Where to buy Cast Iron in Australia

[shalmanese]

I have been looking nearly everywhere for it but it seems almost impossible to find any cast iron skillets in Australia.

Amazon refuse to ship and an online store than could ship wanted to charge me $70US so it needs to be somewhere local. Why is it that Australians have an aversion to cast iron?

btw: I'm referring to non-enamelled cast iron. Le Crueset can be bought fairly easily.

 

[Hobbsy]

Shalmanese,
one place to find cast iron cookware is at a camping store. It is about the only place in Australia where I have seen non enamelled cookware. They often have fry pans, skillets and sometimes small saucepans.

Regards,
Hobbsy

 

[LMJ]

Check out hardware stores.

 

[shalmanese]

grr... does anyone have a reason WHY Australia doesn't like cast iron? I guess I'll have to budget a days time hunting down camping stores in my area.

 

[-DEADLY SUSHI-]

Long ago, cast iron was very popular in Australia. That is until the pieces began disapearing! The smell of cooked wild grasses and shrubs permeated the air. People were thinking there HAD to be a connection! But nothing surfaced. But then, it was reported that Wallaroo, also known as Macropus robustus, were busting down doors and and breaking windows of spice shops. http://www.oaklandzoo.org/atoz/azwalaro.html
After awhile the locals decided to venture out and capture a glimpse of these animals to try to figure out the mystery. When they did, they saw the Wallaroo, 5 to 8 of them in a group cooking in their cast iron pots! Well the town folks decided to take back their cast iron! But the Wallaroo, unbenownsted to the people, had also stolen riffles!
It was one of the bloodiest wars in Australia! 5 million men and women died along with 850 Wallaroo (they were great marksmen... and they jump... really high....). After that, the people of Australia vowed never to import or make cast iron pots and pans again! :roll:
But as of 2 months ago quiche pans have been disappearing at an alarming rate!!!

So.... thats why its VERY hard to find cast iron in Australia.

 

[lindatooo]

Oh Sushi! Thank you for clearing up yet another mystery of life!

 

[LMJ]

*dies laughing*

 

[kyles]

I love Sushi's story, that's just wonderful! I'd never even heard of a wallaroo and I lived in Australia for 30 years!

I think the cast iron might be a bit of a cultural cringe thing. Aussies tend to be a bit susceptible to shunning items that are old fashioned, eschewing them for the trendiest thing available. For example, the white enamel plates and bowls and cups that bushies used to use, and pie dishes in the same material - these have become as rare as hens teeth, again only really obtainable in camping stores.

You can certainly buy cast iron easily (and surprisingly cheaply) in camping stores, as previously suggested. I used to get mine in Allgoods in Launceston.. (Wallaroos don't live in Tasmania, so don't worry you are quite safe)

 

[Clouds]

Hi shalmanese,

You can buy cast iron pans and grills online from an Australian site:

http://www.grangerscampingworld.com

They are a camping store based in Victoria.