The legendary barbecue culture of Australia
First of all, wherever you go in this country, there’s a free BBQ nearby.
If you think I’m exaggerating here, you’re mistaken. We’ve just returned home from a remote campground that had no drinking water, flush toilets, or electricity, yet it did have a picnic shelter with a free gas BBQ. This alone shows how important barbecues are to Aussies, and sure enough, they have a shortened word for it: 'barbie' (I’m still serious—how could I take this topic lightly?).
And if there’s a BBQ at a campground in the midst of the rainforest, you can bet there are plenty of them in city and town parks. When we first visited Australia about seven years ago, I remember how unsure we were about whether anyone could simply use those nicely cleaned electric BBQs we saw everywhere. It was obvious that they could. They were in public parks, groups of people would arrive, use them, clean up afterward, and leave them ready for the next group to enjoy.
But the concept of a free BBQ was completely foreign to us. Because let me emphasize each feature again: public, free and clean! In the country where I grew up, there aren’t even public, free, and clean toilets. The same goes for most of the Central European countries we’ve traveled through, where finding suitable toilets while sightseeing was always a challenge. We saw really nice public picnic areas and well-maintained public toilets in North America, but we’ve never seen free BBQs anywhere in the world before—and that’s still true today.
I’ve grown somewhat used to them by now, but it still amazes me that if I step outside onto the street where we live, there’s a free electric BBQ in the small park just across from us. It’s not a centrally located park or a national park, just a tiny suburban park with a few trees, a swing and a slide—and a BBQ. Then there’s another one a five-minute walk from our home at the ‘big playground’. And if we drive down to the closest bayside park, it’s dotted with BBQs and picnic tables. I can count at least 5 BBQ ‘stations’ in my head, each with 2-3 BBQ plates.
Do people actually use them, you ask. And is there really a demand for that many? The answer to both questions is a resounding yes. BBQs are an essential part of Australian life, and you’ll likely see them occupied on weekends. Families and friends gather around the BBQs, frying sausages, beef burgers, steaks or veggies, while talking, laughing and relaxing in their picnic chairs.
These public BBQs are the heart of big gatherings and are buzzing with activity throughout weekends and holidays. It’s also quite common to host birthday parties or anniversaries in the parks, preparing the food on the (public) BBQ and eating at the (public) picnic tables. Since it’s not possible to reserve them, you better arrive early. However, unlike picnic tables, BBQs can’t be occupied for more than 30-40 minutes and must be left clean after use. And people do clean them, which I find just as astonishing as the existence of free BBQs in the first place.
Many of these BBQs have a roof which means protection both against the sun or a heavy downpour. Supermarkets have a separate section for ‘BBQ meats’, as well as oil spray bottles and different kinds of BBQ sauces. Yes, spraying oil is more practical than using your regular bottle of oil for a BBQ, as we learned along with many others things Australia has taught us.
Granted, Australia has a climate that makes this type of outdoor gatherings not only possible but also enjoyable any time of the year. Aussies certainly make the most of it, and we’ve happily joined in too. One of our favorite things about life in Australia is how much of it revolves around the outdoors, and the barbecue culture is a typical part of that.
Oh, and sometimes you share the facilities with wildlife. :)
