The Bush Biscuit

No, this has nothing to do with American politics, it’s a South Australian icon in the same vein as Yo yo biscuits, Haighs chocolates, Woodies lemonade and Balfour’s Pies and their ubiquitous (and disgustingly sickly sweet) Frog Cakes.

They are big in dimensions and weigh 50 grams each, are golden brown, oblong and contain basic biscuit ingredients.



Along with frozen Snips, Star Bars and Slippery Sams they were the favoured snack during long summers at the local town swimming pool. At 4 cents each they were a much needed feast after swimming.

Bush biscuits were around in the 1930s and until Arnott’s stopped producing them in 1998, although they were more difficult to find in the latter years.

The SA public has peppered Arnott’s with countless requests for their return over the years, until they recently ran a batch at an interstate plant and transported them to SA. They were placed in a couple of the smaller supermarket chains. There was no advertising, just word of mouth, and they virtually ran out the doors. Of course inflation has seen to a rise in price to around 50 cents each now, but the attraction of their return and memories they bring seem to negate the cost.

And yes, I bought a couple of packs too.

Arnott’s are giving serious thought as to whether they will continue production. Who knows which way they’ll decide to go.


Monday 6 September 2004

CMF2 – Day 13

9.00am - Radiation Oncologist. She went through what was likely to happen and set a start date of 25 October – hoping for 9am appointments. I have to go for a treatment planning session before that – they will let me know when. The whole treatment is likely to cost us around $500 after Medicare coughs up.

H had OT after school. When we got home he as absolutely off the planet so was sent to his room and went to bed. He was asleep before 5.30pm (in his uniform). I changed him into his jarmies at around 9.30pm – his uniform was soaked from perspiration. He slept the rest of the night, although the same could not be said for J. He thought that 4.20am was a good time to come in and want to climb into bed with me, so I didn’t get much more sleep.

I had gotten annoyed with the boys waking so early (6am) so I put the new curtains up (H was so tired he went to sleep without any curtains up at all).