Historical information

Biscuit tin: late 19th century
Swallow & Ariell operated continuously in Port Melbourne from 1858 to 1991. The former Swallow & Ariell’s factory buildings, now The Anchorage, continue to add interest and pleasure along Stokes, Rouse and Princes Streets.
Thomas Swallow, born in Reading, travelled to California and Ballarat before setting up a business making ships biscuits in Port Melbourne. His business partner Ariell died in 1877. He then went into partnership with Frederick Derham, his son in law. Company farms around Shepparton provided much of its wheat, and after 1889 most was ground into flour on the Port Melbourne premises. For the year ending 1 May 1920, the factory used 51 tons of butter, 2,740 eggs and produced more than 66 lines of biscuits. They also made puddings, elaborate cakes and ice cream. S & A was a significant employer – locally referred to as S & A College. At the height of the South African war it employed 1900 workers but even in 1991 it employed 450 people.

Physical description

Pink and brown clover-shaped ornamental biscuit tin decorated with pictures of a girl (central panel), 2 dogs (lower section), 2 rabbits (upper left-side panel) and 2 birds (upper right-hand panel. It has floral designs around the outer edges of both the tin and the lid which is hinged at the top of the tin.

Inscriptions & markings

Inside the lid: "Swallow & Ariell, Ltd. Biscuit Manufacturers, Port Melbourne. Prizes received at all international & inter-colonial exhibitions"