True to the Land: A History of Food in Australia

Foods and Nations

by Paul van Reyk

Spanning 65,000 years, this book provides a history of food in Australia from its beginnings, with the arrival of the first peoples and their stewardship of the land, to a present where the production and consumption of food is fraught with anxieties and competing priorities. It describes how food production in Australia is subject to the constraints of climate, water, and soil, leading to centuries of unsustainable agricultural practices post-colonization. Australian food history is also the story of its xenophobia and the immigration policies pursued, which continue to undermine the image of Australia as a model multicultural society. This history of Australian food ends on a positive note, however, as Indigenous peoples take increasing control of how their food is interpreted and marketed.

Genres: Food History, History

352 pages, Hardcover

Published October 12, 2021

Reviews

[Niki E]

This is comprehensively-researched and interesting to read, especially as somebody with an existing interest in Australian food history and having recently watched our local version of the Back In Time For Dinner TV series. There are surprisingly few academically-oriented books that cover the food history of Australia like this - most skew toward entertainment and popular history - so I think this will be useful and gratefully appreciated, particularly in academic settings but also with an interested public. I noticed a few minor errors that might’ve been picked up with a more thorough editor, but nothing major enough to reduce its authority.