Australian Food Timeline

  • Period: 1 CE to

    Pre Colonisation

    Indigenous people lived off of what was available and what they could find in the area in which they lived.
    The foods were different depending on where they lived. e.g. communities that lived near the sea ate more fish.
  • British Colonisation

    The British landed in Botany Bay, New South Whales and established a penal colony.
    Food like flour, salted meat, oatmeal, tea and damper were introduced mainly because they don't go bad but also because they were easy to transport on their ships.
  • Gold Rush

    People came from different places all over the world including Asia, America and Europe to mine gold.
    People from Asia eventually gave up on mining gold and established restaurants therefore introducing more fresh greens, market gardens, soy sauce, ginger and also woks and steamers. The British also introduced pie floaters to Australia during this time.
  • After World War 1

    Many countries had been rationing food all across the world therefore there was a larger supply of food.
    There was a better supply of eggs, butter, flour and sugar. Desiccated coconut and cornflakes also became a popular breakfast meal.
  • After World War 2

    Many migrants and refugees came to Australia to seek a safer environment and start a new life.
    Along with this, Greeks and Italians introduced many of their own foods including capsicum, zucchini, olives, eggplant, artichoke, garlic, coffee and pasta.
  • Introduction of Fast Food

    McDonalds, being one of the most controversial companies for the introduction of fast food to Australia, was one of the first fast food companies to bring their business to Australia.
    McDonalds brought food many different fast foods to Australia including burgers, fries, pizza and soda.
  • After Vietnam War

    After the Vietnam War, lots of Vietnamese food was introduced to Australia because of the many people seeking refuge from Vietnam.
    This food was mainly stir fry and also popular dishes including pho, bun cha, nuoc cham, banh mi, and banh xeo.
  • Current Time Period

    Through and after the 2000s, there were many foods that people started to like more because of the quality of the foods and the cultural diversity.
    The foods that became more popular and were introduced to Australia during this time included sushi, burgers, and traditional chocolate. Many people also started to eat more food at home which brought back foods like mac n' cheese, and meat pies.