02/09/2026
The Cadbury name is familiar around Tasmania and around the world, but did you know the Cadbury family has a long connection with Friends’?
It began in 1923, when William Cadbury donated £1,300 towards the cost of a Headmaster’s House. He even selected the house himself while visiting Hobart, partly in gratitude for the support Ernest Unwin had given his three sons during their years at Leighton Park School in England.
A few years later, Paul Cadbury heard that Unwin wanted to create a new playground. His offer was simple: he would match, pound for pound, whatever the School community raised through a School Fair.
The challenge worked. The School raised £350 at the Fair, and parents and the wider community eventually raised £2,400 for the project. The garden was laid out as part of this work, while Barrow Cadbury also funded the portico.
Then, in 1955, the Cadbury Charitable Trust donated £6,250 to Friends’, helping set in motion the development of the land that would become the Bell Street Sports Grounds, which opened in 1958.
Generations of Friends’ students have since played, trained and gathered there, making Bell Street a lasting example of what can happen when philanthropy and community effort come together.
From a Headmaster’s House and a School Fair to sports grounds still in use today, the Cadbury family’s generosity has left a lasting mark on Friends’.
Did you know about the Cadbury connection? And what are your memories of Bell Street?
Picture 1: A 1888 Cadbury’s Cocoa advertisement featuring rugby players, promoting the ‘Strength and Staying Power’ associated with drinking the product. Getty Images.
Picture 2: The Cadbury Board pictured in 1932, featured in 'People of the School'.
Picture 3: Construction of the Cadbury Portico, 1929. From The Friends' School Heritage and Archive Collection.
Cadbury Dairy Milk
