Historically, Australia has shared a strong emotional and economic bond with Great Britain. From the 1970s until the present, the emphasis has been on increasing and strengthening Australia's relationship with Asia. These flour bags reflect Australia's shift in attitude toward travel and trade with our Asian neighbours. Kimpton's Frog Brand roller flour was exported to Bangkok between the first and second world wars. The donor, in his role as Trade Commissioner, facilitated the sale of Australian wheat to flour mills in Southeast Asia between 1959 and 1972. The flour bags are good examples of packaging and design for Australian produce exported to Asia.

Kimpton Flour Mills was established in Victoria in the 1880s by William Stephen Kimpton (1832-1926). He had migrated from England as a farmer, grain merchant and apprentice baker in 1853. By the early 1900s he headed the largest flour milling company in Australia, which produced biscuit flours from local wheat and supplied biscuit manufacturers throughout Australia. It also shipped flour to Fiji, England, South Africa and Asia.

Kimpton Flour Mills was an important and innovative manufacturing plant employing modern milling technology. In 1936 it became the first Australian mill to have a laboratory, and in 1959 it became the first commercial plant to trial the centrifugal concentration of protein from starch, a technique that is also called 'air classification'.

Kimpton Flour Mills was established in the 1880s by William Stephen Kimpton (1832 - 1926) in Victoria. Kimpton's Frog Brand flour was a leading Australian brand and was very popular in Southeast Asia. The flour was exported from Melbourne to Bangkok between the two world wars. Later the flour was milled in Southeast Asia from Australian wheat.

The donor helped establish the market for Kimpton's Frog Brand flour in Southeast Asia and thought that the flour bags would be a wonderful memento of that achievement. He acquired the bags from Roger Kimpton.

The donor worked for the Australian Trade Commission and had a number of postings in Asia including: Indonesia in the late 1950s to 1960 and 1967 - 1971; Japan 1972 - 1974; Singapore 1975 - 1977; India end of 1977 to 1981 and China 1982-1985. He was accompanied by his wife.

Flour bags (2), calico / cotton / ink, made by Kimpton, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 1970 - 1975

Flour bag made from natural calico featuring the printed image of two frogs, each sitting on a lily pad, printed in green and yellow with English text, Chinese characters and Thai script. English text includes: 'Frog Brand Bangkok Packed expressly for Chor Heng Seng Co. Ltd. Bangkok Kimpton's Finest Australian Roller Flour Melbourne 22.5 (kilos)'.

Flour bag made from natural calico with the printed image of the 'Australian Made' symbol in the top left corner featuring a red boomerang, five stars and the text, 'Australian Made' on a dark blue circle. Printed in green on the left side and bottom edge of the flour bag is text written inThai with Chinese characters printed in red in the centre and Arabic printed in green on the right side.

Made: Kimpton Flour Mills; Kensington, Victoria; 1970 - 1975

Chinese characters on the bag of Frog brand: "Gan Cun Zui Hao Ao Zhou Ji Mo Wa Mai Mian Fen" (The best one in Gan village - Australian machine milled Frog brand flour), 'Tai Guo Chu Xing Sheng Gong Si Zong Dai Li' (Distributor: Chu Xing Sheng Co. in Thailand).

Chinese characters on the bag with boomerang logo: "Zheng Zhuang Lao Pai Shui Wa Mai Mian Fen" (Genuin well-known Water Frog brand flour).

2007/44/5

1970 - 1975

400 mm