The story
Lamingtons take their name from Lord Lamington, governor of Queensland from 1896 to 1901, or perhaps from Lady Lamington. The most popular story credits Armand Galland, the French chef at Government House in Brisbane, who is said to have dipped leftover sponge in chocolate and coconut to feed a crowd of guests. Others place the moment at Harlaxton House in Toowoomba, a retreat used by the vice-regal couple. The first known recipe appeared in Queensland Country Life in December 1900, and the little cakes soon became a fixture of Australian fundraising drives.
Rival claims
Toowoomba also claims it, since the Lamingtons used Harlaxton House there as a retreat, and the cook may have been the French chef Armand Galland or someone else on the vice-regal staff. A 2014 claim that New Zealand invented them as 'Wellingtons' was an April Fools' hoax.
Also known as lamingtons, lamington cake.
On the Meridish menu
Lamington was the dessert course on menu No. 10 on October 10, 2026. Its clue in the game, which hints at the place without naming it:
Sponge squares dipped in chocolate and rolled in coconut, named after a 19th-century governor of this state.
In Meridish, every dish is pinned to the town or city most widely credited with creating it. A guess within 25 km scores all 100 points. How scoring works.
Sources
- slq.qld.gov.au/blog/who-invented-lamington-answers-may-surprise-you
- goodfood.com.au/goodfood/the-history-of-the-lamington-an-australian-icon-20171219-h07f36.html
- ogh.qut.edu.au/history/house-bites/house-bites2/battle-of-the-lamington
- en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lamington
Food history is often disputed. Think we've pinned it in the wrong place? Tell us at hello@meridish.com, ideally with a source.
