1920s

Early 1920s - Red Feather canned meats introduced. In the early 1920s, Red Feather canned meats were introduced to the market and efforts continued to improve Red Feather Cheese. Walker was seeking to develop a processed cheese, without knowing of success of Kraft in the USA. Walker's entrepreneurial interest in the production of food saw him instigate a number of food innovations prior to the formation of the Kraft Foods Company.

1923 - Vegemite launched. In 1923, 2oz jars of Vegemite were launched. The man responsible for inventing the method of yeast extraction was Kraft chief chemist, Dr Cyril Percy Callister.

1925 - Walker obtains rights to produce processed cheese in Australia. In 1925, C P Callister brought J L Kraft's patent for processed cheese to Walker's attention. Walker travelled to the USA to meet Kraft and obtained the Australian rights for Kraft processed cheese.

1926 - Kraft Walker Cheese Company established. In 1926 the Kraft Walker Cheese Company was formed in Melbourne. It was the parent company of Kraft Foods Limited as it is today.

Walker had already established a market in Australia and overseas for Bonox, Vegemite and canned cheese, but the business remained relatively small until 1926. In this year the first blue packets of processed Cheddar Cheese rolled off the production lines, with two immediate effects. Total sales doubled in the following year of 1927 and Australian sales for the first time exceeded export sales.

1928 - Vegemite renamed and relaunched as Parwill. In 1928 Walker decided to introduce another brand name for the yeast extract product, Vegemite. The name Parwill was trialled between 1928 and 1935. The original name Vegemite was reinstated.

It was in this year that all Kraft Walker and Red Feather activities were consolidated on larger premises at Riverside Avenue, South Melbourne.

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