Don’t you wish someone still made biscuits such as raspberry filled Huon Hearts ❤️❤️😍and Tassie Creams? The latter featured chocolate filling and were stamped with a little map of Tasmania. I don’t know when the last Huon Heart rolled off the production line, but they were among the delights created by Haywood’s, a factory located in Melville Street, Hobart for a very long time.
The company was created by Charles Duncan Haywood around 1875. It was also known as The Excelsior Steam Biscuit Company. Whenever possible, Tasmanian ingredients and equipment were used at the factory.
Charles Haywood, Master Biscuit Maker, towards the end of his life.
For non-Tasmanians reading this, the Huon Valley was not just famous for its apples. It was (and still is) also a prime growing area for raspberries.
Look at that list, topped by Banana Creams. I don’t think I’ve ever eaten a banana biscuit.
Haywood’s staff in 1903. That’s Mr. Haywood (without a hat) in the middle of the centre row.
Christmas featured heavily in Haywood’s advertising.
The festive season was also an opportunity for Charles Haywood, and subsequently his successors, to give something back to the community. This resulted in confusion for one small boy attending kindergarten in 1904.
One day recently the kindergarten had a lesson on the kangaroo, and a prominent citizen’s heir got things rather mixed. He told his auntie that on Xmas. early in the morning, Mr Santa Claus Haywood would ride down their chimney on an old man kangaroo with its pouch filled with toys, oranges. and biscuits…especially biscuits. (The Clipper, Jan 7 1905. )
It was more usually the offspring of Hobart’s very poor citizens who benefitted from a visit by ‘Mr Santa Claus Haywood’ Every Christmas, children under the age of eleven would be invited to gather outside the factory for a visit by Father Christmas. Many of them were barefoot and ragged, but on these occasions they were all beaming with excitement. Gift boxes were packed by the staff at Haywood’s to be handed out. Charles Haywood died in 1920, but this wonderful tradition continued for decades. In 1928 a thousand boxes were filled with cakes, puddings and special biscuits.
The [cardboard] boxes being ‘got up’ in a manner which gives them value when empty as playthings in the eyes of the youngsters. They were full of ‘animal land’ biscuits, suggestive of a zo0, the biscuits representing lions, tigers, and other ferocious beasts, also birds. Folding doors in front of the box open to disclose a lion on guard, and on the back is printed a poem inspired by Haywood’s biscuits. (Mercury, 25 Dec. 1928)
Source – The Mercury, Nov. 4 1922
There was a major change in 1950 when the company was purchased by Swallows. Here is one of their Tasmanian made, glass display jars, They were used in grocery shops and are now highly sought after.
Fortunately all the popular lines continued to be made after the amalgamation. Included were the animal shaped biscuits given to underprivileged children for Christmas back in the 1920s
1950s advertisement for Haywood’s zoo biscuits.
In 1953 fire broke out in the factory. The buildings were saved, but vast amounts of ingredients such as flour and sugar and butter were destroyed, not just by the fire itself, but through water damage.
The aftermath of a fire at Haywood’s.
SOURCE – THE MERCURY, MAY 18 1953
It would not be long before Swallow Haywood’s faced competition from national and international companies. Sadly, the end was nigh for Huon Hearts and Tassie creams. 😪 Any enterprising bakers out there?
House of biscuits built by Haywood’s
PLEASE LEAVE A COMMENT IN THE BOX BELOW IF YOU HAVE ANY MEMORIES OF SWALLOW HAYWOOD BISCUITS.
