The History of Emu Bottom Biscuits
With Anzac Day not long ago and Mother’s Day around the corner, we thought it was the perfect time to showcase one of our beautiful Australian suppliers — Emu Bottom Biscuits.
At Country Culture, we love sharing the stories behind the Australian makers featured in our hampers. Many of the products we include come from passionate producers whose businesses are deeply connected to place, history, and craftsmanship.
One of those beautiful stories belongs to Emu Bottom Biscuits — a brand that blends heritage, Australian ingredients, and classic baking traditions into truly memorable biscuits.
These biscuits have become a favourite inclusion in many of our gift hampers. Their beautiful packaging, rich flavour, and authentic Australian story make them perfect for corporate gifting, settlement gifts, and thoughtful presents for friends and family.
But the story behind the brand is just as special as the biscuits themselves.
A Brand Inspired by Australian History
The name Emu Bottom is deeply rooted in Australian history. Emu Bottom Homestead is one of Victoria’s oldest pastoral properties and sits in a tranquil valley surrounded by native wildlife.
What began as a historic homestead gradually evolved into something more — the inspiration for a uniquely Australian biscuit brand.
The founders saw an opportunity to bring together heritage, storytelling, and delicious food in a way that celebrated Australian culture.
Today, Emu Bottom Biscuits are recognised for their distinctive tins, beautifully illustrated packaging, and traditional biscuit recipes infused with native ingredients like wattleseed.
From Homestead to Iconic Australian Brand
The journey of Emu Bottom Biscuits began with a simple but powerful idea: create a brand that feels unmistakably Australian.
Their early breakthrough came when Australian Airlines embraced the concept of serving Emu Bottom biscuits on flights — introducing travellers to a biscuit that reflected the flavours and heritage of Australia.
From there, the brand expanded into a range of biscuits and beautifully packaged gift products that now appear in retail stores, tourist outlets, duty free shops, and curated gift hampers like ours.
Today, their products continue to celebrate Australian landscapes, wildlife, and ingredients.
A Conversation with the Founders
We recently asked the founders of Emu Bottom Biscuits a few questions about their journey, their business, and life at Emu Bottom Homestead.
Tell us about your background and how it led you to where you are now.
Hedley and I have lived at Emu Bottom Homestead for many years from the time when we were involved if the restoration of this historic complex through to the years when it was operated as a tourist attraction and a hospitality venue.
How did you come up with the concept and name for the business?
The name ‘Emu Bottom’ dates back to the time in 1836 when the homestead was built by George Evans – it is situated in a valley, which at the time, was well frequented by Emus thus ‘Emu Bottom’.
We thought ‘Emu Bottom’, such an iconic Australian sounding name, could one day be developed as the name of a brand. This opportunity arose through a meeting with what was then Australian Airlines and their aim to offer more Australian food on their flights. We were delighted when the airline accepted our concept to include ‘Emu Bottom Anzac Biscuits with wattleseed’ into their flight menu. This was the start of our quest to built a brand with the name ‘Emu Bottom’ and the start of Emu Bottom Biscuits . Overtime our range grew to include a range of other biscuits and different packaging to appeal to other markets.
What's your most popular product and why do you think that is
Today our Anzac Biscuits with wattleseed, presented in tins and gift boxes, are popular and our range of shortbread gift boxes, featuring watercolour illustrations of Australian animals on their covers, are ideal for retail tourist outlets, for corporate gifting, duty free stores and our on line store.
Where do you live and how does it influence your work?
We live in the Cottage at Emu Bottom Homestead so we are fortunate to live and work in this tranquil country setting but also within easy distance to the commercial attributes of Melbourne CBD.
Behind the scenes: Where is your office and who is on your team?
Both Hedley and I have offices at Emu Bottom Homestead. We are a small team working with a reliable and talented team of business contractors
What challenges have you faced with your business
Emu Bottom Pty Ltd is a small commercial business and faces all the usual challenges and constant changes of small businesses.
What do you do to relax
Our lives are busy in managing and operating the Emu Bottom business and we enjoy the diversity involved in our day to day lives. There is always time to be enjoyed with family and friends
What's your favourite Australian place? Why?
Emu Bottom Homestead – it is situated in a beautiful country valley which we share with an array of birds and animals. Last week we had an echidna arrive wanting to burrow under our gate but thankfully it then wandered off to find a more amenable digging spot.
Why We Love Including Emu Bottom Biscuits in Our Hampers
At Country Culture, we’re always looking for products that reflect the values we care about: quality, provenance, and Australian craftsmanship.
Emu Bottom Biscuits tick all those boxes.
Their products bring together:
• Authentic Australian heritage
• Beautifully designed packaging
• Traditional biscuit recipes
• Native Australian ingredients
• A wonderful story behind the brand
They’re also incredibly versatile — equally perfect for corporate gifting, thank-you gifts, settlement hampers, or simply sharing with friends over a cup of tea.
A Taste of Australian Heritage
One of the things we love most about including Emu Bottom Biscuits in our gift hampers is that they tell a story.
From the historic homestead that inspired the brand to the distinctive wattleseed Anzac biscuits enjoyed across Australia, every product carries a little piece of Australian heritage.
And that’s exactly the kind of story we love sharing through the gifts we curate.
