Australia's dairy industry began with a few cows brought in on the First Fleet in 1788, which escaped for a while and were later depicted in Dharawal cave drawings. Today, increased awareness of the environmental impact of cattle methane emissions is driving a shift toward more sustainable dietary choices, while Australia’s multicultural diet has led to the emergence of coconut lychee gelato, vegan cheese and ghee with native ingredients.

This episode features certified food judge and travel writer, Mike Butler; head chef Ahana Dutt; and head chef/owner of Gelato Messina, Donato Toce. A special thanks to Dairy Australia; the National Film and Sound Archive; Nestlé; Peters Ice Cream; and the Tasmanian Archives.

This episode was inspired by items from the Powerhouse Collection including a horse-drawn Dairy Farmers cart; photos of Peters Ice Cream vans; and wallpaper fragments removed from Parramatta Park Dairy. 

Culinary Archive Podcast is a Powerhouse series hosted by Lee Tran Lam. Listen to season 1 on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or YouTube.

Image: Alana Dimou