Sir Douglas Mawson and Kraft Cheese

An advertisement for Kraft Cheese eaten by Sir Douglas Mawson on the British Australian and New Zealand Antarctic Research Expedition (BANZARE) quotes Mawson's endorsement of the cheese. The advertisement is illustrated with drawings of the ship and dog sledge.

Polar expeditions tried to offset some of their costs by receiving free or cheap supplies of goods. The manufacturer or supplier could then hope to recoup some of its expenses by advertising the fact that they had supplied their product to an expedition or explorer. This worked well, particularly when the media such as newspapers became involved and promoted the arrangement.

Mawson's BANZARE had returned for its first voyage to Antarctic waters on 2 April 1930. This prominent advertisement in The Advertiser on 8 April 1930 for Kraft Cheese capitalised on the intense interest that was being given to the expedition in that paper. Artistic license is taken in the advertisement as no dog teams were used on the expedition: it was entirely ship based.

Kraft Walker Cheese Company was established in Australia in 1926 when Fred Walker had talks with J L Kraft, an American, who had developed a 'shelf stable' and consistent tasting cheddar cheese.

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