Our local history

COCA-COLA AUSTRALIA

Our local history

OUR HISTORY

Dive into the history of Coca‑Cola Down Under

Did you know Coca‑Cola has also been made in Australia, by and for Australians, since 1938? Coke was imported to Australia from the United States in the early 1900s and in 1938 The Coca‑Cola Company began production locally.

1938

First bottle of Australian made Coca‑Cola rolled off production lines in one small factory in Waterloo, Sydney with team of just 10 staff and four delivery trucks.

1939

The first three plants opened in Adelaide, Melbourne and Brisbane.

1941

In 1941, a turning point arrived when President of The Coca‑Cola Company, R. W. Woodruff, decided to make Coca‑Cola available to all US service men and women, wherever they were, whatever the cost.

Australian plants supplied not only Americans but Australian service men and women, from urban bases to ‘jungle units’ stationed in the Pacific theatre.

1950

By 1950 the post-war economy had stabilised and The Coca‑Cola Company began to grant franchises across Australia. At one stage, Coca‑Cola was bottled in 30 different locations throughout Australia.

1955-57

Fanta launched in Australia.

1964

The first Coca‑Cola can in Australia.

1974

Amongst the bright lights of the 1970’s shone the famous Kings Cross Coca‑Cola sign.

The 1974 Coca‑Cola sign created an unmistakable landmark that defined the area and quickly became known as ‘The Gateway to the Cross’.

Late 1980s

Mount Franklin Still launched in Australia.

1994

Powerade launched in Australia.

2002

Vanilla Coke launched in Australia.

2006

Mount Franklin Lightly Sparkling launched in Australia.

2011

Coca‑Cola Australia launched Share a Coke.

2016

Coca‑Cola auctioned the original eight letters of the Coca‑Cola sign raising a total of $100,700 for the Wayside Chapel; a charity long supported by Coca‑Cola Australia.

2017

Coca‑Cola No Sugar launched in Australia.

2019

All Coca‑Cola bottles under 1 litre transition to 100% recycled plastics (excluding caps and label).

2019

Coca‑Cola has teamed up with Planet Ark’s National Recycling Week since 2019 to help Aussies understand how to recycle and to raise awareness of container deposit schemes.