Author Judith Anderson set out to learn about bread, but the biggest discovery was about herself

A passion to explore Rose City’s baking history in a time before sliced bread, also led to this writer to unearth just how important the community is to her.

Judith Anderson at her book launch.

Having watched her father and grandfather spend their lives kneading bread in one of Warwick’s bakeries, author Judith Anderson was inspired to piece together the Rose City’s loaf trade.

The result is a new book, Earning a Crust, that share stories of more than 20 of the region’s baking families.

Speaking at the book’s launch on Saturday, Ms Anderson said it was learning about her own role in the Warwick community that really surprised her.

“There were so many people who new mum and knew my dad, and who cared for me,” she said.

Ms Anderson said growing up in Warwick had instilled her with feelings of safety and comfort.

“It sent you up for life and gives you sense of confidence that the border community, that people care about me, and they cared about my family,” she said.

While her roots inspired her to write about the bread trade, Ms Anderson said she also believed it was important everyone could tell their story.

“History is often seen as being about sharing the big events and the important people,” Ms Anderson said.

“But especially in smaller communities, it’s about the people who don’t get talked about in history books.”

John Overstead has a baking family history.

There were more representatives from six of Warwick’s baking families at the launch.

John Overstead said sometimes his father would drive out to Killarney to deliver bread.

Mr Overstead said his great-grandfather left the then impoverished Norway for the more prosperous Southern Downs.

“He came here at 18 years of age, and the family over there in Norway had a bakery,” Mr Overstead said.

After a couple years working in a bakery, Mr Overstead’s great-grandfather then set up his own business, passing it down to Mr Overstead’s grandfather and then to his father.

While Mr Overstead left the family business, he said he missed the bread he ate growing up.

“They’d come in make overnight by hand, and it just doesn’t seem to rise like it used to,” he said.

You can order Judith Anderson’s book, Earning A Crust: a century of the baking trade in Warwick here.