The expression bring a plate is one that often confuses Australia’s new arrivals. There have been stories of folks turning up to a social event with empty dinner plates, surmising that the hosts don’t have enough crockery to cater for a crowd. How were they to know that the plate you bring is supposed to contain food to be shared with other guests?
It’s a tradition akin to the American potluck supper, originating in the early 20th century. Through the 1900s and 1910s, organisations as diverse as the Red Cross, the Boy Scouts and sporting clubs published notices in local papers advertising their social gatherings and fundraisers. Often, there was an entrance fee for gentlemen, while ladies were admitted free as long as they brought along something to eat. These requests were usually phrased as “Ladies please bring a plate of cakes”. Or sandwiches, refreshments, edibles or even”your daintiest provisions”.
By 1920, the request had been abbreviated, with the edibles part left understood. The Pingelly (WA) Tennis Club, after reminding players that the match against visiting Narrogin would commence at 1 pm sharp, advertised that:
Afternoon tea will be served in conjunction with the Cricket Club and lady members are requested to bring a plate.
Over the coming decades, it was always the ladies who were responsible for bringing plates. Except for the enlightened members of the Gnowangerup (WA) Repertory Club who, in 1954, invited all members to bring a plate before joining the cast of the latest production for supper.
The goodies that topped the proffered plates were generally of the finger food variety, suitable for an afternoon tea or buffet supper. Originally small cakes, scones and sandwiches, by the 1970s the offerings became more cosmopolitan. The Australian Women’s Weekly suggested Sweet and Sour Chicken Wings, Crab Mornay Rolls or Spinach and Feta Slice Pancakes.
Today, recipe sites are awash with bring-a-plate suggestions. Finger foods have become multicultural – from mini gozleme parcels to vegetarian quesadillas. And the bring a plate idea has extended to more substantial meals, including salads, side dishes or meaty things to pop on the barbecue. It’s a distinctively Australian (or maybe Australasian) custom, leaving people from many other cultures perplexed.
It’s not always an easy request to navigate. “Trying too hard” could be just as unacceptable as turning up with store-bought biscuits or a packet of potato chips. It’s almost a given that everyone will bring more food than they can consume themselves, leaving the host with many half-eaten platters of leftovers. Nonetheless, the tradition persists both here and across the Tasman. In her article The unspoken rules of ‘bring a plate’ – and how to know if you’re breaking them, New Zealand writer Nikki Birrell summed it up nicely:
Despite the pitfalls, “bring a plate” works – and that’s the real magic. It’s the kind of communal catering that reflects something deeply Kiwi [or, in our case, Aussie]: a light mistrust of hierarchy, a preference for group effort over grand hosting, and a comfort with the perfectly imperfect.
Exactly.