Whatchamacallit Episode 2: Mark Olive

An Aboriginal experience up close and personal is unlike anything you have experienced, but before you pack your bags to plant your feet in the desert sands or take the plunge in the clear blue waters of our coastline. Join the Welcome to Country community and take a front seat as we feature some of our most loved artists, change-makers and cultural connoisseurs. We find out what makes them tick and why they are so driven.

Name: Mark Olive    |   Occupation: Chef, filmmaker, author, and restauranteur  |    Nation: Bundjalung.   |  Date: 12 December 2021       

The Whale, Eagle and Lyrebird are some of the totemic ancestors for the Clans of the Dharawal, their territories included the, O ’Hares and Stokes Creeks. Creating the headwaters of the Georges River across the Woronora Plateau west to Appin, south to Wollongong and the northern shores of the Shoalhaven River.

It was on this land that Mark Olive grew up, with the lack of employment for his people. The Bundjalung of northern NSW have a strong work ethic and a desire to maintain an economic independent way of life. Away from the segregated missions and imposed curfews, this drove many families to seek work in large industrial areas across NSW.

Mark Olive (aka ‘The Black Olive’) is one of Australis First Indigenous Five-star chefs and he has a global following with his The Outback Cafe series. Pioneering the use of native foods in fine Cuisine.

The restaurant Dabpeto -meaning water plenty -is the original name for Daptop. Many know of this town for greyhound racing but with the opening Dabpeto, one of the few Aboriginal run restaurants, providing local employment, Mark had big dreams, Covid hit, and life has been very different for Mark but the passion for fusing native food and culture with contemporary lifestyle cooking is growing. He wants every Australian to experience what we have that is so unique, and don’t get him started on superfoods.

Join us for Whatchamacallit and catch a little of his knowledge, humour and enthusiasm, it is contagious.

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