Food technician behind Vegemite featured in new book

Grave Tales: Melbourne Vol. 1 features the story of food technician Cyril Callister, otherwise known as Mr Vegemite. The book visits 11 Melbourne cemeteries to tell the stories of ordinary people caught up in extraordinary events that made local and national headlines. Written by journalist Chris Adams and author/journalist Helen Goltz, Grave Tales traces the tumultuous journeys that lead to these final resting places.

“Prior to writing the books, we were tombstone tourists. We love the history and the peacefulness of cemeteries and since starting the books, we have met many keen historians and cemetery lovers — taphophiles — that share our interest,” Goltz said.

Grave Tales: Melbourne Vol. 1 tells the story of Cyril Callister, the man who made Australian foods safer and created Vegemite.

“All that has gone before us, is history, so it is important to know what happened on the streets we still walk on, the houses we still live in, at the places we see around us every day. Cemeteries are alive with history and many of our subjects were unwilling participants in history but have been immortalised by it,” Adams said.