When we were young parents, living in Outback mining towns, our main social groups were mining industry colleagues of Mike’s and their wives, plus people in our sporting clubs. Like lots of Aussies today, we’d often BBQ on weekends at someone’s home, gather in some park or go out into the bush, so the kids could run themselves ragged in the fresh air. At other times we’d all get babysitters and gather around someone’s BBQ for a night of conviviality and uninterrupted adult conversation.
Either way, people usually brought their own meat unless instructed not to; it was all cooked together and everyone felt free to eat whatever was on the platter no matter who brought it. Rump steak or t-bones were popular, and sausages or ‘snags’ mandatory but probably supplied by the host. When we lived in Mt. Isa, Far North Queensland (1977-81) I remember someone indignantly complaining to me next day how someone had brought lamb chops, not beef, to their BBQ. Quel horreur! In the huge beef producing state of Queensland, in those days at least, ‘meat’ meant beef, and in some parts of that state lamb was not considered appropriate to take to a BBQ. Try this for an enjoyable read about Australian BBQs and what is typically served wherever you are. Some current etiquette for the Pommie newcomer or visitor, is here The West Australian, dated 2017 and I think people from other countries would find it helpful, too.
Personally I think lamb chump chops are the best and most versatile chops. ( I just learned here where those come from ) They’re marvellous on the BBQ, better than rib ones, in my opinion, and as kids we liked nothing better than to take a chop and a sausage, some bread and butter, S&P, and a box of matches, and head off out along the beach or into the bush for whatever adventure we were doing that day. When we got hungry we’d light a fire, skewer the chops and sausages on green branches, and cook them over the camp fire. This was a winter school holidays activity, when the Tasmanian bush was damp and green, with most rain falling in Tasmania between late April and September. In late spring and the summer months, outdoor fire bans cover most of Australia, meaning you can’t light any kind of fire out in the open; and indeed because of the danger of flying sparks, I wouldn’t even light one inside a house in a fireplace, either. As I write, Australia is suffering horrendous bushfires in areas that have totally dried out due to the severe drought in many regions. Fires are burning in areas that have never burned in recorded bushfire history. “Unprecedented” and “catastrophic” are words Aussies are hearing daily, and it is pretty scary this year.
I remember one year, at Greens Beach with a group of 8 or 9 friends walking along the beach to a distant point to picnic, swim and sunbake. We were all old enough to know better, but with a wind blowing which we failed to take into account, we lit a fire to cook our meat. In a flash the fire escaped into the nearby low scrubby vegetation, and we frantically grabbed our beach towels to successfully beat the flames out. It was a very close call, and a nearby farm was not burned to the ground that day! Our panic subsided, but we all felt subdued and suitably chastened. Though no one commented on our return, I’m sure someone must have noticed the smoke, and I think of this every time I read or hear of bushfires.