The name has a familiar ring to it, doesn’t it, but why is it so? Do you think it might help if I were to remove a coupe of syllables and foreshorten it to MacRobertson? Ah, yes. I thought that might make a difference…
Eldest of seven children born at Ballarat to Scottish carpenter of the same name and his wife, Margaret, Macpherson Robertson was born on 6 September 1859. It was a difficult and penurious time for the Robertson family, with the father coming from gold fossicking to work as a builder. The family separated for some years, Robertson senior going to Fiji for work but sending his family back home to Scotland. They finally reconnected as a family in Melbourne in 1874, with the eldest son, now almost 15, entering an apprenticeship as a confectioner.
By age 20, Macpherson Robertson had begun a home-based business making novelty sweets in the bathroom of the family home in Fitzroy. With flair and hard work, the business grew. Within ten years, he had 30 employees, including most of the family. The need to expand found them buying and demolishing adjacent properties to enable the expansion of what was now known as MacRobertson’s Steam Confectionery Works (note the use of the compound name). His marriage to Elizabeth Hedington in 1886 caused a family dispute; the young MacPherson left the business he had so assiduously built and went on to establish another.
MacRobertson’s failed to do as well without his drive and he returned within a very few years, although resentful of the way his father represented the company as being his own creation. The son had a flair for product and market innovation and introduced two American products to the Australian market, fairy floss and chewing gum. Part of his innovative approach was for well-known sportsmen to provide testimonials for various products. He also offered worthwhile prizes for employees and customers alike to create confectionery wrappers, advertising jingles and – remember them? – conversation lollies.
English manufacturers dominated the Australian market but MacRobertson’s, with a name for quality, established a worthy share. Federation, which brought free trade between states, opened up a nationwide marketplace, providing a fillip to their expansion. With the onset of World War One, there was a need for the company to establish its own equipment manufacturing plant and they went on to create the largest confectionery works in the British Commonwealth.
Macpherson, the elder, died in 1909 with Macpherson, the son, assuming 50 percent ownership of the company, the other half split three ways between his younger brothers. Producing the best chocolate ever made in Australia and with an innovative approach – over the years introducing market leaders such as Cherry Ripe, Crunchie, Freddo Frog, Roses boxed chocolates and Crunchie – the MacRobertson’s company went from strength to strength.
Macpherson made a fortune but was far from miserly with it. In fact, he became one of Australia’s all-time great benefactors, giving away at least £360,000. For example, in 1933, with Victoria coming up to its centenary celebrations in the following year, the by now Sir Macpherson donated £100,000 to the state government. This was to create employment (it was in the middle of the Recession) and used to build the Grange Rd (MacRobertson) Bridge over the Yarra, a herbarium in the Royal Botanic Gardens, a Girls’ High School and the fountain in front of the Shrine of Remembrance. Beyond that, he made substantial contributions to Australian, British and New Zealand expeditions into the Antarctic, for which Sir Douglas Mawson named MacRobertson Land.
Another £15,000 was put up as major prize money for an air race from London to Melbourne for the centenary celebration, his three provisions being the race bear his company name, promote Melbourne, and be safe.* Another association was with aviation entrepreneur Horrie Miller, establishing the MacRobertson-Miller Aviation Co.
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One of the most interesting aspects of this great man was his attitude towards his employees. Mr Mac, as he was affectionately known, did all within his power to ensure sound, harmonious relations with those he termed his ‘co-workers.’ He was an active advocate, appearing before a state Royal Commission, government hearings and the trade unions themselves. He refused point blank to join other manufacturers in blacklisting trade unionists and other alleged troublemakers. This, along with welfare provisions he implemented, enabled company and workers to maintain what was along-term, harmonious working relationship.
‘Mac’ Robertson, Sir Macpherson Robertson died in Melbourne on 20 August 1945, just a few days before his 86th birthday. Few could ever think of him as other than Australia’s greatest ever entrepreneur and philanthropist.