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Top 10 Outstanding Facts about Cyril Callister

Photo of Cyril Percy Callister. Sourced from

Cyril Percy Callister was an Australian chemist and food technologist who developed the vegemite yeast spread. He was born on 16th February 1893 in Chute, Victoria, Australia.

Cyril was the son of a teacher and a postmaster. He was one of the seven children in his family.
Cyril attended Ballarat School of Mines as a young boy before he won a scholarship to the University of Melbourne. At the University, Cyril studied science.

Cyril, later on, graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in 1914. This was not the end of his studying as he went ahead and gained a Master of Science degree in 1917.

Before he returned to school for his master’s degree in science, Cyril was employed by the food manufacturers Lewis and Whitty.
Later in 1915, Cyril got enlisted in the Australian Imperial Force. However, he never stayed in the forces as he was withdrawn.

The major achievement of Cyril Callister is the development of Vegemite yeast spread and other inventions. Here are the top 10 Outstanding Facts about Cyril Callister:

1. Cyril Completed his Master’s Degree 3 Years after his First Degree

Cyril Percy Callister joined the University of Australia in 1912 at the age of 19 years. He was studying for a Bachelor’s degree in Science.

He graduated with a degree in the year 1914. It did not take him long to be back to school to further his studies.

Cyril later returned to do his Master’s degree in Science later on. He, later on, graduated with a Master’s degree three years after his first degree.

2. Cyril Enrolled in the Australian Imperial Force and got Withdrawn after 53 Days

Before returning to university to do his Master’s degree, Cyril worked at a food manufacturer known as Lewis and Whitty. That same year, 1915, Cyril was enrolled on the Australian Imperial Force.

However, he never lasted long in the forces. After training for fifty-three days, Cyril was withdrawn from the Australian Imperial Force.

The minister of defence sent the orders of the withdrawal of Cyril Callister from active service. He was deployed elsewhere to explore his talents.

3. Minister of Defence Assigned Cyril to the Munitions Branch after 53 Days in Forces

Later in 1915, Cyril never lasted long in the Australian Imperial Force. After 53 days, the Minister of Defence had to reassign him and withdraw Cyril from active service in the forces.

He was assigned to the Munitions Branch where he made explosives in Britain mainly because of his wide knowledge of chemistry.

Cyril got to work on Munitions in England, Wales and Scotland at the HM Factory Gretna. He worked as a shift chemist at the HM Factory Gretna.

4. Cyril Developed Vegemite from Experimentation on Brewer’s Yeast

In the 1920s, Cyril was employed by Fred Walker at the Fred Walker Company. The main task of Cyril was to develop a yeast extract.

Marmite imports from the United Kingdom had been heavily disrupted by the aftermath of World War One. Cyril experimented with using spent brewer’s yeast which became a major success.

He independently developed the substance that later on came to be known as Vegemite. It was first sold by Fred Walker and Co in 1923.

5. Cyril Successfully Produced Processed Cheese from Patent Formula

After the success Cyril Callister got in developing Vegemite, he also went ahead to develop several other delicacies. Cyril started working on the patent processed cheese developed by James L. Kraft.

He, later on, celebrated the success of producing processed cheese from the patent processed cheese. The Fred Walker Company went ahead and negotiated the rights to manufacture the processed cheese.

In 1926, the Kraft Walker Cheese Company was established and Cyril was appointed as the chief scientist. He was also made the production superintendent of this new company.

6. Cyril got his Doctorate and Helped RACI to get the Royal Charter

The development of Vegemite made Cyril Callister a very renowned person across Australia and the world. In 1931, Cyril got his Doctorate from the University of Melbourne.

In the same year, Cyril became a prominent member of the Royal Australian Chemical Institute. He helped it to get a Royal Charter.

7. Cyril Met and Married a Local Girl in Scotland

In 1918 as he was in Gretna working as a shift chemist, Cyril met a local girl known as Katherine Hope Mundel. Cyril and Katherine got married in 1919 in Annan, Scotland.

The newly married couple returned to Australia in 1923. Cyril and his wife got three children; Ian, Bill and Jean.

8. Cyril’s Son was Killed in World War Two

After the marriage of Katherine and relocating to Australia, the couple had their children. The names of the Callisters’ children were: Ian, Bill and Jean.

At the age of 21, Ian decided to join the forces and fight in World War Two where he lost his life. Cyril and Katherine were survived by Bill and Jean, their remaining children.

9. Cyril Helped the Government Provide Food Rations during WW2

Cyril Percy Callister became more vital to the government during World War Two. There was a shortage of food during this time due to the effects of the unending World War Two.

Cyril worked closely with the government in providing foot rations to the serving soldiers. He also made several experiments with dehydration of food which became helpful.

10. Cyril Died Following a Sequence of Heart Attacks

Cyril Percy Callister lived a healthy life at a tender age. However, as his age was advancing, he started experiencing some health issues.

His first heart attack occurred in late 1938. He was, later on, killed by a heart attack on 5th October 1949 at the age of 56.

Cyril was buried at Box Hill Cemetery. His grandson, Jamie Callister wrote and published a biography of Cyril Percy Callister in 2012.

Cyril will always be honoured and remembered as a great inventor and scientist who helped to discover some important delicacies. His participation in making Munitions during World War One might make him look bad, but his food industry developments will always outweigh the other side.