If you asked the question, 'What’s the best thing ever to come out of Dapto?', you’d likely get the name of a famous footy player, or a greyhound. As a former Dapto local myself, I’m nominating chef Mark Olive, who’s gone from cooking at home with his mum, godmother and aunties, to worldwide fame.
Mark’s achievements, over many decades, came to my attention when he was nominated recently for a Wollongong Citizen of the Year Award. His story is quite remarkable.
From The Farm to Sydney Opera House
Known affectionately as ‘The Black Olive’, this unstoppable force, both in and out of the kitchen, recently opened his own Indigenous restaurant, Midden by Mark Olive, in the western foyers of the Sydney Opera House. With apologies to Frank Sinatra, let’s face it, if you can make it there, you can pretty much make it anywhere. It’s certainly a far cry from his first venture dishing up snacks to surfies at Killalea (The Farm) Beach.
We were lucky enough to dine at Midden recently before catching a matinee performance upstairs. Mark’s produce-driven menu showcases native Aussie ingredients like wattle seed, bush honey, saltbush, and succulents.
Among the many menu highlights, there’s damper with native herbs and whipped eucalyptus butter, blue gum-smoked barramundi, and quandong-glazed chicken with warrigal seeds. I couldn’t go past the melt-in-your-mouth wallaby shanks braised in bush tomato and washed down with a refreshing eucalypt gin spritz.
But wait a minute. I digress. This story is about the remarkable life and career of Mark Olive not a foodie review.
From home cook to superstar
Starting out as an accomplished home cook as a teenager, Mark went on to train under a European chef to hone his skills. With plenty of years, experimentation and a growing following behind him, The Black Olive was encouraged to combine his culinary skills and charismatic style to take a shot at television, at a time when cooking shows were just taking off.
With Mark’s creative approach to food and his modern approach to ‘bush tucker’, he was soon starring in his own television series, The Outback Café on Foxtel. After a saucerful run on home soil, the show debuted internationally in several countries across Asia, and the chef from Dapto became a global phenomenon.
What followed has been a whirlwind ride. Mark has made regular guest appearances in the kitchens of some of the most successful cooking shows worldwide, and because of his unique brand of cooking, Mark has been asked to curate special menus for Tourism Australia’s promotions across the world, including in Hong Kong, France and the USA.
Among many career highlights, Mark was asked by international superstar Oprah to be her Australian Chef during her hugely successful 2011 visit to Australia, showcasing his cooking and Aboriginal culture to a global audience in the tens of millions.
His cookbook, Mark Olive’s Outback Café: A Taste of Australia, captures his modern recipes, beautiful photography and a whole swag of interesting stories, history and insights, not only into food but Aboriginal Australia.
An inspiring figure
Those who know Mark describe him as much more than a culinary master. He’s an inspiring figure for chefs and Indigenous communities not only in Australia but across the world.
Regardless of his success, Mark’s focus remains on inclusivity and outreach. Within his restaurants, Mark trains and employs young people, creating a pathway for them in the hospitality industry. Passing on tradition and education to the next generation remains one of his greatest passions.
In January, Lord Mayor Gordon Bradbery awarded Mark Olive a Highly Commended in the 'Wollongong to the World' category at our 2024 Citizen of the Year Awards. This category recognises an individual who is achieving great things nationally or internationally, helping put Wollongong on the big stage.
