William Bickford and his wife Anne Margaret arrived in South
Australia from England in 1839, three years after South Australia
was proclaimed. Soon after his arrival he opened an apothecary
in Hindley Street, the centre of trade in early Adelaide.
Bickford's was a major manufacturer and supplier of pharmaceutical
and chemical products to the South Australian and Australian
markets for the remainder of the nineteenth and early twentieth
centuries.
After William
Bickford died in 1850, Anne Margaret, carried on the business
until 1863 when she, in partnership with her sons Harry &
William, established AM Bickford & Sons.
In
1874, after the acquisition of the South Australian Cordial
and Aerated Water Factory, the company began producing superior,
award-winning cordials and aerated drinks, including the now
famous Bickford's Lime Juice Cordial.
Bickford's superior products won prize medals at international
exhibitions in Great Britain and France.
In
1920, the production of Bickford's Coffee and Chicory Essence
began. This product won the highest award in the All-Australian
Exhibition in 1930.
Bickford's Coffee and Chicory Essence, together with the cordial
range, has been sold in South Australia since that time, and
is now established Australia wide.
Today,
just as in years gone by, Bickford's is known and respected
for the quality and purity of its products.
Bickford's retains the benefits of a range of products that
have the rare distinction of enduring the test of time.
