Jamie Callister is available to speak at your event.
His presentation, Vegemite: A Recipe for Success, is a look at the life and times of the Australian spread and its inventor Cyril Callister.
ABOUT JAMIE CALLISTER
Jamie Callister is the grandson of Cyril Callister, the man who invented Vegemite. When Jamie’s father Bill passed the baton to share Cyril’s story, Jamie’s first thoughts were, ‘well what will I say?’ Jamie set out to meet the grandfather he never knew. He spoke to his dad, read diaries and letters and spoke to Cyril’s family and colleagues. What he found was a fascinating Australian story of innovation, resilience and courage.
THE MAN WHO INVENTED VEGEMITE
The True Story Behind an Australian Icon!
Cyril Callister was a passionate scientist and innovator. He was the grandson of a miner who arrived in Ballarat in the 1850s. His father, a widower, raised a small army of children.
Cyril was the first to go to university. In the 1920s, he was employed by the flamboyant and entrepreneurial Fred Walker and charged with the task of creating a substance that would in time be called Vegemite.
THE VEGEMITE STORY
From the Great War to the boardrooms of Chicago and a world depression, Vegemite is a great Australian success story. It is a testament to great perseverance and, above all, integrity and resilience that resonates now more than ever.
Cyril Callister invented Vegemite 100 years ago. But when it rolled off the production line in 1923 it was an epic fail. Today, Vegemite is one of the nation’s most trusted brands. Studies reveal eight out of 10 Australian homes have a jar of Vegemite in the fridge or pantry.
The smell and taste of Vegemite is synonymous with Australia. How did a small jar of salty black paste become an Australian icon? The best person to answer that question is Jamie Callister.
Jamie is the grandson of Cyril Callister and the author of the book. Vegemite: The True Story of the Man Who Invented an Australian Icon (Murdoch Books 2023). He is available to speak at corporate and community events, schools and fundraisers.
SPEAKING
CORPORATE & COMMUNITY
Jamie Callister is available to speak at corporate, community and fundraising events.
Jamie’s corporate presentation, Vegemite: A Recipe for Success, is a look at the life and times of the Australian spread and its inventor.
His schools’ presentation The Vegemite Story meets key learning objectives of the Australian Curriculum in science, history and STEM.
Book Jamie to speak at your event or order a pre-recorded presentation which can be tailored to your audience.
- In the room at your event
- Via a digital platform like zoom or skype
Alternatively, book a pre-recorded presentation which includes colourful graphics and historical footage. Each presentation is tailor-made to the audience.
THE VEGEMITE BOOK
More than 22 million jars of Vegemite are sold each year, but when the salty black paste was first produced in 1923 the public wasn’t interested. In fact, it took another fifteen years and a world war before we embraced it.
Vegemite: The True Story of the Man Who Invented an Australian Icon (Murdoch Books 2023) spans the Gold Rush, the Depression and two world wars and it opens a fascinating window both on the evolution of modern Australia and the quiet achievements, and tragedies, of one man.
Jamie Callister sets out to learn more about inventor Cyril Callister, the grandfather he never met and along the way, discovers that extraordinary things can happen to (almost) ordinary people.
MEDIA
JAMIE CALLISTER'S BOOK IN THE MEDIA
ABC: Backroads
Network: ABC Backroads, Series 4 Episode: Beaufort Timestamp: 21:00 – 22:48 (1min 48 sec)
ABC: Further Back In Time for Dinner
Network: ABC Further Back In Time for Dinner (view the teaser) Episode 3: The 1920s (view the episode)Timestamp: 32:34 – 24:57 (2min 23 sec)