Cyril Percy Callister (16 February 1893 – 5 October 1949) was an Australian

chemist A chemist (from Greek ''chēm(ía)'' alchemy; replacing ''chymist'' from Medieval Latin ''alchemist'') is a graduated scientist trained in the study of chemistry, or an officially enrolled student in the field. Chemists study the composition of ...

and food technologist who developed the

Vegemite Vegemite ( ) is a thick, dark brown Australian food spread made from leftover brewers' yeast extract with various vegetable and spice Food additive, additives. It was developed by Cyril Callister in Melbourne, Victoria (state), Victoria, for ...

yeast spread. As well as Vegemite, he is known for his contributions towards processed cheese.

Early life

Callister was born on 16 February 1893, in

Chute, Victoria Chute is a locality in central Victoria (Australia), Victoria, Australia. The locality is in the Shire of Pyrenees local government area, west of the state capital, Melbourne. At the , Chute had a population of 18. References External links< ...

near

Ballarat Ballarat ( ) () is a city in the Central Highlands of Victoria, Australia. At the 2021 census, Ballarat had a population of 111,973, making it the third-largest urban inland city in Australia and the third-largest city in Victoria. Within mo ...

, son of Rosetta Anne (née Dixon) and William Hugh Callister, a teacher and postmaster. The second son of seven children, he attended the

Ballarat School of Mines The University of Ballarat, Australia was a dual-sector university with multiple campuses in Victoria, Australia, including its main Ballarat campus, Melbourne, Sydney, and Adelaide that were authorized by the university to provide diploma, und ...

and Grenville College, and later won a scholarship to the

University of Melbourne The University of Melbourne (colloquially known as Melbourne University) is a public university, public research university located in Melbourne, Australia. Founded in 1853, it is Australia's second oldest university and the oldest in the state ...

. 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. After 53 days, however, he was withdrawn from active service on the order of the Minister for Defence and assigned to the Munitions Branch, making explosives in Britain due to his knowledge of chemistry. He worked on munitions in England, Wales, and then in Scotland, at HM Factory Gretna where he worked as a shift chemist. Whilst at Gretna he was elected as an Associate of the

Institute of Chemistry An institute is an organizational body created for a certain purpose. They are often research organisations (research institutes) created to do research on specific topics, or can also be a professional body. In some countries, institutes ca ...

in 1918. Following the end of

World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

, he met and 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 Walker Frederick, Frederic, Friedrich or Fred Walker may refer to: *Frederick Walker (native police commandant) (died 1866), explorer *Frederick Walker (painter) (1840–1875), English painter and illustrator *Frederic John Walker (1896–1944), B ...

and given the task of developing a

yeast extract Yeast extracts consist of the cell contents of yeast without the cell walls; they are used as food additives or flavorings, or as nutrients for bacterial culture Growing media, media. They are often used to create savoury flavors and umami tast ...

, as imports from the

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Northwestern Europe, off the coast of European mainland, the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...

Marmite Marmite ( ) is a British savoury food spread based on yeast extract, invented by the German scientist Justus von Liebig. It is made from by-products of beer brewing ( lees) and is produced by the British company Unilever. Marmite is a vegan ...

had been disrupted in the aftermath of

. He experimented on spent

brewer's yeast ''Saccharomyces cerevisiae'' () (brewer's yeast or baker's yeast) is a species of yeast (single-celled fungal microorganisms). The species has been instrumental in winemaking, baking, and brewing since ancient times. It is believed to have been o ...

and independently developed what came to be called Vegemite, first sold by Fred Walker & Co in 1923. Working from the details of a

James L. Kraft James Lewis Kraft (; December 11, 1874 – February 16, 1953) was a Canadian-American entrepreneur and inventor and the founder of Kraft Foods Inc. Kraft immigrated to the United States from Canada in 1902. He developed a patented pasteurization ...

patent, Callister was successful in producing

processed cheese Processed cheese (also known as process cheese; related terms include cheese food, prepared cheese, cheese product, and/or government cheese) is a product made from cheese mixed with an emulsifying agent (actually a calcium chelator). Additiona ...

. The Walker Company negotiated a deal for the rights to manufacture the product, and in 1926, the Kraft Walker Cheese Co. was established. Callister was appointed chief scientist and production superintendent of the new company.

Children

Between 1919 and 1927 the Callisters had three children: Ian, Bill and Jean, who were "the original Vegemite kids". During World War II, Ian died.

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 The Royal Australian Chemical Institute (RACI) 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 ...

, helping it to get a

Royal Charter A royal charter is a formal grant issued by a monarch under royal prerogative as letters patent. Historically, they have been used to promulgate public laws, the most famous example being the English Magna Carta (great charter) of 1215, but ...

in 1931. Callister died at his home in Wellington Street, Kew, Melbourne in 1949, following a heart attack and is buried at

Box Hill Cemetery Box Hill Cemetery is a cemetery located in Melbourne's eastern suburb of Box Hill, Victoria in Australia. It currently occupies . It is known as the resting place of notable figures from Melbourne and its heritage-registered Columbarium and Mye ...

. He had a history of heart attacks, with his first occurring in late 1939. His estate was valued for probate at £45,917.

Legacy

A biography of Callister, ''The Man Who Invented Vegemite'', written by his grandson Jamie Callister, was published in 2012. Callister is the great-uncle to

Kent Callister Kent Callister (born 9 November 1995 in San Diego) is an Australian snowboarder. He competed at the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi. His great-grandfather's second cousin, Cyril P. Callister, invented Vegemite Vegemite ( ) is a thick, dar ...

, a professional snowboarder who has competed at the 2014

Winter Olympics The Winter Olympic Games (), also known as the Winter Olympics, is a major international multi-sport event held once every four years for sports practiced on snow and ice. The first Winter Olympic Games, the 1924 Winter Olympics, were held i ...

for Australia. The Cyril Callister Foundation, established in 2019, commemorates his life and work. It runs a museum in

Beaufort, Victoria Beaufort is a town in Victoria, Australia. It is located on the Western Highway midway between Ararat and Ballarat, in the Pyrenees Shire local government area. It is above sea level. At the 2021 census, Beaufort had a population of 1,712 ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Callister, Cyril 1893 births 1949 deaths Australian chemists 20th-century Australian inventors University of Melbourne alumni Federation University Australia alumni Burials at Box Hill Cemetery Food chemists People from Victoria (state) 20th-century Australian scientists