Arriving in Australia like many other displaced migrants from the chaos of Europe during WW2 and facing the limited appeal of the customary Australian diet of the time, F Mayer Imports was established by Fred Mayer in 1957. Fred’s knack for business and entrepreneurial tendencies were evident at an early age. Whilst living in Palestine (and only 15 years of age) Fred became the self-appointed manager to eight Austrian and German hot dog vendors. He would deliver by foot all their supplies (meat, bread and condiments) and even developed a rotating roster of which locations they could sell from. It became so successful it led to a job at a local small goods company.

F Mayer Imports had humble beginnings, initially importing Norwegian jumpers and ski wear. Heavy import restrictions at the time limited food imports to just Swiss wafers and Danish and Swiss cheeses. When these import restrictions were lifted, Fred was able to increase the range of imported food products to satisfy the growing post-war demand in Australia for European food delicacies and specialty goods.

In an extract from a past interview, Fred recalls “When we first arrived in 1950, Australian food was a real oddity. You would go to a restaurant, it would look great, clean and tables with white tablecloths but all that was on the menu would be meat pies and sausage rolls”. But this all began to change during the 1950s and there was a strong fledgling market for continental foods by 1957 when Fred established the business.   

Like many success stories, Fred started F Mayer Imports from his garage at his home in Bondi, where the imports were initially housed. Then, when he started importing cheeses and more perishable goods, he rented cool rooms in Ultimo. Over time, Fred (later accompanied by his sons) built the business up and relocated to larger warehouses in Rosebery, followed by Alexandria and then Mascot. Today, Mayers spans over two large warehouses in Banksmeadow, Sydney and Altona North in Melbourne.

The Fred Mayer Scholarship was established in 2018 and provides opportunities to junior athletes who need assistance in the pursuit of their goals. The scholarship provides funding support to athletes that would otherwise be disadvantaged in not being able to represent the National Team because of financial constraints.

Fred started playing water polo whilst living in Johannesburg and played many competitions during his time in the sport. He was a devoted supporter of the sport in Australia. Knowing how much he loved the sport, his sons Sam and Robbie, donated The Fred Mayer Scholarship so that the legacy of their father could live on. When asked about his father, Sam explained:

“Fred might not have played Water Polo at the highest level, but no one has achieved more pleasure playing, watching or talking about Water Polo.” The recipients must replicate Fred’s ethos and sentiments.