| Place | Oceania: Australia |
|---|---|
| Accession Number | REL23035 |
| Collection type | Heraldry |
| Object type | Heraldry |
| Physical description | Foodstuff – dry |
| Maker |
Swallow & Ariell |
| Place made | Australia |
| Date made | c 1914 - 1918 |
| Conflict |
First World War, 1914-1918 |
Army hardtack biscuit
Description
Rectangular 'hard tack' biscuit made with wholemeal flour. The front of the biscuit has five rows of five punched holes and is impressed with the words 'SWALLOW & ARIELL ARMY WHOLEMEAL MELBOURNE'.
History / Summary
Standard army issue hardtack wholemeal biscuit. These biscuits were issued to Australian troops during the First World War and made by the Swallow and Ariell Company of Melbourne. By the early 1900s, Swallow and Ariell were the fifth largest biscuit manufacturers in the world and diverted most of the production to the military during both the First and Second World Wars.