Emu Bitter ‘The big bold beer’ Ken Maynard Cartoon Poster

The Emu Brewery was formerly the Stanley Brewery, and before that, the Albion Brewery, which had been started by James Stokes in 1837.

During 1905 the business of the Stanley Brewery was divided so that the Stanley Brewing Co. Ltd operated all the company’s hotels and freehold properties and the Stanley Co-operative Brewing Co. Ltd handled the brewing side of the business. The two names became confusing, and led to a further change in 1908 to the Emu Co-operative Brewery Co. Ltd. This was simplified to the Emu Brewery Ltd in June 1909.

The brewer, Ernest Terry, had been trained by his brother-in-law, Colonel John Ballenger at the Carlton Brewery in Melbourne, and it was due to Terry’s efforts that the company’s sales and profits showed remarkable improvement, even though the output of the competitor, the Swan Brewery, was four times that of the Emu. There was bitter rivalry between the two breweries.

During October 1923 Emu launched ‘Emu Bitter’ beer, ordering two million bottle labels in three colours, priced at 1s 8d per 1000. Although the new brew was popular, company sales slumped to 10 per cent of the Western Australian market by 1927; Swan held 65 per cent. 

In January 1928 the Swan Brewery, took control of the Emu Brewery and Colonel Ballenger, ex-CUB, Melbourne, was appointed head brewer. He created his own version of Emu Bitter Ale, which held its popularity for the life of the brewery. 

Swan rebuilt the Emu Brewery as the most modern brewery in the west. It was completed in March 1938, and during the period of construction beer was supplied by the parent Swan Brewery Co.

The Emu Brewery worked independently of the Swan, and continued to use the Emu name and logo until brewing ceased in 1980.

The brand was then brewed and bottled at the Swan brewery.

Ken Maynard who was the cartoonist of the Ettamogah Pub cartoons became so famous, (Ettamogah is an aboriginal word meaning “a place of good drink”)  that there are now actual Ettamogah Pubs in Australia. He was commissioned to do this poster.