1906: Bellarine glass bottle-maker fined

Until 1906, people in Portarlington assumed that Charles E. Graham - owner of  successful general store and tobacconist - made his own aerated water to sell through his shop. However, the scale of his aerated water business was much greater, as the following summary of an article in the Hobart Mercury (Interstate News) 26^th October 1906 makes clear.

A genuine C. E. Graham bottle

Aerated water bottles; Breach of the Trades Marks act; Fines of over £100 imposed

On October 23 1906 in the Court of Petty Sessions in Drysdale, Thomas H. Warden and Charles E. Graham of Portarlington were found guilty on eight charges of breaking the Trade Marks Act by selling aerated water in bottles carrying the trademarks of up to thirty three makers of well-known cordials. Each defendant was ordered to pay fines and costs of £100 and thirteen shillings.

It was not uncommon at the time for aerated water makers to use other companies’ bottles, but the fine-plus-costs in this case was very large and the case was reported in papers all around the country.

(Photo: Peter Cowden, Bellarine Historical Society)