Gilbert E. Primrose facts for kids
Gilbert Edward Primrose (born 1848, died 1935) was a Scottish sportsman. He played football for Scotland against England in 1871. Later, he moved to Australia. There, he became a leader of the Helidon Spa Water Company. This company made and sold special spring water. The company later joined with another business to become Kirks.
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Early Life and School
Gilbert Edward Primrose was born in 1848 near Edinburgh, Scotland. He was one of six sons. His father, Bouverie Francis Primrose, was an important person. His mother was Frederica Sophia Anson.
Gilbert went to school at Trinity College, Glenalmond from 1858 to 1865. While there, he played for the school's cricket team. Later, in 1893, he married Jessie Catherine Costelloe in Brisbane, Australia.
Football Career
Gilbert Primrose was a member of the Civil Service football club. On February 25, 1871, he played for Scotland. This was an important international football match against England. The game ended in a 1–1 draw.
Sometimes, old reports mistakenly called him "C.E. Primrose." Also, some people confuse him with his older brother, Henry. Henry Primrose also played football for Scotland in 1870.
Starting a Water Company
Gilbert later moved to Queensland, Australia. His brother Francis had already settled there. In 1871, Francis bought land near Helidon. Local Indigenous people knew the water from the springs there was special. They believed it gave them strength.
In 1879, a chemist named Reginald Larard started selling this spring water. He called it "Oogar Dang Water." By 1881, Gilbert Primrose bought the land around the springs. He then teamed up with Larard. Together, they started the Helidon Spa Water Company.
When Larard left, Gilbert Primrose became the main boss. He wanted to make the company bigger. So, he looked for new investors to help. In 1885, a special train took possible investors to see the springs. They tasted the "sparkling and clear" water.
The company started bottling the water in Brisbane. This was because bottles often broke during transport from Helidon. The company became very successful. They even took other companies to court. This was to stop them from copying their product. In 1897, Gilbert Primrose won a case against Owen Gardner and Sons. This stopped them from using "Helidon" or "Spa Water" on their bottles.
Becoming Kirks
To compete with drinks from other countries, the Helidon Spa Water Company made a big change. In 1959, they joined with Owen Gardner & Sons. The new company was called Helidon Gardner Pty Ltd. They traded under the name Kirks. This name came from Owen Gardner & Sons' popular "Kirk's Ginger Ale."
Today, Kirks is owned by Coca-Cola Amatil. They still make many different soft drinks. You can find them all over Australia.
Later Life and Return to England
While in Queensland, Gilbert Primrose was also a captain. He served in the Queensland Scottish Rifles. He was also a Justice of the Peace, which is a public official.
In 1899, Gilbert was chosen to represent Queensland. He went to the "Greater Britain Exhibition" in London. This was a big event to show off different parts of the British Empire.
In 1909, Gilbert Primrose returned to England. He passed away in Worthing, West Sussex, in 1935.
