Join ‘Those Barossa Girls’ to celebrate the women who cooked a community into being
In 1917, in the thick of World War I, a group of visionary Tanunda women picked up their wooden spoons and set to work – not just in their kitchens, but for their community. They compiled The Barossa Cookery Book as a fundraiser to build the Tanunda Soldiers Memorial Hall, unknowingly creating one of Australia’s most enduring and culturally significant community cookbooks.
Over a century later, Those Barossa Girls – aka Sheralee Menz and Marieka Ashmore – have rolled up their own sleeves to honour that legacy.
Their newly released book, Rolling Up Their Sleeves, is a love letter to those original women, their recipes, their resilience, and the Barossa spirit they preserved on every page. Part social history, part cookbook, it reimagines classic recipes with metric measurements and modern instructions, while weaving in the powerful stories of the women who first shared them.
And now, as part of the Barossa Vintage Festival, you’ll be able to meet the women behind one of the most important community cookbooks in Australian history, through the eyes of the keepers carrying their work forward.
Learn how this iconic cookbook came to be, why it mattered so deeply then, and why it still matters now. Browse both the original Barossa Cookery Book and its beautifully crafted companion, Rolling Up Their Sleeves – both available to purchase at the event.
Since its launch in March, Rolling Up Their Sleeves has already found its way into kitchens across the country, sparking conversations about heritage, resilience, and the women who shaped the Barossa – one handwritten recipe at a time.
“It keeps the recipes and food stories of families in our community, and that makes it powerful,” says Sheralee.
So mark your calendars for April 24 – a chance to meet the women of 1917, the ones who rolled up their sleeves and stirred more than just cake batter, and to meet the modern-day keepers ensuring their legacy lives on.
Rolling Up Their Sleeves – Up Close and Personal
Where: St John’s Church Hall, Jane Place, Tanunda
When: Thursday April 24, 2pm – 4:30pm
Free event – No ticket required.
For more information, click here.
