Aerogard

Aerogard is a high-profile Australian brand of outdoor insect repellent, that is applied directly to the skin.

It comes in a variety of application types, including aerosol sprays, bottled creams and roll-ons.

Together with its sister product Mortein, a popular household insecticide, Aerogard has become something of a "household name" in Australia, owing much in this regard to its promotion by former Australian tennis champion John Newcombe and the catchphrase "Avagoodweegend".

The active ingredient in Aerogard is DEET.

History

An insect repellent developed by CSIRO’s Doug Waterhouse made Queen Elizabeth II’s 1963 visit to Australia much more pleasant than it might have been otherwise – eventually. Although the Queen was meant to be sprayed with the repellent at a garden party held at Government House in Canberra, the aide responsible lost his nerve and the Queen was left madly swatting flies.

The next day was a different story, when Government House staff made sure the Queen was liberally sprayed before heading off for a game of golf. Journalists following the Queen noted the absence of flies around the official party, and word about CSIRO’s new fly-repellent spread. A few days later Mortein called Doug Waterhouse for his formula, which he passed on freely, as was CSIRO’s policy at the time. ^[1]

Mortein’s Aerogard went on to become an Australian icon.

External links

• Official Aerogard webpage

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References

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