Pavlova: Australia or New Zealand? the History Behind the Great Dessert Debate

Few desserts have caused as much friendly rivalry between Australia and New Zealand as the pavlova! Crispy on the outside, soft and marshmallow-like inside, topped with cream and fruit, it's a favourite on both sides of the Tasman.

But who actually invented it? We followed the historical evidence, and the answer is more complicated than a simple Australian-versus-New Zealand contest.

THE BALLERINA WHO INSPIRED A DESSERT

Anna Pavlova (1881–1931) was a celebrated Russian ballerina who toured Australia and New Zealand in 1926. Her name became associated with several sweet dishes, but the precise circumstances in which the famous meringue dessert acquired her name remain uncertain.

The popular story that a Wellington hotel chef invented pavlova during her visit is not conclusively established by contemporary evidence.

THE STORY BEGINS BEFORE THE NAME

Meringue cakes and desserts combining meringue, cream and fruit existed in Europe and elsewhere before the 1920s. Pavlova did not emerge from a culinary vacuum: it developed from older traditions.

That means we must distinguish between inventing the basic dessert, creating a particular recipe and naming a dish after the ballerina. These are three different historical questions.

1926: THE FIRST SURPRISE

An Australian edition of Davis Gelatine's Davis Dainty Dishes included a recipe called “Pavlova” in 1926. However, it was a layered jelly dessert, not the baked meringue cake we know today.

A New Zealand edition carried the jelly recipe in 1927. These publications demonstrate that the name was circulating early, but they do not establish the origin of the modern pavlova.

1927–1929: NEW ZEALAND'S STRONGEST EVIDENCE

New Zealand cookbooks published during the late 1920s contain meringue cakes resembling pavlova. The 1927 edition of Terrace Tested Recipes, for example, included Mrs McRae's “meringue cake”, although it did not call the dessert Pavlova.

In 1928, Dunedin cook Rose Rutherford was associated with small coffee-and-walnut meringues called pavlovas.

Then came a crucial documentary milestone. On 10 October 1929, the New Zealand Dairy Exporter Annual published a recipe called “Pavlova Cake”, submitted under the name “Festival”. It described a large meringue cake and is widely recognised by culinary historians as the earliest known published recipe for pavlova in its familiar form.

This gives New Zealand a strong claim based on surviving published evidence. It does not identify the original inventor, nor prove that every feature of today's recipe was already established.

1935: BERT SACHSE'S CLAIM

Australian chef Herbert “Bert” Sachse, associated with Perth's Esplanade Hotel, later claimed to have developed a pavlova in 1935.

His account was recorded in 1973, decades after the alleged event. According to the National Portrait Gallery's historical investigation, Sachse also said he had used a recipe clipped from New Zealand's Ladies' Mirror, dated 2 April 1935.

This does not rule out his contribution to the dessert's development. But it makes the claim that he independently invented pavlova from scratch difficult to sustain.

THE QUEENSLAND MYSTERY

There is another intriguing lead closer to home.

The State Library of Queensland holds a handwritten pavlova recipe in the Patricia Shannon recipe books, catalogued as dating from approximately 1880–1910.

Could it change the history?

Possibly, but we must be careful. The catalogue's date range applies to the manuscript collection; it does not, by itself, establish when that particular recipe was written. The page's dating, provenance and relationship to the modern dessert need further investigation.

It is a genuine archival lead, but not yet proof that Australia invented the modern pavlova.

SO, WHO GETS THE CREDIT?

The fairest conclusion is that New Zealand has the stronger documented claim to the early published meringue-cake pavlova.

Australia has an important place in the story, including the early jelly recipe and Sachse's later claim. Meanwhile, the Queensland manuscript remains an intriguing unresolved clue.

The exact inventor of the modern pavlova has not been conclusively established. The evidence points to an evolving dessert shaped by older culinary traditions, different recipes and cooks on both sides of the Tasman.

Perhaps the real lesson is that history, like pavlova, can be a little messy beneath the surface!

Now, over to you: are you Team Australia or Team New Zealand? Do you have an old family recipe or a story about how your family makes pavlova?

We'd love to hear your memories as we continue our journey of discovery through history. And whichever country gets the credit, surely we can all agree that there's always room for another slice!

SOURCES & FURTHER READING

Helen Leach / National Library of New Zealand — Karen Trebilcock, “Official — we had the world's first pavlova recipe” (2011). Discusses the original 1929 recipe and the early documentary record. https://natlib.govt.nz/records/22967935

National Portrait Gallery of Australia — Angus Trumble, “The Pavlova” (2014). Examines the competing origin stories, early recipes and Bert Sachse's claim. https://www.portrait.gov.au/aboutface/2014/12/the-pavlova

Te Ara — The Encyclopedia of New Zealand — “Cooking”. Summarises Helen Leach's findings and the 1929 recipe. https://teara.govt.nz/mi/cooking/print

State Library of Queensland — “Holiday menu sorted: a festive feast from our collections” (2023). Identifies the Patricia Shannon manuscript and its pavlova recipe. https://www.slq.qld.gov.au/blog/holiday-menu-sorted-festive-feast-our-collections

ABC News — “Settling the debate over whether Australia or New Zealand invented the pavlova” (23 June 2024). Investigates the national claims and the older culinary traditions. https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-06-23/settling-the-debate-over-who-invented-the-pavlova/103541682

Oxford Companion to Sugar and Sweets — Darra Goldstein, editor (Oxford University Press, 2015), “Pavlova”. Specialist reference on the dessert's history and competing recipes. https://app.ckbk.com/reference/swee13396c16s001e019

Image by Aline Ponce @ Pixabay