Happy birthday, Sanitarium!
Sanitarium Carmel site celebrates 90 years in 2023
On 27 April 2023, Sanitarium celebrated its 125th birthday. Closer to home, the manufacturing site at Carmel has turned 90 this year.
In August 1931, it was recommended to the Australasian Union Conference that “a factory be established on the West Australian Missionary School property at Carmel, Western Australia, for the manufacture of Gronose Biscuits and Weet-Bix.”
Carmel factory construction, 1933
Carmel factory and truck, c. 1934
Carmel Weet-Bix for export, 1936
Carmel factory, 1938
Packing Bixies in the Carmel Factory, c. 1948 (Left to right: N Wilson, D Powell and D Strange)
From that build, in early 1933, Carmel commenced manufacturing for local market and by 1935 were exporting to the Asian market. Sales were such that the factory was extended in 1938 and again in 1960. Over the years, Carmel factory has produced a range of products including loose cereals like puffed wheat, wheat flakes, as well as biscuit cereals.
Students from the nearby Missionary College (now Carmel Adventist College) were vital in the growth of the factory. During the early years, students could work at the factory to support their school fees. Many students have worked packing Weet-Bix, and other cereals. It was recorded in 1940, that students even worked on the construction of the factory, claiming the factory was built “entirely by student labour, under expert supervision”.
It's been recorded that before the Carmel factory was built, Weet-Bix were usually stale by the time they reached Western Australia, due to transport from East to West was by sea in those days. When Carmel factory was built, Western Australians got their first fresh Weet-Bix.
In 2014 the factory became the only Sanitarium factory to be completely gluten free. Today, Carmel manufactures close to 20 tonne of gluten free product each week, using sorghum grain. As well as supplying the Australian and New Zealand markets with gluten free Weet-Bix, the site also exports to the UK.
At the core of its operations, Carmel has always been about service. Serving goodness through affordable, healthy foods and service through supporting the health and wellbeing of our community. Today we continue to donate to local churches and community groups.
Please continue to pray for Sanitarium and its staff as they work to honour His glory.
