In the past seventy years the food‐spread, Vegemite, has become a symbol of Australian national identity. This paper examines the historical process by which this identity has been constituted, focussing on advertisements of Vegemite in print and on television from approximately 1923 to 1960. The marketing of Vegemite during this period coincided both with the desire for a distinctive national identity and with technological developments in food processing, communications, and health care. The promoters of these images and messages, drawing upon an egalitarian ideal of good health for all and the belief in the benefits of science, have also emphasized Vegemite's contribution to the health of Australian children. These early childhood associations with Vegemite and school suggest how the everyday intimacies of food contribute to a sense of a national identity.