Peter Russell-Clarke
Australian chef, author and illustrator (1935–2025)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Peter Russell-Clarke (19 September 1935 – 4 July 2025) was an Australian chef, restaurateur, cookbook author and illustrator, artist, cartoonist, television presenter and media personality.
- Chef
- author
- cartoonist
- television personality
Peter Russell-Clarke | |
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| Born | 19 September 1935 Ballarat, Victoria, Australia |
| Died | 4 July 2025 (aged 89) Melbourne, Australia |
| Occupations |
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Russell-Clarke was known for his television program Come and Get It and his rogue down-to-earth "Aussie larrikin" charm and his trademark catchphrases including "G'day", "Rippers". "You beaut" and "Where's the cheese?" He had been a food ambassador to the United Nations.[1]
Life and career
Peter Russell-Clarke was born in Ballarat on 19 September 1935.[2] He was generally considered Australia's first celebrity chef, known principally through his television cooking shows. He hosted a five-minute television show called Come and Get It which aired on the Australian Broadcasting Corporation for nine years during the 1980s, broadcasting over 900 episodes.[3] He frequently used the Australian greeting "G'day" at the start of segments of Come and Get It.[4] He authored and published around 35 cookbooks and books about food. He also illustrated several books, including works of fiction for children.,[5] as well as being a food consultant for numerous magazines including New Idea and Woman's Day.[6]
Russell-Clarke was an accomplished painter, and began his career as a freelance cartoonist, he created political cartoons and the comic strip Ben Bowyang for The Herald in Melbourne.[4][7][8]
From 1975 to 1979, Russell-Clarke was the spokesman for campaigns on behalf of the Victorian Egg Board and the Australian Dairy Corporation. Victorian egg sales rose 5% in three years. [dead link][7]
Clarke died after complications from a stroke in Melbourne, Australia, on 4 July 2025, at the age of 89.[9]
Selected publications
- New Idea Cookbook (Southdown Press) ISBN 0-86860-280-9[10]
- The Awful Australian 'arry (John Walker Publications, 1969) (by Robert King Crawford; illustrated by Peter Russell-Clarke)[11]
- The World is Flat: An Authentic Misrepresentation of Australian History (1972) ISBN 0-9599084-0-4 (by Robert King Crawford; illustrated by Peter Russell-Clarke)[12]
- Getting Across: A Guide to Good Speaking and Writing (Edward Arnold [Australia], 1978) OCLC 27558507 (by Maurice Brown; drawings by Peter Russell-Clarke)[13]
- Peter Russell-Clarke's Egg Cook Book (Schwartz, 1979) ISBN 0-86753-000-6[14]
- Peter Russell-Clarke's Come and Get It Cookbook: The Book of the TV Series (Macmillan, 1984) ISBN 0-333-38035-5[15]
- Peter Russell-Clarke's Freshwater Trout Cookbook (Pan Macmillan Australia, January 1985)[16]
- Peter Russell-Clarke's Honey Cookbook (Sun Papermac, 1985) ISBN 0-7251-0477-5[17]
- Come and Get it Again: More Fresh and Easy Recipes From the TV Show (Australian Broadcasting Commission, January 1987) ISBN 0-642-53068-8[18]
- Food, the Dictionary (Sun Books, 1985) ISBN 0-7251-0500-3 (written and illustrated by Peter Russell-Clarke)[19]
- Aussie Outdoor Cookbook: In Association with the Australian Red Cross (Lothian, 1998) ISBN 0-85091-939-8[20]
- Pie of the Day (Lothian Books, October 1998) ISBN 0-85091-882-0[21]
- The Magic of Lemons (Information Australia, 2000) ISBN 1-86350-343-9[22]
- Magic of Olive Oil (Information Australia, 2001) ISBN 1-86350-363-3[23]
- Food Encyclopedia: Everything You Need to Know About Every Food (BAS Publishing, December 2005) ISBN 1-920910-65-4[24]
- The Adventures of Harry Lombard: The Magic Suitcase (Jellisen Publishing Australia, 2005) ISBN 0-9758133-0-7 (by Michael Krape; drawings by Peter Russell-Clarke)[25]
- Waltzing Matilda (Alto Books, 2008) ISBN 978-0-9804914-9-4 (by A.B. Banjo Paterson; illustrator, Peter Russell-Clarke)[26]