JAR - WHITE GLASS

The jar appears to have been made by the Australian Glass Manufacturers based on the stylised [AGM] under the jar. This makers mark was used from 1937 to roughly 1945 which normally included letters and numbers to indicate which week and day the item was made.

According to published online records The Australian Glass Manufacturers Company (AGM) was formed through an amalgamation of the Waterloo Glass Bottle Works Ltd and the Melbourne Glass Bottle Works Co Pty Ltd in 1915. In 1922 it would absorb the Zetland Glass Botte Works Ltd and re-register itself under the same name.

In 1939 AGM would rename itself Australian Consolidated Industries Limited to reflect its move into building products.

After takeovers since then the company is now under the ownership of Owens Illinois Inc and still manufacturers products in Melbourne.

As for the contents, marmite is a spread made from yeast. First produced in 1902 in the United Kingdom its popularity lead to the Sanitarium Health Food Company to purchase rights to distribute the spread in Australia and New Zealand in 1908. Not long after production of marmite with a modified recipe began in Christchurch, New Zealand.

Sanitarium produced marmite is sold in Australia and New Zealand as such. When sold in the United Kingdom and elsewhere it is marketed as NZ-Mite.

Marmite by Unilever in the United Kingdom is sold as such and when sold in Australia and New Zealand it is marketed as Our-Mate.

The jar likely would have contained New Zealand made marmite and was supposed to be returned so the jar could be cleaned and refilled. The idea being that the contents of the jar were sold not the jar.

Marmite is considered a common household spread nearly as popular as the Australian made vegemite.