Brisbane philanthropist inducted into Queensland Business Leaders Hall of Fame

THIS soft drink pioneer, hailed the state’s most generous man for giving away $100m across Brisbane, has received a special honour.

GEORGE Marchant’s philanthropic legacy to north Brisbane has been recognised with his induction into the Queensland Business Leaders Hall of Fame.

The former soft drink manufacturer’s name is well-known in Chermside through Marchant Park.

He also established Wheller Gardens retirement facility in Chermside and donated his Taringa home to children with disabilities.

Historian Helen Gregory said Mr Marchant (1857-1941) was one of the greatest business leaders of his era “and would stand up well with people before and after him”.

“He had the largest soft drink business in Australia and on top of that he was one of Queensland’s greatest ever philanthropists of all time.

“When George Marchant arrived in Brisbane (from England) in 1874 he was only 17.”

He found a job as a carter for a soft drink factory in 1877 and, in 1886, he opened his own soft drink and cordial factory in Spring Hill.

George Marchant (1857-1941) has been inducted into the Queensland Business Leaders Hall of Fame. Picture: State Library of Queensland

“He started from absolutely nothing then became sufficiently wealthy within a short time to own a range of properties and to do extremely useful things with his money,” Ms Gregory said.

“George said we live in deeds not years, we live in thoughts not breaths, we live in deeds not figures.

“His lasting gifts to Queensland included Marchant Park, 100 acres at Chermside which is the largest cricket field in Brisbane; Montrose Home for children with disabilities originally at Taringa; and Wheller Gardens, 25 acres at Chermside (which) is a modern retirement village owned by the Uniting Church and was in its origins a trendsetter in caring for the aged.

“In today’s dollars and today’s values, in total George Marchant’s philanthropy would be well in excess of $100 million.”

Ms Gregory said Mr Marchant was also an innovator.

He invented a method of sealing soft drink bottles that extended their shelf life, and a revolutionary bottling machine which accelerated the production process and was widely adopted around the world.

Children pictured outside the Montrose Home for Crippled Children, 1939 in Taringa. The home was gifted to the organisation by George Marchant. Picture: State Library of Queensland

In 1888 Marchants opened in Sydney, then Melbourne, Adelaide and Newcastle to become Australia’s largest soft drink producer.

Mr Marchant employed women in his factories despite being pressured by unions not to; he paid employees well for eight hours of work and also awarded bonuses out of company profits.

Mr Marchant was inducted into the Hall of Fame in recognition of his significant national business success, internationally recognised innovation and for creating an enduring legacy for Queensland through outstanding philanthropy.

The other five inductees in this year’s Hall of Fame are: filmmaker George Miller, Domino’s Pizza Enterprises, the Wagner family of Toowoomba, social entrepreneur Thérèse Rein, and mining entrepreneur John Moffatt on north Queensland.

The Queensland Business Leaders Hall of Fame was established by QUT Business School, State Library of Queensland and the Queensland Library Foundation in 2009 to recognise the public contribution made by leaders of business to the reputation of Queensland and its economic and social development.