Australian Biography: Margaret Fulton

1998, 26 Minutes

Margaret Fulton, the first and greatest of the Australian celebrity cookery writers, helped transform our national cuisine.

As the world opened up again after World War Two and a wider range of foodstuffs began to arrive in the shops, it was Margaret Fulton, through her magazine columns and later her cook books, who showed the nation how to cook in new and exciting ways. It was largely through her inspiration and example that younger Australians realised the pleasurable and creative possibilities of fine dining. Our national cuisine was transformed.

For Margaret Fulton, the great pleasure of cookery writing was to bring good food into ordinary homes. She was never interested in writing for an elite. Instead she concentrated on "bringing magic" into everyday living through better everyday eating.

A passionate traveller, she is credited with being one of the first people to bring international cuisine to the Australian table. Both in her career and personal life, Fulton has sought out the “good life”, and from this delicious interview it seems that she has finally found it.

A Film Australia National Interest Program. © 2011 National Film and Sound Archive of Australia.

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NB The Australian Biography series (1-11) are only available for sale within the territories of Australia and New Zealand.