Gusto! A culinary history of Victoria

Savour the rich culinary history of Victoria in this free exhibition, featuring gastronomic treasures from our collections – from the first Australian cookbook, published in 1864, to an actual World War I army biscuit.

Gusto! explores Victoria's historic and contemporary culinary landscape, covering subjects such as the history of viticulture, Indigenous foods, sustainable food practices, fine dining and food rationing, and also features the fascinating stories of significant Victorian culinary figures including Jacques Reymond, Rita Erlich, Guy Grossi and Stephanie Alexander.

The exhibition is complemented by a full program of events and activities.

Companion card accepted at State Library of Victoria events.

Gusto! is a free exhibition, open daily 10am–5pm and until 9pm Thursdays.

We want your feedback!

We're planning the Library's future and we'd like to hear your ideas. Have your say now.

Image gallery

View our Gusto! image gallery for a taste of the exhibition.

Videos

Watch interviews with Guy Grossi, Rita Erlich, Jacques Reymond and other Victorian food identities in the videos at the bottom of this page.

Education resources

Our 'Gusto!' teaching materials for teachers include curriculum-based inquiry units and activities. We also offer exhibition-related programs for school groups visiting the Library.