Australia's favourite chocolate beetle turns 60
The snack appeared in both showbags and stores from its creation until the late Tommy Carter, aka the Showbag King, made an exclusive Bertie Beetle bag in 1972.
"His [Tommy Carter's] goal was just to create something that was affordable for everyone. To create happiness," Keira Souter, Carter's granddaughter, told 9News.
"It started from a small tiny beetle to being an Australia-wide phenomenon."
Back then, the bags sold for 40 cents each. The cheapest ones now sell for $5 per bag.
After Bertie made his show debut he disappeared from shop shelves, making him an exclusive rite of passage for show-goers.
"At the Melbourne show we'll sell probably a semitrailer's worth every day or so," Chicane Showbags spokesperson Brendan Williams said.
