Willaston Bakers

**Fast Facts**
Place type:	Locality
Town or Locality:	Willaston

Rix Bakery

Penton Rix was born in the Port Adelaide district, where his father had a bakery. Penton and his brother ran a bakery in Prospect, and then went to Gawler where he took over an old established business of Leverick. Later, he acquired property at Willaston and established the first machine-made bread factory in the town.

The Bunyip, on the 13th September 1929 quoted the Rix Bakery as being one of the finest and most compact bakeries in the State. The bakery boasted of baking 12,000 loaves of bread in a week. At the time, Rix’s bakery was the “only one of its kind in the Commonwealth that elevated the flour from the cellar”. Penton Rix died at Gawler on January 5, 1936 aged 49.

Click here to see photos relating to Rix' Bakery.

Krieg’s Redbanks Road Bakery

According to local knowledge, Mr. Tape had the Redbanks Road bakehouse built in 1918. “Two Willaston boys worked for Mr. Tape, they were Cliff and French Folland. They used to sell pies and pasties, apple pies and small cakes at the Gawler Public School at lunch time. Also bush biscuits one penny each”.

Paul and Helene Krieg owned the bakery between 1923 and 1941. Their sons Wally, Dick, Ossie and Sonny helped with the running of the bakery. Vollrath and Leila Kreig then continued the family bakery business from 1942 until 1969. At a family reunion, their children talked about the family business to The Bunyip- “You left school to work at the bakery” (Claudia Priestly, daughter) said. During World War II petrol was rationed so Ross Krieg (son)...had to deliver the bread by horse and cart. Dad made all the bread in a big coal oven...and back in those days we had no refrigerators so we had to keep everything in a cellar” Cliff said. “Mum served at the counter; dad never served the bread, he was only ever involved in baking”.

Today, the building where the bakery was is now a private home. The bakery was at the rear of the house on Redbanks Road, and just a few houses before Dawkins Avenue.

Bread Baking during World War II

The Bunyip Friday 4 September 1942 reported – GAWLER TO BE BREAD-ZONED Operating from Monday next –“No container, No bread” The National Security regulation was enacted for the purpose of releasing more men for war purposes, also saving the daily wastage of petrol and other delivery costs in covering large distances in the delivery of bread...It means that many householders will have new bakers...Householders who need bread left at their homes on Monday and following days, must place a container in a conspicuous place, bearing their name and clearly stating their requirements of bread...It is definite where there is no container there will be no bread.... All baking businesses have been zoned in the areas they shall serve...Rix Bakery, Willaston, North Gawler and Church Hill...Mr. F.G.Krieg.Top of Willaston and surrounding districts.