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Pre-Settlement
Before colonisation, Aboriginal people ate foods that could be naturally grown. These included above-ground and below-ground foods like fruit, nuts, seeds, bush potatoes, yams, and flower bulbs. Aboriginal people also ate insects and animals like witchetty grubs, birds, kangaroos, reptiles, and marine animals. These foods were cooked in underground ovens, over open fires, and roasted on hot coals. These techniques were all easily done, and the foods grew in many places and were grown by them. -
British Colonisation
When the First Fleet arrived in Australia, it brought new foods, including beef, bread, butter, and rice. In addition to bringing different foods to Australia, the British also brought different farming and agricultural techniques. While the Indigenous people living in Australia typically used methods like fire-stick farming to create new land for crops, the British didn't know how to farm the land in Australia, causing them to ruin the ecosystem and disadvantaging them when they tried to farm. -
Gold Rush
The Gold Rush brought many immigrants to Australia, hoping to get lucky and find gold. Many of these immigrants were Asian, who brought foods from their own cultures with them and shared them with Australia. Once vegetable gardening had been allowed on the goldfields, Chinese immigrants became very important as they supplied the diggers with fresh produce. When the gold supplies started dying out, many of these immigrants continued to farm and opened restaurants which are still around today. -
End of World War 1
World War 1 brought many new foods to Australia for the soldiers. Many of the foods were dry so that they wouldn't spoil and so they could be transported without fuss. Lots of foods that are now loved and considered traditional snacks, were created for the soldiers. These include Anzac biscuits, which as they're named were made for the Anzac soldiers and were created to be able to survive long journeys over the sea. Other foods that arrived in Australia include lamingtons, cornflakes, and cakes. -
Vegemite Creation
Vegemite was created in 1922 by a chemist, C.P Callister when an Australian food manufacturer wanted a spread similar to Britain's Marmite. The spread was made from brewer's yeast, also used to make beer. In 1923, Vegemite was first sold in stores, however, Australians were reluctant to try it because Marmite was already so popular. But, in 1939, Vegemite gained an official product endorsement from the British Medical Association, and by 1942 Vegemite was a staple in many Australian homes. -
End of World War 2
World War 2 had big changes in Australian foods. Firstly, food had to be rationed, tea was the first thing to be rationed, and soon after it was meat, butter, and sugar. However, although, rationing didn't stay forever, because there were so many Americans stationed in Australia, we started to adapt to their eating habits, meaning more vegetables, salads, fruits, and coffee instead of tea. and, when they went back to America, Australians started eating more similarly to how they were. -
First McDonald's
Australia's first McDonald's opened in Yagoona, Sydney on the 30th of December, 1971. Now, there are over 1000 McDonald's restaurants around Australia and nearly 85 percent of them are run by local businesspeople. This was 16 years after the McDonald's had been founded in the United States. Now there are so many different fast food chains in Australia and they can be found in practically every state. -
HelloFresh
HelloFresh is a company that was made to bring healthy meals into households worldwide. It was created in November 2011 in Germany and became available to Australians in 2012. HelloFresh works by a person looking through their recipes and choosing a menu that they enjoy. HelloFresh then sends them the ingredients so that they can make those meals at home instead of ordering in or dining out all of the time. This has made many Australian homes healthier because of all their delicious recipes. -
COVID-19
When the COVID-19 pandemic hit and lockdowns were forced on everyone, people weren't allowed to dine out anymore. This caused a burst in homemade meals, however, it also caused a rise in companies like Uber Eats and Doordash. Even though some people were eating healthy home-cooked meals, many people turned to unhealthy foods like fast food and snacks. Now, four years after the pandemic started, we still use apps like Uber Eats and Doordash consistently in our daily lives. -
2035 Prediction
I think that in 2035 food will be quite different. Hopefully, in 11 years time, food will be a lot healthier and there won't be so many fast-food restaurants everywhere. However, instead of there being fewer fast-food restaurants there will most likely be more because they get lots of attraction. This is because of the ingredients they use and how they taste so good that people eat there constantly. This means that instead of eating being more healthy, it could possibly get more unhealthy.