The Long family, proprietors of Local Media Pty Ltd (publishers of The Local Paper), have long ties to the Moreland municipality.

In the years surrounding World War II, Melbourne had ‘Tarax’ Bars which sold non-alcoholic beer and soft drinks.

One such outlet was at 151 Sydney Rd, Moreland, which also doubled as a confectionery manufacturing business.

The operator of Golden Ray Confectionery and the Tarax Bar was my paternal grandfather, Allan, assisted by wife Althea, sons Jim and Alan, and daughter ‘Girlie’ (Violet Althea).

The fanily had moved from Bendigo where they had operated grocery stores.

Their move to 21 Florence St, Moreland, was in 1938. Allan was a commercial traveller for a grocery firm during the day, and in his spare time made snowballs for a Moreland grocer.

He used a hand beater for this manufacturing operation which would have been exhausting.

Later, they purchased the shop and dwelling at 151 Sydney Road, Moreland, and although warned by several business people that they were on the wrong side of the road to attract business, they went ahead and opened a confectionery and milk bar.

Half the shop was partitioned, so that Allan and Althea could manufacture marshmallows and toffees, toffee apples, barley sugar, butterscotch and boiled lollies.

The hours were demanding; starting manufacture early in the morning, opening the shop at 9am, and closing around 11pm.

They soon attracted customers and there was a great demand from wholesalers for their well-known snowballs and ‘biffs’ (coloured snowballs).

Another product was ‘Rocky Road’, made from marshmallow, peanuts and chocolate.

Customers came from far afield over the weekends to buy novelties such as chocolate-coated animal shaped marshmallows.

During World War II, their elder son Jim became old enough to volunteer for War service and joined the Army.

At this time Allan applied for the position of Manager of a Tarax Bar in Swanston St, Melbourne.

The Managing Director, Mr Pethard, from Bendigo, interviewed Allan.
Mr Pethard said he regarded Allan’s experience as a grocer made him the most qualified for the position.

The job involved the management of meals for customers, the soft drink and milk bars. Apart from this position at night into the early hours of the morning, he still found time to manufacture.

Allan was able to become an agent for Tarax with the family shop in Sydney Rd.

Tarax was then an exclusive soft drink, and Tarax bars were by appointment. Up to this stage, Althea and daughter ‘Girlie’ were managing the shop, with assistance from Alan when he came home from school.

There was a large passage at the side of the shop and Allan made large bins to hold many dozens of bottles, into which he would chip blocks of ice. This was apart from two large shop refrigerators.
At this time, Tarax brewed non-alcoholic drinks called Tarax Stout, and Bitter.

There was never a short supply of chilled drinks, and it was not unusual during hot spells to see customers queued outside the shop, waiting to be served after the customers inside the shop had quenched their thirst.

After Jim’s return from service in the Middle East as a Sergeant, he was promoted to the post of Warrant Officer II at the Bandiana Workshops, near Albury.

It was here that Jim met his future wife, Marjory Lawrence. After their marriage, and Army discharge, they lived with Allan and Althea until buying their first home at East Preston.

Allan and Jim decided to go into partnership with the confectionery, and a factory was built at the rear of the Sydney Rd shop.

The business was named ‘Golden Ray Sweets’. The business was quickly expanding and Alan recalled: “It was decided to move to a larger factory, and at the same time another house had to be bought, which was at Heidelberg.

In 1949, a larger factory was available nearer home in Banksia St, Bulleen, and it became a real family family business with all working there.

After a short time through national events, supplies were hard to come by, unless you were willing to pay double the price through other channels.

Allan did not believe in this type of business, and it was mutually agreed that the business should disband due these circumstances.

Allan was appointed a canteen manager for the Australian Paper Manufacturers at Fairfield.

At a later stage when Jim was an executive for Standard Motors at Port Melbourne, the position of Canteen Manager became available, and Allan was appointed.
Allan long died in 1975.

Close to Jim’s retirement, he opened the James Long Confectionery Co. (named after his great grandfather) at 56 Newlands Rd, Coburg, after extensive works had to be completed at the shop because of Coburg Council rules. The factory produced ‘Jim’s Snowballs’.