Australian Industry - Arnott's Biscuits - 1865
- William Arnott - Newcastle, New South Wales - Leslie Arnott - Sao -
The company originated from a bakery and
confectionery in Newcastle, New South Wales, opened
in December 1865 by Scottish immigrant William
Arnott.
The company's logo is a colourful parrot, believed to have been drawn by William Arnott's daughter-in-law, Leslie Arnott. It was registered as a trademark in 1907.
Sao
SAO has been Australia’s favourite savoury cracker for nearly 100 years. This large, square, flaky cracker was first launched in 1906.
The origin of the name remains a mystery, although plenty of myths abound. One is that it was the name of a ship that used to call in at Newcastle port, and its captain was a friend of the Arnott family. Another is that it was the name of a sailing boat that was seen on Lake Macquarie in New South Wales, where William Arnott had a house.
However the most likely explanation is that the initials stand for Salvation Army Offering, as William Arnott’s son, Arthur, was a Salvo himself. Another is that it is based on the initials of Samuel Arnott, William’s son. Whatever its origin, the name has become deeply etched in our language.
SAOs were also one of the first biscuits to be heavily advertised in magazines and newspapers in the early part of the 1900s.
In the 1960s, the famous SAO song was launched.
SAOs light texture is achieved by rolling the dough into thin sheets, then carefully layering it to give distinctive bubbles and crumbs.