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The Great Australian Lamington

The Great Australian Lamington
Lord Lamington Governor of Queensland - creator of the world-famous Australian Lamington.

The Humble Australian Lamington - Created in Queensland in 1901


Australian Lamington
THE WORLD-FAMOUS AUSTRALIAN CULINARY ICON NAMED AFTER THE GOVERNOR OF QUEENSLAND - LORD LAMINGTON.

The world-famous Australian lamington is over a century old.

Despite some dubious claims from New Zealand, the lamington is as Australian as meat pies, kangaroos and Holden cars, ranking alongside the other true Australian icons of the pavlova, peach melba and Vegemite.

This Australian culinary icon, which consists of sponge cake dipped in chocolate and liberally sprinkled with fine desiccated coconut, was created through an accident at work by a maid-servant to Lord Lamington, the thoroughly-British eighth Governor of Queensland.

The maid-servant was working at Government House in Brisbane when she accidentally dropped the Governor's favourite sponge cake into some melted chocolate.

Lord Lamington was not a person of wasteful habits and suggested that it be dipped in coconut to cover the chocolate to avoid messy fingers.

Paul Tully celebrates
the 100th anniversary
of the world renowned
Australian lamington
on 19 December 2001
Lord Lamington devoured this new taste sensation with great delight and the maid-servant's error was proclaimed a magnificent success by all! The Governor however is on the record as calling them "those bloody poofy woolly biscuits".

Lord Lamington was born in London, England on 29 July 1860 as Charles Wallace Alexander Napier COCHRANE-BAILLIE holding the aristocratic title of Baron Lamington.

He was Governor of Queensland from 9 April 1896 to 19 December 1901.

After leaving Queensland, he went on to become the Governor of Bombay in India for 4 years. He died at Lamington House, Lanarkshire, Scotland, in 1940.

According to Hansard page 728 at the Australian Constitutional Convention in Canberra on 11 February 1998, Cr Paul Tully, an elected delegate representing "Queenslanders for a Republic" suggested that his extensive research of the Governors of the 6 Australian colonies and states had produced evidence of only "one, single, solitary, positive achievement of any Governor since the First Fleet arrived in 1788" and that was Lord Lamington's contribution to the culinary delights of the Australian nation!

Lord Lamington served Queensland for 5 years but despite all of his colonial, aristocratic pomp and ceremony, the only thing which Charles Wallace Alexander Napier COCHRANE-BAILLIE will ever be remembered for in Australia is the creation of the world-famous lamington.

PAUL TULLY'S TRUE-BLUE DELICIOUS AUSSIE LAMINGTON RECIPE

INGREDIENTS
3 eggs
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup castor sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla essence
1 cup self-raising flour 1/2 cup milk.

Beat the eggs well, gradually adding the sugar until dissolved. Add the milk and vanilla essence and then stir in the self raising flour and whip the butter into the mixture. Pour the mixture into a cake tin or lamington baking dish and bake in a moderate oven of 180 degrees Celsius for 35 minutes. Allow the cake to cool for at least 10 minutes and then stand for 24 hours preferably in the refrigerator, before applying the icing.

THE CHOCOLATE ICING
4 cups icing sugar
1/3 cup cocoa
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup milk
4 tablespoons boiling water
3 cups desiccated coconut.

Stir the cocoa and icing sugar vigorously in a large bowl, adding the milk, butter and boiling water, warming the chocolate mixture over a very low heat until it has a smooth creamy texture. Cut the sponge cake into equal squares about 5cm x 5cm and, using a fork or thin skewer, dip each piece into the chocolate mixture ensuring that the mixture is liberally and evenly applied. Dip each piece into the desiccated coconut, allowing the lamingtons to cool on a wire tray for several hours.

THEN SIT BACK, RELAX AND SAVOUR THE DELIGHTS OF YESTERYEAR COURTESY OF LORD LAMINGTON'S ABSENT-MINDED MAID-SERVANT!

THANK GOD, THE LAMINGTON WAS NOT CHRISTENED THE "COCHRANE-BAILLIE". IMAGINE ASKING FOR A "COCHRANE-BAILLIE" IN A CAKE SHOP!
© Paul Tully 2009


Do you have an interesting historical anecdote about the Australian lamington?
Please email the Australian Lamington Official Website.




Lord Lamington's legacy: Lamington National Park

Lord Lamington, culinary
inventor, whose name
 is immortalised in
 Lamington National
 Park. 
Four years after the arrival of the O'Reilly Family, Lamington National Park was declared, thus effectively isolating the O'Reilly's from the outside world. While Lamington wasn't Queensland's first national park, it is the most significant, and was regularly referred to as 'Queensland's National Park.'

World Heritage status was bestowed on Lamington in 1994 in recognition of its high biodiversity, and the fact it contains a living museum of the evolutionary steps taken in the development of Australia's modern day flora. 

It now includes 20,200 hectares of varying forest types, from temperate Antarctic Beech forest high on the border ranges through the sub-tropical rainforests, to the dry eucalypt forest of the northern escarpment.

Lamington National Park provides food and shelter for a huge array of sub-tropical birdlife (over 160 species), reptiles, frogs, mammals and invertebrates.

For over 100 years the O'Reilly family has accumulated a deep knowledge of Lamington National Park and its many attractions. They would love to share the park and that knowledge with you.


Lamington National Park 100 year Anniversary


In 2015 Lamington National Park celebrates 100 years of conservation. Lamington represents Queensland’s first large national park to be gazetted purely for its natural and cultural values. Its beauty, charm and rugged wilderness are always attracting people’s imaginations. Lamington is a place that people connect with and many visitors return throughout their lives—it becomes part of their story. These stories can now become part of Lamington’s story.


TRACK CLOSURES: 


To find out further information about any track closures in Lamington National Park please visit the Department of National Parks website.


Bushwalking

Lamington is a jewel in the crown of bushwalking destinations in south-east Queensland.


Waterfalls

There is a number of picturesque Waterfalls near O’Reilly’s including Moran’s Falls which was the site of the first home of the O'Reilly brothers when they arrived on the mountain.


Birds of Lamington

O'Reilly's Rainforest Retreat has been a sanctuary for bird lovers since the early part of last century, and enjoys international recognition as one of the premier birdwatching locations in Australia.

Read More


Flora

The top of the McPherson Range is often draped in mist and cloud, and experiences an average annual rainfall of approximately two and a half metres.


Wildlife

Lamington National Park and the surrounding lowlands support an abundance of mammals, totaling around 70 species in 18 families.


Best of Lamington

Want to experience the best this World Heritage has to offer? Following is a summary to the most popular experiences, wildlife, walks, views and waterfalls of Lamington National Park.

Read More


The Stinson Memorial

In February 1937 Australia was shocked to hear that a Stinson airliner was reported missing on its daily flight from Brisbane to Sydney.


History

Even as the O'Reilly boys were carving out a living as dairy farmers in the dense scrub, moves were well underway to turn the rainforests of the McPherson Range that surrounded them into what we now know as Lamington National Park.


Aboriginal History

Prior to European settlement, the Lamington region had been inhabited by Aboriginal people of the Yugambeh language for thousands of years.

Read More

Camping

The Green Mountains Campgrounds is run by Queensland National Parks. For bookings or enquiries, contact National Parks on 13 74 68.

Find out further information about any track closures in Lamington National Park visit the QLD government national parks website

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