History of cooks and chefs guilds and associations in Australia

Chapter one "The birth of associations in Australia" - original article was written by the late Ael Bailey - Black Hat, to record the dawn of an era and the birth of Cooks Guilds and associations in Australia.

Chapter two records the events between the inaugural cooks guild (Australian Guild of Chefs and the birth of a sibling the “Australasian Guild of professional cooks” and the first independant cooks and chefs organisation in Victoria.

Chapter three records the development of ACSSA that grew into the Australian Culinary Federation and includes extracts from the State Library of Victoria "ASCCA News"

Chapter one:

AEL BAILEY INVOLVEMENT WITH THE AUSTRALASIAN GUILD OF CHEFS - (VICTORIAN DIVISION) 1960-1974

GUILD OF THE AUSTRALASIAN HOTEL AND CATERING INSTITUTEA. Bailey Secretary and Treasurer 1960 - 1962 Editor "Culinary Times" 1961 - 1965 Written for Keith Byron by A. Bailey (in 1984)

I migrated to New South Wales in 1954. After working there for a couple of years I went up to the Central Pacific for a two year contract in 1956.

Shortly after arriving on the island I received a letter from a hotel chef in England - Cyril Butler - we had worked together for several years in a hotel in Bournemouth. He was very interested in working conditions and career prospects for professional cooks in Australia. The information I had (based on my experience in New South Wales) I sent to him. He subsequently arrived in Melbourne in 1956 as a cook and part of the team to cater for the Melbourne Olympic Games so we kept in touch.

In 1958 I came down to Melbourne on three months holiday before returning to the Pacific for another two year term. During this time in Melbourne I caught up with Cyril Butler. His idea of forming a guild must have started then or even earlier as he frequently discussed it with me. To be quite frank I got a little bored with the subject!

It was at this time that Cyril introduced me to two of his friends -Keith Byron and Syd Taylor. They too had come out from England for the Olympic Games. I have no idea whether Cyril discussed his ideas with his friends, but there were no discussions of forming a guild with his friends when I was present.

While signing my new contract with the British Phosphate Commission it was suggested that I join the AHCI. All fees would be paid for the term of my employment and I was put in touch with Mr. West, Principal of the William Angliss School (who is incidentally a Canadian). He proposed me for membership and I became a member. Cyril joined a month or two later after I had left Melbourne.

Early in 1960 as my contract in the Pacific was corning to an end, we decided to return to Melbourne to settle. We stayed with the Butler family for about a month before finding accommodation of our own.

Within the first week of being in Melbourne, Cyril brought up the subject of a guild. I was rather surprised that he was as keen on the idea as nothing had been done since my previous visit to Melbourne two years before.

As we were waiting for personal effects to come down from the Pacific and I had time on my hands, when the subject of the guild came up again (as it frequently did), I surprised myself by saying something to the effect that if he wanted to do something we should go down to the William Angliss School. We should seek their opinion and talk to a few chefs in the hotels. I think that all Cyril needed to get started on his guild idea was a bit of moral support - a confidence booster.

It was the end of March 1960 when we approached the Angliss School. Cyril introduced me to Anton Surwald, Dave Sanders and Alex Chenevier. The consensus of that meeting was to the effect that a professional cooks' organisation was needed, not only in Victoria but throughout Australia.

It was agreed that it would be difficult with little help from outside and there would be a measure of prejudice from both inside and outside the trade. However, they supported the idea of forming a guild.

I couldn't understand - why prejudice? From outside the trade it was to be expected. In those days the Australian professional cook's image (quite erroneously) was that of a cranky, booze artist, tucker basher. But prejudice from within the trade?

It was explained to me that in Australia, which was still a young country, many professional cooks did not have the opportunity to serve an apprenticeship, nor had there been trade schools available for them to attend. The William Angliss College had not been founded until 1940 and no cookery students attended until quite some time later. Thus it was felt that the formation of a "professional" organisation for members where formal qualifications would be an advantage could cause anti-feeling and even insecurity. This proved to be quite correct during the first year of the guild's existence.

It is interesting to note, and indicative of the very limited training facilities available at least in Victoria to apprentice and student cooks, that the William Angliss had the following enrolments in 1960 (the year the guild was formed):

William Angliss Enrolments 1960 Apprentices (Pastry cooking / Bread making /Cookery) 781 Single Subject Courses 494 Hotel and Catering 272 Full time Hotel Management 10 Total 1557

As with our visit to the Angliss, our calls at various hotels to see the Chef were carried out over a couple of weeks on Cyril's days off. We received a very mixed reception, from coffee and biscuits in one Chefs office, where the concept of a guild was received with enthusiasm, to an aggressive "....and you don't mean to tell me that you are doing this for nothing - what are you getting out of it?" in another before we were banished from the kitchen.

That particular chef never did apply for membership. However, Cyril was rather pleased with progress even going home on the tram he would jot down notes and names of chefs to visit.

As members of the AHCI we were aware that guilds operated within that organisation, such as the Commercial Caterers and the Hospital Catering Managers Guilds.

The next move was obvious. We would contact the Victorian Division of AHCI and seek their help. Cyril advised the boys at the Angliss.

The outcome was a meeting set up with Kevin Butler (no relation) of the AHCI State Council (Manager at the Victoria Hotel) round mid April.

Kevin Butler was very helpful. He gave us a run down on how AHCI guilds operated within the framework paying particular attention to the fact that 8 AHCI members were required to form a guild. They would have to be members of the new guild but not all would have to serve on the Steerage Committee. At the first General Election it was up to the members who were voted to Committee.

Kevin suggested we place an advertisement in the newspapers to call a meeting and he would provide the venue with afternoon coffee and biscuits at the Victoria Hotel at no charge. Going home in the tram we were both very happy until we thought - how much will the advertisement cost and who is going to pay for it?

So really speaking, shortage of money was an affliction for the whole of the Guild's 14 years existence. However at that stage it was solved by Cyril advancing £5 which he said could be claimed back from the AHCI later. Whether he did get the money back I don't know. We felt that an afternoon of a week day would be the best time to hold the meeting (this would allow cooks on split shift to attend). I think the advertisement was headed "Important Notice to All Cooks" and there was a good turn up at first.

When the meeting got underway there would have been a good sixty or so people. However, there were some who had turned up thinking all sorts of things: it was an interview for a job; it was to be a union; cooks wanted for overseas etc. On being told the truth more than a dozen left and by the time the meeting was over, I guess there was 35 to 40 left.

The meeting itself was rather informal and straightforward. After the gathering was advised why and how the meeting had taken place and the matter of fees was mentioned - a few more left.

We took a few notes (they could hardly be called Minutes) which were sufficient for the occasion. The fact that members of the William Angliss were present proved that this was a bona fide meeting attempting to form a guild - it was not a "con".

You will have to check this with others who were present, but as I recall, apart from Cyril and myself, there were two other members of the AHCI present. These four proposed and seconded (we had the forms) four people from the floor, thus establishing the eight even through it would not be confirmed for a few weeks.

I think the eight were: Cyril Butler, Ael Bailey, Mario Massari, Dennis Barker, Dave Sanders, Anton Surwald, F Unger, and Wilf Barrett. The name of the guild was to be the Australian Chefs' Guild. This was changed within a week or two to Australasian Guild of Chefs.

The Steerage Committee elected was:-

Cyril Butler (President); Dave Sanders (Vice President); Ael Bailey (Secretary and Treasurer); Anton Surwald (Membership Selection Board Chairman); Wilf Barrett (Public Relations - Australia); and Mario Massari (Public Relations - Overseas).

I have the feeling that there were others on the first Committee. Maybe Alex Chenevier and Lucien Cuendet? By the end of May we had twenty members plus the Committee. It was soon discovered that Wilf Barrett, although a member of the AHCI and the Commercial Caterers' Guild, was a catering manager but did not possess sufficient expertise in cookery (as assessed by the Membership Selection Board) to become a member of our Guild. He thus departed the scene at an early stage. Although Barrett was quite within the rules and regulations of the AHCI, it was our rules which were applied and this did not go down too well with the AHCI.

There were a few comments from both parties. We stated quite bluntly that we, as qualified cooks, retained the right to select members. Although we did not appreciate it at first we were the first craft guild of cooks not only in the AHCI but in the country.

The AHCI was a management organisation and its constitution was oriented towards management - fair enough - but it did over the years lead to a great deal of misunderstanding and created a great deal of frustration for the Guild Committee.

Early in June I took the first batch of membership fees down to the AHCI Victorian Division's Registrar. It should be understood that all fees were handed into the AHCI, and the Guild was then credited back with a small amount of each member's fee. However any AHCI member who joined the Guild still paid his fees direct to the AHCI so we received nothing. It took a long time to get this anomaly rectified.

It may be of note to make mention of the Registrar, Mr. Don Chipp, now leader of the Democrat Party and his secretary Marjory Moore. Don Chipp ran and organized the annual "National Accommodation And Catering Exhibition and Seminar" (NACES).

When he entered politics as Minister for Tourism and Navy in the 1969 Holt Government, Marjory Moore continued to run NACES and it was a very viable proposition. Throughout the time NACES operated the Guild contributed a great deal in time and effort. Apart from giving lectures we manned a booth to give information to prospective apprentice cooks. I think it was Dave Sanders and a couple of others who battled for space to hold a competition. Marjory Moore, I think, wanted payment for the space while we donated our services to NACES - but that needs checking with Dave.

In the period before the first AGM, May 1960 to March 1961, the Steerage Committee worked hard. In hindsight they really did a terrific job - no star performers but a good solid team getting on with the task in hand. It had been agreed at an early stage that contact would be made with established cook’s guilds overseas for the exchange of information and newsletters. This meant that we too would have to produce a newsletter.

Then came a lucky break through Alex Chenevier. We had heard of the World Association of Cooks' Societies although did not know a lot about it, and we felt we should make enquiries about joining. Alex Chenevier not only knew all about it, he was an old friend of Bochatay who was either President or on the committee of the WAGS at the time.

Alex got in touch with WACS which was great as the correspondence was all written in French, although I do recall a letter Cyril received from them which was written in German! Once the Committee decided to join it was mainly Alex who paved the way - we just signed the forms and thus became the youngest guild in the WACS.

About August 1960 a friend of Cyril's put him in contact with a publishing company regarding a trade magazine. We went around there a couple of times to discuss it and then they sent a member of their staff to a Committee meeting. It was then agreed that the first issue would go to print in November and every month thereafter (see Appendix on Culinary Times).

Membership of WACS and the introduction of our guild journal really increased the work load. By January 1961 letters and journals were being received from all over the world, with applications for membership from all over Australia. I did the guild typing at this time on my young daughter's junior typewriter. One finger on each hand and as you can see there has been no improvement! It was rather slow but we got there in the end. Up to this stage I think the guild had been classed in the catering industry of Australia as a non-event.

By February/March 1961 we had received letters from cooks in NSW and South Australia indicating that they were thinking of forming AHCI cooks' guilds. This brought up the subject of the Culinary Olympics. The Steerage Committee felt that although the Victorian Guild was the member of WACS, should the interstate guilds eventuate and be in a position to afford a team for the Culinary Olympics before Victoria, then the right to participate would be transferred to whichever interstate guild was appropriate, provided that the team was classed as the Australian team.

The problem of finance was really acute and would have been disastrous had we to rely on our portion of membership fees. However even then the guild was beginning in a small way to do a little fund raising of its own, particularly as the food industry began to recognise the guild.

Committee members reported that an increasing number of members had indicated that they were not happy about the financial arrangement with AHCI and that something should be done about it.

At this time the guild bought its first piece of equipment - a rather well worn secondhand filing cabinet. My wife was very pleased to be rid of the cardboard boxes - so was I!

We had approached the AHCI regarding the financial situation and were invited to send a representative to attend the State Council Meeting. Cyril and I attended together with Dave Sanders, I think. Clif Franzi chaired the meeting and it was quite interesting listening to the verbal battle between Cliff and Cyril - the guild was to be advised of the outcome in due course.

I remember telling Cyril to forget it as we would get nothing. I felt that Federal Council had been made aware of the situation before the meeting and realizing that they could not favor one guild out of the many guilds across the country, we were advised a few weeks later that it was not on. It wasn't an official secret so most of the members got to hear about it.

Some weeks before the first AGM, which was to be held at the Vacuum Oil Centre in City Road in March 1961), we heard that a notice of motion was to be sent in to break away from the AHCI. Therefore I was not surprised to receive it in the mail. A few days prior to the meeting I received a phone call from Anton Surwald and I confirmed that a motion had been received. We were both of the same opinion - it was too early to go it alone.

We were only 10 months old and we needed experience with a full committee. We agreed to try a compromise: a motion of no confidence to be reviewed after a year and we both did a bit of lobbying.

The Committee elected at that meeting from what I can remember was:- President: C. Butler Vice President: D. Sanders Secretary Treasurer: A. Bailey Chairman Membership Selection Board A. Surwald Public Relations - Australia A. Morrell Public Relations - Overseas M. Massari

Committee: D. Barker/S. Taylor/C. Valkenburg/R. Fullerton.

The first full committee was elected and like many of the subsequent committees contained a wealth of talent.

We were fortunate to secure the services of Bert Morrell who had organized the catering services for the 1956 Olympic Games.

Bert was well known and respected throughout Australia and had contacts at all levels (frequently used for the benefit of the guild, particularly in our efforts for apprentices). The duties of Editor of "Culinary Times" were handed to me - not much choice as no one else wanted the job.

Before the meeting I had invested in a small book "Rules of Debate and Meeting Procedures" to help us with the notice of motion. It was a very lively debate which at times in spite of my little book was akin to a Welsh Revivalists' meeting with everyone talking and no one listening. The no confidence motion just got through on a show of hands.

I have no recollection that the AHCI amended the fee splitting rules, however there was a slight slackening-off in the purse strings for some special guild project conditional on approval by AHCI. However such grants which were few and far between could in no way be described as lavish.

In hindsight over the intervening 24 years that particular period of time is when the writing on the wall became plain. From that very first AGM the guild would one day become an autonomous organisation (as were all member organisations of the WACS).

For some considerable time the guild had been making strenuous efforts through Government channels to have apprentice cooks in hospitals and canteens etc. recognised on an equal footing to their counterparts employed in hotels and restaurants.

Eventually the Apprenticeship Commission agreed to recommend to the Minister of Labour that the proclamation of the cookery trade be amended to cover the hospital cooking trade, and thus include hospital apprentices. In due course this was extended to cover all apprentice cooks.

That same year, 1961, saw the first exhibition of the cookery trade in the Education Department's Apprenticeship Week. The exhibition from the guild's end was organized by a sub-committee under Bert Morrell.

It was held in the Lower Town Hall, Melbourne and the panel of judges consisted of Alex Chenevier, Sarah Dunne (The "Herald" cookery writer) and T. Carlyon, hotelier. The first prize of a bronze medal, ever to be awarded to an apprentice cook in Victoria, was won by Ron Hanlen, a fourth year apprentice employed at the Florentine Restaurant.

There were thirty-seven entries received. (In 1968 the guild supplied guidelines for this competition.

From 1961 onwards there was an ever-increasing demand for the guild to supply qualified cooks for a variety of duties, including judges for various competitions which were being held by the government, the trade and even food companies (not only in Victoria but in most of the other states).

In fact I recall visiting NSW and Tasmania on two occasions for this purpose. On the local scene we provided cooks at no charge for school fetes where the duties ranged from cooking a large pig on a barbecue to heating frankfurts.

We catered for members' family weddings - our fee? A carton of "beer which must be free and cold", we cooked for various AHCI functions and for the Commercial Caterers' Guild. We, of course, donated our services and were pleased to be of help.

There were occasions when the members involved were paid e.g. Royal visits in Canberra and Melbourne, Vice Regal functions, the Lord Mayor's Ball and many others. For all of these the guild supplied teams of cooks. It would be very difficult to recall the whole range of such requests which included food and recipe testing and writing recipe booklets for the trade. It was agreed that any fees received by the guild for this type of activity were banked but not in the same bank as our normal account - a move the Committee agreed with unanimously.

The 1962 Apprenticeship Week Exhibition was rather disappointing in terms of the number of entries received – 34, three less than in 1961. We were not to know that from then on, the exhibition would attract an increasing number of entries each year.

Prior to the 1962 AGM I had informed the committee that I would not be standing for re-election. Dave Sanders the Vice President also stood down.

The guild's bank balance at that time stood at £164-16s-ld.

The Committee elected:

President C. A. Butler

Vice President A. Chenevier

Treasurer Assistant Secretary K. Byron D. Barker A. Morrell

Public Relations - Overseas S. Taylor

Committee: J. Longhurst. P. Baylie R. Fullerton. H. Heinig R. Allen J. Gross

As this is the guild's story and not mine I will briefly scan over the remaining years - I remained Editor of "Culinary Times" until 1965.

I served a year as Secretary of the Hospital Caterers' Guild AHCI, a year as Secretary of the autonomous Hospital Catering Managers' Association followed by two years on the AHCI State Council. The guild was represented on the state council by Les Smith at that time. I do not recall any momentous decisions regarding the guild during my short time on state council.

I remained in touch with the guild throughout the years attending each AGM and helping or attending various functions.

I did a fair amount of judging during this time and was one of the two guild members setting the cookery apprentices an

While helping on the buffet at the 1968 Chefs' Guild Ball I was presented with pewter tankard suitably inscribed as Editor of the Culinary Times - I was really pleased as what little I had done I enjoyed as it was interesting.

I think it was May 1974 that I attended the last meeting of the guild.

The guild was to be disbanded, the main reason being lack of finance and the restriction of trying to operate within the constitution of the Catering Institute of Australia (CIA ex AHCI).

The motion was passed and the members resigned en masse. After 14 years the guild ceased to exist except on paper.

In 1974 as Secretary of the AGPC I received a letter from CIA Sydney requesting the Minutes and Records of the now defunct guild. The Committee agreed and they were returned. We received a letter of thanks for our cooperation and that was the end of the Guild.

Written by the late Ale Bailey Reproduced for the record of history on chefpedia

Chapter two

Written by George Hill to historically account for the lead up to the reorganization of the Cooks Guild and birth of the Australasian Guild of professional cooks

From the best of my recollection:

We met in a guest room in the Southern Cross Hotel, in Bourke Street - Melbourne. at 10 AM on a Sunday morning it was May 12th 1974

At the time the Southern Cross Hotel was a landmark and represented the epitome of Melbourne style. A Grand hotel that existed till 1999 with an incredible history of events and personalities including even playing a small part in the development of the cooks guilds in Victoria and Australia.

At the time I was a cookery teacher at William Angliss Institute and interested in becoming more involved with cookery organisations and committees. I was already a member for a few years (having arrived in Australia in 1965) of the "Catering Institute of Australia" Victorian Cookery division or CIA (previously known as “Australasian Hotel and Catering Institute of Australia” AHCI), but had not ever been very active, apart from paying my annual fees.

I became aware of a "Chef's committee" that managed the guild, through Dave Sanders who was Head of Foods Department William Angliss College, I also discovered that in the coming month the chefs committee were to meet at the Southern Cross Hotel and I asked to attend as a guest member.

It was Sunday 12th May 1974. I attended the monthly meeting and was introduced to the 8 – 10 people attending: Harry Kahn who was the Executive Chef at the Southern Cross Hotel who was the President. Attending as best of my recollection was David Sanders, Keith Byron, Alex Chenevier, Brian Innes, Sid Tailor, Frank Dekoning, Claudio Magris, George Kincses forgive me, a few others, who I cannot remember.

From the moment the meeting started the only discussion centered on the obvious discontentment between the attending chefs representing the Victorian Chefs Guild and the Catering Institute of Australia (CIA).

A string of issues that all seemed to focus on the lack of corporation, lack of funds, lack of response to letters to the CIA Sydney head office, lack of communication , the uncooperativeness of head office and particularly the perceptions of how this was effecting the current committee many projects and restricting growth especially in membership.

Personally I was astonished and to some extent alarmed at the agro at the meeting, especially being a new boy on the block and not knowing of the issues that existed, especially when I had decided to attend the meeting to identify if I could be involved in the committee in some way.

I listened quietly (for once in my life) to all sorts of alternatives of writing more letters to Sydney, personally contacting CIA, demanding better communication, etc, with each overruled as having been tried numerous times before.

It became quite obvious that a decision had already basically been made by most attending chefs to break away from the CIA and there were only two more moves to make.

One was the courage to actually step away and “Begin it” and second how should this be achieved.

After a couple of hours of heated discussions, finally a resolution was made that the existing committee should all resign and attempt to regroup as an independent new chefs organisation. In fact it was not the end of the Australian Guild of Chefs Victoria, it was in reality, no one would be on the committee as the committee was to disband.

A decision was also made to approach as many chefs as possible during the ensuring month to attend a meeting at the Ventura Club in Bulleen with the aim to establish a new independent professional organisation of chefs.

Part two B - Contributions by John Miller and extracts from various minutes

That meeting was held on 9th June 1974 at a meeting convened at the Veneto Club in Bulleen, Victoria.

Those present and therefore the foundation members of the first independent chefs organisation in Australia as recorded in the minutes were : H.Kahn, F.deKoning, J.Miller, A.Bailey, H.Billen, D.Sanders, F.Hurley, F.Wilson, J.Giblett, G.Miolo, R.Sass, G.Renard, M.Grainger, B.McArdie, B.Lawes, K.Byron, S.Hoadley, K.Barnes, B.Dignam, B.Innis, L.Browne, M.Costa, C.Duncan, A.Chenevier, S,Brooks, Taylor, R.Tormey,G.Hill, G.Magris, G.Kinsces, H.Rasmussen, J.Legge, C.Freeman, D.Godhino, K.Douse.

There were some apologies but they are not recorded in the minutes.

It was the first meeting to discuss the formation of a guild of cooks and to break away from the previous Australian Guild of Chefs division which was part of the Catering Institute of Australia.

It was explained to the group that there had been considerable dissatisfaction with the previous arrangements, hence the convening of this meeting to start an autonomous chefs organisation with the guild being headquartered in the State of Victoria.

Of the many decisions made at this meeting the main one was to call the new group The “Australasian Guild of Professional Cooks” thus removing the word "Chef" as it was felt that all who would be members were cooks and not necessarily chefs or persons in charge of a kitchen. Whilst many would through hard work and promotions eventually aspire to being chefs.

The name change was a sound decision for within the first twelve months there were more members in the guild than in the previous membership.

In fact over the next few years the membership soon rose to hundreds with many being apprentices not only in Victoria but in every State and Territory. As members moved around the records illustrated members in other parts of the world still keeping up their membership.

From those present at the foundation meeting a working party committee was formed and whilst it was rather large as so many wanted to be involved it was thought that eventually the numbers would become more realistic. This proved to be so. Many however returning to the committee from time to time as the guild settled down.

H.Kahn was elected the first President, F de Koning was Senior Vice President and J.Miller the Junior Vice President. A.Bailey and H.Billen made up the Secretariat, D.Sanders and G.Hill took on the responsibly of the Treasury and R.Tormey and G.Hill were responsible for the Registrar duties.

Public relations were in the hands of S.Taylor and S.Brooks and A.Chenevier concentrated on the overseas relations. C.Duncan,R.Tormey,M.Costa looked after the social events and L.Browne was to be the editor of the Culinary times and of course kept the flag flying.

B.Innis from Geelong became the country correspondent, G.Kinsces,C.Magris,J.Hurley,F.Wilson, B.McArdle,B.Lawes, K.Byron, G.Renard, and S.Hoadley made up the committee.

The apprentices: B.Digham, H.Rasmussen, C.Freeman,and K.Barnes were responsible for apprentice matters.

As time went by it was necessary to reduce the numbers on the committee, but this was accommodated at the first Annual General Meeting when all members were able to vote.

The setting up of an executive and a number of portfolios set in train a more workable committee.

At the first annual general meeting in December 1974 the number of members had risen to 166 which was very heartening to the foundation members and indicated a need for such an organisation for cooks in Victoria. Two members of high standing Messrs Chenevier and Surwald were made Hon.Life members for their contributions to the trade of cookery.

Contact was made with the World Association of Cooks Society and in due course the A.G.P.C. was recognised as a member of "WACS". Australia becoming the second country to have two memberships of the world association along with the U.S.A. As time went by the membership was handed over to the body covering all the cooks associations in Australia which is now the Australian Culinary Federation {ACF} In October of 1974 the very first major social event that was a chefs gala dinner and was a very successful event with over 400 in attendance

Extracts from Minutes since :

October 1976 Minute books shows a membership of 250

October 1976. The first IPC exhibition (Salonculinaire) was to be held at the Hilton Hotel. The rules were written and the exhibition entries and entries managed by D.Saunders and G. Hill

January 1977 His Excellency the Governor, The Honourable Sir Henry Winneke, K.C.M.G.,O.B.E.,K.St. J., ,Q.C. became the Patron of The Australasian Guild of Professional Cooks. - Mrs Inga Walters was the first of many ladies to join the committee followed by Mrs Kath Baulch and Mrs Leah Hoyle who was also later in AGPC history going to be elected President.

December 1977 a sub-committe was formed with F.de Koning G.Hill, S.Taylor and John to start to prepare for the 1980 Culinary Olympics.

February 1978 Guild membership had reached 400.

This fact meant that serious discussions had to be entered into with the registration of the guild as a limited company. A subcommittee of F. Dekoning, J. Miller and G. Hill were asked to develop the inaugural framework of a constitution, much which was done at William Angliss Institute on many evenings in an empty classroom.

August 1978 C.Galeazzi was appointed as the manager of The Australasian Guild of Professional Cooks Olympic Team for 1980. Team members included Chris Redmond Captain Members Ernst Stuhler - Gary Cowled - George Hill - Raymond Tormey

Late 1978 Sid Taylor met an untimely death. The Guild was to establish the S.T.M.B.H. (Black Hat Award)

February 1979 Mr R Sass became the Secretary

October 1979 Shows that the AGPC had 501 members

March 1980 a float in Moomba parade built around a Culinary Olympic promotion to assist in fund raising (was a huge success and on TV)

This is an example of some of the crazy initiatives that were implimented to raise funds.

The idea for project came from Gordon Rennard - Gordon obtained a large flat truck, obtained a open fired spit and a full carcuss of beef. Over the weekend in the driveway of George Hills house in the Basin, a team built the frame painted and decorated and completed the float and started the spit.

On the last night we worked all through to finish the float, which was quiet shaky, as it was literally put together with sheets of plywood and nails and painted green and gold and last put on the full beef carcass at about 4 AM.

Exhausted but happy, we put on a full cooks uniform and nervously drove to join in the Moomba parade.

Rightly so, the council had refused our request to sell the cooked meat (The original idea). (At the time we thought that decision was not right)

The funny thing after the parade, we drove home and along the Maroondah highway and the float started to fall apart and we had to stop many times to pick up sheets of wood while being followed by a pack of dogs bounding along behind us . Never laughed more in my whole life.

October 1980.The AGPC became an incorporated body. Mallesons [now Stephen, Jacques and Mallesons]became the company solicitors

October 1980 The first meeting of the Australasian Guild Of Professional Cooks Limited was conducted at William Angliss College - Len Collins become President.

October 1983 G Hill became President - membership over 650

March 1985 A subcommittee formed to look at a formation of an Australian wide umbrella association to include all Australian Cooks Guilds J Miller chaired.

During the period 1974 and 1986 independent cooks and chefs guilds were formed in every state in Australia.

Extracted from "ASCCA News" State Library of Victoria

The next development was the formation of the “Australian Society of Chefs and Cooks Associations” which was the amalgamation of all cooks guilds across Australia into a Federation to manage national initiatives. ASCCA was formed in Sydney on 29th June, 1986. At the time of formation it did not have a constitution. Four months later, in October, it was incorporated in the state of Victoria. In the four months prior to incorporation the office bearers and committee agreed on the purposes for which the proposed association was to be established which are as follows:

1. To enter national culinary teams in selected international culinary competitions, including the Culinary Olympics held in Frankfurt every fourth year.

2. To co-ordinate, administer, receive and bank all funds raised via sponsorships and other fund-raising activities for overseas international competitions on behalf of all states and territories, including competitors' and spectators' entry fees and fees for services rendered.

3. To expend funds accumulated from sponsorships and other fund-raising activities by providing logistic and financial support for culinary teams or individuals, selected by the officers of ASCCA Incorporated from a listing of chefs, cooks and apprentices nominated by affiliated state associations.

4. To allow the wearing of the registered ASCCA logo on uniforms or the displaying of the ASCCA logo for promotions by fully paid up affiliated organisations and/or the displaying of the ASCCA logo by selected sponsors.

5. To allow the committee of ASCCA to employ contract or session labour as required to satisfy the demands of their office, providing approval has been given by the full committee prior to actual commitment of funds.

6. To allow the committee of ASCCA to award trophies and prizes to competitors and sponsors for national and international culinary competitions organized and controlled through ASCCA in Australia.

7. To offer or present curriculum advice or proposals to educational institutions nationally.

8. To nominate a well known identity to the honoured position of Patron.

9. To, in the unlikely event of the collapse of ASCCA as a viable society, pay each financial affiliated association or sponsor the actual amount of money credited to their current account, less necessary administrative expenses involved to do so and committed funds.

10. To ensure that non-financial affiliated associations do not make use of the registered logo or compete under the ASCCA banner in international or national culinary competitions. (World Association of Cooks Societies approved competitions will only accept nominations from ASCCA).

11. To do all such other things that is incidental or conducive to the attainment of the purposes and exercise of the powers of ASCCA Incorporated. To eliminate costly legal expenses, it was decided by the Board and committee members to accept the

"Model Rules for an Incorporated Association “provided by the State Government of Victoria. They are, of course, legally binding on ASCCA.

A full history of ASCCA initiatives may be seen in the archived ASCCA News held in the state library of Victoria ASCCA

Information extracted from Vol 1 Issue 1 ASCCA News

ASCCA became the Australian member of the World Association of Cooks Societies which is the governing body of the World Culinary Olympics and international competitions amongst other activities.

ASCCA became the umbrella organisation representing four professional cooks' and chefs' organisations:

• Association of Professional Chefs and Cooks (APCC) NSW
• Australasian Guild of Professional Cooks Ltd (AGPC) VIC
• Catering Institute of Australia Guild of Cooks (CIA-GC) NSW
• Professional Chefs and Cooks Association of Queensland (PCCAQ) QLD

The umbrella organisation was formed at the inaugural meeting held in Sydney during the 1986 Catering Exhibition. It was agreed that the presiding president of each affiliated organisation be automatically appointed as an ordinary

member of the ASCCA committee. This action was taken to ensure accurate and direct reporting back to each affiliated organisation.
The inaugural elected office bearers were:
Keith Byron President ASCCA
Celso Galeazzi Vice President ASCCA
Peter Kalucy Secretary ASCCA
Kurt Fredriksen Treasurer ASCCA
Tom McConnell Fund Co-ordinator ASCCA
Committee members:
Leah Hoyle President AGPC
Ruth Scherer President APCC
Chris Alexiou President CIA-GC
Jim Sawyer President PCCAQ

AGPC - ACH Victoria Presidents over the years - To be added

95 - 96 Ernst Schwab

96 - 97 Anthony Leonard

98 - 99 2000 Robert Ford

2001 - 2002 Paul Moore

2002 - 2003 Andrew Goldfinch

2003 - 2004 Jane Glasier

2004 - 2005 Gary Farrell

2005 - 2006 Steve Bennett

2006- ..... To be continued