The Cripps Family


William and Eliza Cripps, 1881 (AOT, PH40/1/595)

The Cripps Family name is synonymous with baking in southern Tasmania. Transported in 1844, William Cripps, a young baker from Sussex, served his probationary labour as a station cook and baker. Freed, he ran Suttons Bakery in Sandy Bay in 1860 and established a thriving family business. Two of his sons branched out on their own, with Herbert remaining at their premises in Hampden Road (now operated by Jackman and McRoss). William junior moved to Elizabeth Street in 1881, expanding in 1897 to a larger bakery noted as one of the most modern in Australia.

Post-war expansion saw another move, to Argyle Street, where a large stable of horses was required for the daily rounds. Morris J Vans replaced horses around 1955. Although the innovative and successful business was sold in 1969, the family name survives in a small Bellerive bakery and in Cripps Nubake, Tasmania's largest bakery, at Glenorchy.

Further reading: The Cyclopedia of Tasmania 1, Hobart, 1900.

Wendy Rimon