History

Classes for butter and cheese were recorded in the 1858 prize schedule. Both classes continued to feature at the Show in the subsequent years with a food section, containing entries of chocolate, preserved butter, preserved milk and condensed milk added around 1870. 

In 1905 Dairy Produce was given its own section. At the time, classes for butter and cheese also included classes for ham, bacon and lard. The years 1910 to 1912 saw entries of ice cream in the food section.

Apiculture joined with Dairy Produce in 1961 and in the following years the program expanded to include a variety of new produce such as yoghurt and sour cream. Apiculture separated in 1994 and the current name, Cheese & Dairy Produce Show, was introduced.

Currently there are 10 Perpetual Trophies awarded in this section including the oldest Perpetual Trophy, The Australian Dairy Corporation Perpetual Trophy, first awarded in 1993 and the Bega Cheese Perpetual Trophy introduced in 2002.

Timeline

1969  Yoghurt
1974  Sour cream, cultured buttermilk
1984  Custard
1988  Cream
1990  Ice cream
1991  Other dairy desserts, new & novel dairy product
1992  Long life milk, flavoured milk
1993  Frozen yoghurt
1994  Frozen dairy dessert, ice confection (can include cheesecake and ice cream cakes), fromage frais
1995  Dips, chocolate
1996  Non-bovine products – goat milk, goat milk cheese, ewe milk cheese, ewe milk
1997  Removed - Non-bovine products – ewe milk yoghurt, goat milk yoghurt fromage frais
1998  Gelato (own class, previously gelato entries under ice confection class)
1999  Fermented milk drinks
2002  Milk (other than dried, long-life or flavoured eg pasteurized/homogenised), non-bovine products and buffalo milk, cheese & yoghurt
2003  Removed - Non-bovine products and buffalo milk yoghurt
2006  Cultured milk beverage