Passiona

Originally developed as a cordial by Lismore dairy farmer Spencer Cottee during the 1920s to avoid wasting excess passionfruit on his farm, when carbonated Passiona became a foundation product of the Cottee's range.^[2] Passiona was first manufactured in 1924, and described in writing in an address to the Mullumbimby Chamber of Commerce by Spencer Cottee 1925.^[3]

On January 17, 1925, Cottee filed an Australian trade mark application for a logo of the words "Passiona", which remains current (in the name of Asahi Group Holdings)^[4].

In 1926, a factory was set up in Sydney, and in 1927 the drink was marketed to the public.^[5]

Newspaper reports from the 1930s mention Australians taking the drink with them overseas to Canada and Jerusalem. In 1934, Cottees Passiona Ltd reported a gross profit of £609.^{[citation needed]}

Cottee granted licences to produce the drink to a number of now defunct Australian bottlers, including Geo. Hall & Sons in South Australia and Bowral Bottlers in the NSW Southern Highlands.^[6] The trademark has also been used by Cottee's jelly crystal range.

The passionfruit pulp was originally supplied from not only Australian mainland growers, but later also a Norfolk Island cooperative.^[7] Cottee's then established plants in New Guinea in the highlands at Goroka and Mt. Hagen.^[8]