Tarax facts for kids
| Type | Independent company |
|---|---|
| Manufacturer | Cadbury Schweppes |
| Country of origin | Australia |
Tarax is a popular Australian brand of soft drink. You can find it in many different flavours, sold in cans and bottles. The name "Tarax" was originally the name of a company that made and bottled soft drinks in Victoria, Australia.
The Story of Tarax
Tarax started a long time ago in Australia. A man named George Pethard Snr. began a business selling a special herbal drink. This drink was like a "non-alcoholic beer" and was called "Taraxale." The name "Tarax" comes from "taraxacum," which is the Latin name for the dandelion flower.
Later, George Pethard Jnr., his son, joined the business. He moved to Bendigo in 1902 and helped the company grow. Between World War I and World War II, the company opened "Tarax Bars" all over Victoria. After World War II, Tarax focused on making regular fizzy soft drinks.
Awards and Recognition
In the 1950s, Tarax won an award from the Australian Institute of Food Science and Technology. They received this award for helping to create a special machine called a "flame spin sterilizer." This machine helped make drinks safer and last longer.
Delicious Flavours
Tarax made many different flavours of soft drink. Some of these included lemonade, orange, lime (called "Limelite"), kola, lemon, pineapple, and raspberry (called "Crimson"). They also had root beer, bitter lemon, "Solo," and "Panda." In the 1960s, Tarax was very popular and one of the best-selling soft drink brands in Victoria.
Tarax also had fun jingles in their advertisements. These jingles helped people remember the brand. One jingle that connected Tarax with Australian Rules Football was:
All the Top Men
Drink the Popular Ten,
Tarax Top Ten flavours.
Be a Top Man,
Drink a bottle or can.
Tarax Top Ten!
Another jingle was:
Oranges turn into Tarax,
Lovely lovely Tarax.
Oranges turn into Tarax,
The drink from the top of the tree.
Changes Over Time
In 1972, a larger company called Cadbury Schweppes took over Tarax. However, they continued to sell Tarax soft drinks in Victoria. This helped Tarax stay a local favourite while Cadbury Schweppes sold its national brands.
In the 1970s, Tarax changed its look and introduced new flavours like "Black Label" lemonade and orange. They had big advertising campaigns with famous actresses like Abigail and Pamela Gibbons.
Even though Tarax is not as widely known as it once was, it is still available today. You can often find it on supermarket shelves, especially in Victoria.
