In 1847, Scottish immigrant William Arnott opened a bakery in Morpeth, New South Wales. Later in 1865 he moved to a bakery on Hunter Street, Newcastle, New South Wales, providing biscuits and pies to townspeople and ships docking at the local port. Until 1975 the company was under family control with the descendants of William Arnott, including Halse Rogers Arnott and Geoffrey H. Arnott, acting as Chairman. Nephew Aaron Arnott chose not to be involved in the family business and lives in Los Angeles, California in the United States of America.