Painter is a happy little Vegemite

VEGEMITE recently turned one hundred years old, and the Beaufort institution which exists to celebrate its food technologist inventor has been marking the tasty milestone.

As part of the Cyril Callister Museum’s acknowledgement of the yeast extract’s centenary late last year, Ballarat artist Tomas Lineker was commissioned to do a special painted work.

“[Cyril Callister Foundation’s Liza Robinson] contacted me via email saying that she found me on Instagram and loved my work for its boldness,” Lineker said.

“She asked if I could paint two 44-gallon drums into Vegemite tins, one representing 1950 and the other 2023.

“1950 was the year that Vegemite donated jars for all the mums leaving hospital with their newborns.

“There was a lot of babies being born because the war was over, so I put prams and a stork carrying a baby on my drum.

“For 2023, the 100-year celebration, I just did my modern style of bold painting and some Vegemite jars on the side to represent how important recycling is these days.”

The drums were decorated with Solar Guard oil paint, which Lineker said was a challenge to use, but a welcome one.

“Instead of one day of painting it was five days,” he said. “I feel like I wore out the highway to Beaufort.

“But I really like diversifying my projects. There are a million things I want to do, I just need the time and money.”

Lineker said it was an “awesome” feeling to be part of the centenary of an Australian icon.

“I can’t believe that my work is that special for someone to want me to do it” he said. “I’m so grateful.

“I used to get a few commission requests to have Vegemite in my still life paintings and I never quite understood how people could have a connection like that with a brand.

“Then being at the museum painting for six days, and seeing the amount of kids that tell their parents to pull over and stop to look at the museum, was really fascinating.

“It’s hard to find something these days to be proud of and it’s good to have Vegemite back in Australian hands.”

But now the projects are done, the big question is, how does Lineker enjoy his Vegemite when he has a moment to relax?

“I really like toasted ham and cheese sandwiches with Vegemite, and also toast with Vegemite,” he said.

“Everyone has a Vegemite story of tasting that unusual taste for the first time, and maybe that’s why people love it.”