Signs of --Bakeries of Prahran, Armadale, South Yarra

I have recently discovered that  around 50 years from1930 until 1980, these suburbs had a wealth of major bakeries - bread, biscuits and crumpets in a relatively small area. The companies involved were Table Talk Biscuits, Golden Crumpets, Gawiths Bread, Sutherlands Bakers and Capitol Bakery. Signs for Table Talk have been captured and a Capitol Bakery raised cement sign was seen at corner Toorak and Chapel street a short time ago.

Table Talk factory around 2009 from Prahran Station
Now a new warehouse living development

The Golden Crust Bread Company began in Armadale, in 1915. In 1927 it opened a self-raising flour and macaroni factory in Oxford Street, South Yarra. In my memory, crumpets became their best seller.

The Stockdale family had a long association with baking and began operations in Punt Road Prahran in 1860. The Gawith Bros came to Australia in 1927 and entered the baking industry themselves after the failure of their father's business, also in that field. In the 1930s they purchased premises and steadily built the company up, in competition with Stockdales. By 1955 they had developed bulk manufacture of sliced bread and the whole industry gained a big boost. The firm was eventually sold to Sunnicrust.

Reference: Based on A History of Prahran, Vol 2, 1925-1980 by Sally Wilde