“Its tradition. Don’t be un-Australian. Serve lamb on Australia Day. You know it makes sense.”
Ahh the forever insightful, patriotic words of Sam Kekovich. Since 2005 we’ve heard his annual bark, reminding us that a “balanced Australia Day diet should consist of a few nice, juicy lamb chops and a beer”. Each year, at a rate of 3 words per second, he has a ruthless stab at vegan culture whilst reeling off scandals from the year that was, and how all could have been prevented with a lamb chop. This year however, in the latest campaign from Meat and Livestock Australia, we’ve seen a change-up. Richie Benaud takes the spotlight recruiting Aussie royalty (some of which are deceased) to join him for lamb at his Australia Day barbie.
As customary as it may seem now, historically, there does not seem to be a strong record of this culinary tradition pre-2005 “Lambassador” ads. Thats not to say Naomi Watts efforts went un-noticed, as she was the first to emphasise the importance of a lamb roast when she turned down a date with Tom Cruise in the 1989 TV ad for Austrlalian lamb.
We can assume now that this ad was strategically timed, as the popularity of eating lamb in Australia may have in fact began in the mid 1990s when wool markets saw an excess of production. However, at this time, eating lamb would have been a necessity rather then a reflection of our national identity – lamb just HAD to be our ‘Top Gun’ at the time!
Richie Benaud in MLA’s latest lamb on Australia day advert for 2015
Australia Day began 1947 and was originally celebrated on the last Monday of January, until 1994 when it officially became a national holiday falling on the 26th of January. Yet the ideology that all Australians eat lamb on Australia Day (and that Sam and Richie must remind us to do so) is but a genius campaign by the MLA to boost lamb sales annually.
According to research by Meat and Livestock Australia, “around two thirds (67%) of Aussies claim that lamb is the most patriotic meat and over the past three years lamb sales on Australia Day have increased by an average of 34%”.
Historical precedent or not, eating lamb on Australia day is the birth-child of great advertising. It captures a significant day celebrating the arrival of the First Fleet, and injects it with a true-blue human truth – we love our lamb.