The Italian legacy in Australia's cheese industry is a story of hard work, tradition, and a love for the craft. John Interlandi, a great-grandfather who is still making cheese at 90, embodies this legacy. But it's not just about the cheese; it's about the journey of Italian migrants who brought their culinary traditions to Australia, shaping the country's food culture. But here's where it gets controversial...
Italian migrants initially came to Australia in the mid-1800s as woodcutters and coal miners, but it was after World War II that a significant wave of agricultural laborers settled in Gippsland, primarily as potato and dairy farmers. This is where John Interlandi's story begins. His father, an Italian migrant, came to Australia in the late 1920s, seeking a better life. Together with two other Italians he met on the ship, they bought, shared, cleared, and cultivated 121 hectares of bushy land. And this is the part most people miss...
The Interlandi family's dairy farm in the Strzelecki ranges became a hub for the local Italian community. John Interlandi grew up learning the family trade, and after his father's death, he continued making cheese to support his family. He supplied delicatessens and the local migrant community with his 'fancy cheese,' a term used to describe any cheese that wasn't cheddar until the 1950s. But what if I told you that the term 'fancy cheese' was actually a way to describe Italian cheeses that were not popular at the time? It's a fascinating insight into the history of food in Australia.
The growing European migrant population in Australia sought continental cheeses like pecorino and parmesan for their pasta. This demand led to a change in attitudes towards Italian cheese. As espresso bars opened across Melbourne, a more romanticized image of Italians as Vespa-riding fashionistas took hold. The Interlandi family's Europa Cheese, established in the 1960s, became a symbol of this changing landscape. They sold mainly wheels of pecorino and parmesan, and by the 1990s, the company was producing up to 4 tonnes of cheese each week, distributing to all states except Tasmania.
Today, the slow food movement has seen a resurgence of interest in local, homemade foods, and Italian-inspired living. John Interlandi, despite selling the Europa brand in 2025, still has a passion for the slow art of cheesemaking. He believes in the satisfaction of creating a perfect cheese, and even at 90, he is still chasing that perfect flavor. So, what do you think? Do you agree with John Interlandi's passion for the perfect cheese? Or do you have a different perspective on the Italian legacy in Australia's cheese industry? Share your thoughts in the comments!
