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Melbourne Observer - Wednesday, October 21, 2015 - Page 00
Long Stories
No 2
Melbourne Observer Editor Ash Long, now in his 60th year, looks back at a lifetime of memories.
Ballarat ideal for biscuit making ■ Long's Biscuit and confectionery firm was founded by James 'Lolly' Long in 1854. In 1854 the year of Eureka, James Long started a baker shop in Main Rd near Eureka St., Ballarat. According to a Federation University reseach item, Tom Williams, a confectioner who had worked at the firm for 50 years from the 1920s until it closed, recalled that Long was remembered for his gingerbread cakes made in the shape of dogs and cats with currants for eyes Williams also recorded all his recipes in tiny hand-written diaries. The recipes have since been transcribed and students in the Bachelor of Applied Science (Food Science and Technology) course at the University of Ballarat chose a few to recreate in August 2009. Some of the lollies the students wished to recreate included vanilla and strawberry taffy, milk danties, sponge sugar rock, raspberry chip and rock candy In 1870, Long bought the Golden Gate Hotel which he demolished soon after and built a large brick factory on the corner of Victoria St and East St in Ballarat East. James Long started in business as a confectionery maker; with premises located (according to the Australasian Federal Directory) were located on Victoria St, Ballarat. In 1904 James Long and Co. had depot branches in Melbourne, Bendigo, Geelong, Maryborough, Fremantle (WA), Adelaide (SA), Launceston (Tas.), Hobart (Tas.) and
The Sunshine name continues to live on today with recipes and such still being used by other companies. Ollie's Lollies make a lolly that uses the same recipe as Sunshine, as well as the experiments completed by University of Ballarat Bachelor ofApplied Science. The large site remained vacant throughout the 1990s with various development proposals failing, until in 1999 the Ballarat City Council approved a plan for the site which included a supermarket, shops and some residences along East St. Part of the original building and wall was retained in the development. ● A busy morning at Long's Biscuit and Confectionery Factory, circa 1904. Brisbane (Qld). James Long was Biscuit Factory was destroyed by a facture of an excellent brand of dry civic-minded and served as mayor of fire. The damage was estimated at cracker biscuits. “Climatic conditions at Ballarat, £12,000. Ballarat East in the 1870s. In addition to the plant and machin- which is about 1600ft. above sea level, He retired in 1895 and moved to Portland where he also became ery mass stocks of flour, sugar and are regarded by the company as ideal for the manufacture of the biscuits" [ Mayor and owner of Burswood in other materials were destroyed . The manager was G. B Lawry. At least 80 hands were thrown out Portland On Sunday, January 22, 1939, a On March 3, 1916, he passed of employment. Although the fire destroyed the factory in its place a finely deliberately lit fire at the premises deaway at Burswood, aged 86. After James Long’s death, his son constructed modern factory was built stroyed the workshop and caused Mr. T.P. Long took over the business with the most up to date equipment of £6200 damage. In 1947 Sunshine Biscuit Co and in 1921, its name formally the time The success of the company was merged with George Farmer and Co. changed to the Sunshine Biscuit and Confectionary Pty Ltd controlled by outlined by the Melbourne Argus in to form the Ballarat Products Company and production continued to ex1938; Long and Adam Ramage. "The company does a large vol- pand with more equipment imported After the Sunshine Biscuit and Confectionary Pty Ltd took owner- ume of business in the Wimmera and from overseas. In 1952 it was employing 250 workship it became a household name Western district. “In the course of its manufacture ers, the same figure as in 1966 and in around the country and it continued to make its popular biscuits and sweets. of varieties of biscuits the company 1977 the factory was converted to a The factory was damaged by fire uses 1000 tons of flour a year and large dry pet food factory by Arnott Harper supplies of milk, eggs, and butter, Pty Ltd. twice. The factory became known as the On March 7, 1923, the Sunshine which are bought mostly from the disFriskies plant. The companies life tricts around Ballarat “It is noted chiefly for the manu- came to an end in 1991.
Factory had range of products
■ Some items produced by Long and Co. were: ■ Long's Cream Crackers (a biscuit of creamy richness) ■ Long's Me-Le Wafers (made from malted wheat) ■ Long's Bi-Bi Rice (the childrens biscuit) ■ Long's Vanilla Coffee (‘a distinct specialty’) ■ Long's Currant Luncheon (a tip-top fruit biscuit) ■ Long's Cracknels (light and palatable) ■ Long's Milk Flake (‘just the thing with cheese’) ■ Long's World-famed Cough Drops (have stood the test for 40 years (from 1904)
Father fell off horse
● James Long
■ Before his move to Ballarat, James Long had to endure the death of his father. After drinking at a Colac hotel, James Long Snr fell from a horse, striking his head on the ground, and dying almost instantaneously. James Long Snr’s death is recorded in a Geelong Advertiser story from December 16, 1857, and headlined ‘A Heartless Case’: “An inquest was held by H.E. Nankivell, Esq., coroner for Colac, at the Victoria Hotel, on Wednesday last on the body of James Long, who was killed the day previous by a fall from his horse. “It appeared that the deceased had gone to Colac that day with Mr Joseph Trotter, of South Stoney Rises, in whose family he was tutor. “They left Colac about 4pm to return home, and the accident happened before they got out of the township. “The first witness proved he saw the deceased fall off his horse, and the person with whom he was riding, got off his horse, and raised him up. “This person then rode of, as he supposed, to get aid, but finding he did not return, he (the witness) then went to a cottage nearby, and asked if they would take the deceased in, oir give him some assistance, which they refused to do. “Another man also came up without rendering any assistance. The deceased was bleeding profusely from the nose, mouth and ears, and was to all appearance dead.
● The Ballarat factory facade in 2006. Photo: Ash Long