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The National Portrait Gallery acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of Country throughout Australia and recognises the continuing connection to lands, waters and communities. We pay our respect to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures and to Elders both past and present.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander viewers are warned that this website contains images of deceased persons.

Gay Bilson, 2004

by Peter Fisher

Gay Bilson, 2004

colour photograph
Courtesy of Peter Fisher Photography

For several decades, lauded as Australia’s most influential food thinker and practitioner, Gay Bilson moved from Melbourne to Sydney with Tony Bilson and opened Bon Gout in Surry Hills in 1973. When their daughter became ill they moved out of the city finding the rundown café which became the groundbreaking Berowra Waters Inn. In the 1970s when Travel + Leisure listed the 100 best restaurants in the world, there was only one in Australia – Berowra Waters Inn. 30 kms north of Sydney devoted patrons made the pilgrimage until it closed in 1995, Bilson then taking over Bennelong Restaurant at the Sydney Opera House. Berowra Waters Inn was also a training ground, producing among others – Anders Ousback, Sean Moran, Liz Nolan. Bilson now lives in the McLaren Vale district where she writes, gardens and cooks for friends. She recently published Plenty, a collection of essays.

Masters of Fare
(More information, View all 23 images)

The Mirka Café (now Bistrot Balzac) 1954 (Frenchman Jean Sablon opens Mirka Café, with Mirka Mora centre in dark dress, with friends and Athol Shmith’s wife Bambi in the window)
Luigi Coluzzi Snr (and friends)
Kurma dasa
Len Evans

Related information

Margaret Fulton
Margaret Fulton
Margaret Fulton
Margaret Fulton

Masters of Fare

Chefs, winemakers, providores

Previous exhibition, 2004

Masters of fare: chefs, winemakers, providores celebrates men and women who have championed the unique culinary characteristics and produce of Australia, enriching our lives with new ideas and new flavours over the past forty years.
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The National Portrait Gallery acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of Country throughout Australia and recognises the continuing connection to lands, waters and communities. We pay our respect to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures and to Elders past and present. We respectfully advise that this site includes works by, images of, names of, voices of and references to deceased people.

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