Pavlova Wars

The series Public History Cooked, explores several historical foods across space and time. From 18th-century recipes to nation-defining snacks, join us in learning how to make several delicious dishes and taking a deeper look into the complex world of culinary history. Let’s get cooking. At IFPH Explorers, our internship program is more than a training space—it is a collaborative platform where students actively contribute to the production and dissemination of public history. Through their research, creativity, and commitment, our interns play a vital role in shaping the conversations we foster across global audiences. We are excited to launch this new series as part of our ongoing efforts to highlight the intersection between public history and everyday life, and to showcase the meaningful contributions of our interns. This episode is titled Deconstructing the Pavlova Wars. The dessert pavlova has fuelled a decade-long feud between Australia and New Zealand. In this video, we are going to examine the history of that war and learn how to bake this delicious meringue cake, inspired by the world-renowned ballerina Anna Pavlova. About the creator: Lily Kelly-Clark is a Bachelor of Archaeology student at Macquarie University and an IFPH Explorers intern. She has been studying history and volunteering at historical and cultural events for half a decade. She also enjoys baking and cooking, particularly experimenting with historical recipes as a way to experience the foodways and domestic lives of people in the past. References: Video Description Box Texts: Davis Gelatine. (1938). Mets délicieux Davis (8th ed., pp. 1–71). Davis Gelatine. (Original work published 1922) E. L. S. (1926, July 6). Anna Pavlova. Otago Witness, 3773, 27. Fisher, J. (2012). The swan brand: Reframing the legacy of Anna Pavlova. Dance Research Journal, 44(1), 51–67. https://doi.org/10.2307/23524557 Leach, H. M. (2010). The pavlova wars: How a creationist model of recipe origins led to an international dispute. Gastronomica, 10(2), 24–30. https://doi.org/10.1525/gfc.2010.10.2.24 Presbyterian Women's Missionary Union. (1989). The new P.W.M.U. cookbook (L. Connor, Ed.; 3rd ed., pp. 1–286). Lothian Children’s Books. (Original work published 1904) Symons, M. (2010). The confection of a nation: The social invention and social construction of the pavlova. Social Semiotics, 20(2), 197–217. https://doi.org/10.1080/1035033090356... Images: Crown Studios Ltd of Wellington. (1926). Anna Pavlova amongst the crowd, wearing fur coat & holding bouquet [Cellulosic Film Negative]. In National Library of New Zealand. https://natlib.govt.nz/records/223185... Davis Gelatine. (1938a). Front cover of mets délicieux Davis [Book Cover]. In Mets Délicieux Davis. https://archive.org/details/McGillLib... Davis Gelatine. (1938b). Pavlova [Illustration and Associated Text]. In Mets Délicieux Davis. https://archive.org/details/McGillLib... Presbyterian Women's Missionary Union. (1989a). Pavlova recipe [Photograph]. In The New P.W.M.U. Cookbook. Presbyterian Women's Missionary Union. (1989b). The new P.W.M.U. cookbook front cover. [Photograph]. In The New P.W.M.U. Cookbook. S P Andrew Ltd. (1926a). Anna Pavlova dancing. [Film Negative]. In National Library of New Zealand. https://natlib.govt.nz/records/227701... S P Andrew Ltd. (1926b). Anna Pavlova during her 1926 tour of New Zealand. [Film Negative]. In National Library of New Zealand. https://natlib.govt.nz/records/224570... Stanford, E. (1893). A chart of Australasia shewing the depth of the sea [Map]. In Australia and New Zealand. https://archive.org/details/australia... State Library of Western Australia. (n.d.). Interior and exterior views of the Esplanade Hotel, Perth collection; 009543D: Hotel and bowling green [Photograph]. In State Library of Western Australia. Retrieved May 29, 2026, from https://purl.slwa.wa.gov.au/slwa_b198.... Year: 1940-1950. Stuff Ltd. (1976). Sydneyside with Janet Parr: Pavlova controversy revived. [Print Newspaper]. In The Press. https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/new.... Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International. Stuff Ltd. (1977). Reporter’s diary: Export “pavs” [Print Newspaper]. In The Press. https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/new...