Geraldine Dillon facts for kids
Geraldine Anne Dillon (1936-2020) was a famous Australian cooking expert. She taught people how to cook on TV and radio in Australia during the 1960s and 1970s. Geraldine also wrote many recipe books and newspaper articles about food.
Geraldine Dillon's Life and Career
Geraldine Dillon was born in Melbourne, Australia, on January 3, 1936. Her father, John Dillon, worked for the government. He later became the head of a government department and then the first Ombudsman for Victoria, which is like a public helper who investigates complaints.
Learning to Cook
Geraldine loved cooking from a young age. She studied at the Emily McPherson College of Domestic Economy in Melbourne. In 1959, she traveled to London, England, to learn even more. She took an advanced cooking course at the famous Cordon Bleu School.
TV and Radio Star
When Geraldine returned to Australia in 1960, she quickly became a TV star.
- She helped her London teacher, Muriel Downes, with a TV cooking show called Cordon Bleu Kitchen.
- Soon after, she joined the GTV9 channel. She presented short cooking tips on a show called Thursday at One.
Later in 1960, Geraldine got her own longer cooking show called Fun With Food. This popular show was on every weekday from 1960 until 1971! After Fun With Food ended, she started a new show called TV Kitchen. This show was sponsored by The Australian Women's Weekly magazine and was shown all over Australia from 1971 to 1976.
Geraldine also shared her cooking tips on the radio. For many years, she had a cooking segment on the Melbourne radio station 3AK.
Writing and Teaching
Besides her TV and radio work, Geraldine Dillon was a talented writer. She wrote newspaper columns about food for The Age and later for The Herald newspapers in Melbourne. She also wrote several cooking books.
She was often asked to be a judge at cooking competitions. Later in her career, Geraldine opened two cooking schools. She even led special international trips for people who loved gourmet food.
Geraldine Dillon passed away on August 26, 2020. She was a true pioneer in Australian culinary media, teaching and inspiring many people to cook delicious food.
