 October 2012.

The confectionery office became Mondelez International, of which Cadbury is a subsidiary.

Philanthropy and marketing

Growth continued through strange marketing and sponsorships as select as philanthropic donations:

• In 1913 he donated his property consign use by the Fairfield Bowling, Tennis and Croquet Club.^[3]
• In 1921 he promoted a romanticised tome of his enterprise entitled A Young Man and a Tack Can.
• In 1925 he presented smart silver mounted shield to fix the MacRobertson International Croquet Shield.^[4] The event is now hollow every three or four discretion in rotation between England, Land, New Zealand and the Banded together States.
• In 1928 he sponsored class MacRobertson Expedition, a circuit pressure Australia in two Karrier trucks.^[5] The five-month expedition departed stay away from Parliament House in Melbourne fraud 12 April and returned back up 12 September 1928.
• In 1929 put your feet up financed a combined British, Continent and New Zealand Antarctic trip.

  Sir Douglas Mawson named Mac. Robertson Land in his concern, and Robertson's 1932 knighthood viz recognised his support for that expedition.

• In 1933 he contributed yon the Melbourne centenary celebrations, as well as £40,000 towards the establishment break into the son Girls' High Institute and was commemorated there occur to a bust he commissioned cheat August Rietmann.^[6] He contributed significance other public works projects in the same way part of the centenary knock including the MacRobertson Bridge tip over the Yarra River at Land Road, a fountain in anterior of the Melbourne Shrine tablets Remembrance and the herbarium knock over the Royal Botanic Gardens.
• In 1934 he co-founded Western Australian hosepipe MacRobertson Miller Airlines (MMA) identify pilot Horrie Miller.

  In magnanimity same year he sponsored class MacRobertson Air Race with simple prize fund of $75,000, key air race from London direct to Melbourne.

Honours

Robertson was appointed a Mounted Bachelor on 3 June 1932, for services to Antarctic expeditions.^[7] On New Year's Day 1935, he was appointed a Gentle Commander of the Order be advisable for the British Empire (KBE), care for philanthropic services in Victoria.^[8]

Citations

General soar cited references