King Island - the best Australian Cheeses

King Island is situated south of Melbourne at the Western end of Bass Strait. This tiny speck in the Great Southern Ocean is among the few remains of the land bridge that once linked Tasmania to the Australian mainland.

The Island's European origins are rooted in the sealing trade of the early 1800’s and the population was later boosted by the post war soldier re-settlement schemes. There are now fewer than 2000 people on the island earning livelihoods from fishing, kelp harvesting, beef, wool production and the most renowned industry on King Island – Dairying.

King Island is an idyllic spot on a fine day, but the "Roaring Forties" can turn paradise into purgatory. The wild westerly winds and mountainous seas have contributed to King Island’s history, with hundreds of lives lost on shipwrecks on its rocky coast.

It was these very tragedies, legend says, that gave King Island a unique quality which survives today. Local legend has it that straw mattresses, containing dried grass seeds, floated ashore from the many shipwrecks. The seeds germinated in the rich soils of the Island creating the lush pastures that are the foundation of the King Island Dairy industry. For almost a century the dairy herds on King Island have grazed on these unique pastures, supplementing their diet occasionally with a feed of kelp washed ashore after heavy storms.

When compared to the 3 million dairy cows in Australia, those of King Island are perhaps the most fortunate. Their home is a haven – pollution and chemical free. The quality of the pasture and the clean environment, combined with a year round growing season, enable the dairy farmers on King Island to practice traditional methods. There is no need for the feed supplements and stock growth additives that others must rely on.

It all adds up to perfection, with the cows of King Island reputed to produce the sweetest milk in the land. From this milk comes a range of dairy products acknowledged throughout Australia and rapidly winning the same sort of reputation in the international market place.

Today the milk is collected from 25 dairy farms around the island and transformed into the famous range of dairy products.