In 1880, 20-year-old Macpherson 'Mac' Robertson founded MacRobertson's Steam Confectionery Works.
The company was renowned for its chocolate and iconic products (including Cherry Ripe, Old Gold and Freddo Frogs) that remain Australian favourites to this day.
Now remembered as the 'Willy Wonka of Melbourne', the budding entrepreneur toured the United States in 1893, returning to introduce fairy floss and chewing gum to the Australian market. Always immaculately dressed in white, Robertson presided over a large complex of factories known as the 'White City', painted completely white in contrast to the grimy, industrial streets of Fitzroy. The factories were operated by thousands of white-uniformed employees, and trotting along in front of white delivery carts were prize-winning white draught horses.
Now remembered as the 'Willy Wonka of Melbourne', Robertson was always immaculately dressed in white and presided over a large complex of factories known as the 'White City'.
In 1930, while the firm was reviewing a theft involving ‘vanishing butter’, a young MacRobertson’s employee, Harry Melbourne, was busy finalising the company’s latest creation – the Freddo Frog. The initial product designs involved a mouse, but 18-year-old Harry was concerned women and children might be afraid of mice, and instead chose a frog.
In 1967 MacRobertson's was acquired by English confectioner Cadbury. Hedderwick Fookes & Alston had also undertaken work for Cadbury and continued to work for the merged company. The firm's involvement continues today on the Cadbury and MacRobertson's brands, which are now owned by Mondelēz International.
Three horse-drawn delivery vans outside the MacRobertson factory, c.1910. Collection of State Library of Victoria.