Face of Nation : Margaret Fulton has been fondly remembered for her generosity, warmth, force of character and cheekiness in a state memorial service in Sydney. The country’s “first domestic goddess” was given a moving farewell at the service at the Art Gallery of NSW on Monday. Fulton died in July at the age of 94.
She penned more than 20 books including the seminal Margaret Fulton Cookbook in 1968 – and in doing so, introduced the nation to a world of cooking beyond the traditional meat and three veg.
Media personality Lyndey Milan said there was hardly a household in Australia that didn’t own at least one Fulton book. “She has metaphorically stood beside so many of us as we learned to cook,” Milan said.
“It is largely through Margaret’s inspiration and example that younger Australians realised the pleasurable and creative possibilities of fine dining and our national cuisine was transformed.”
Fulton was described as a wonderful hostess, a party girl and a flirt, with Milan saying: “I learned not to try to sit between her and an interesting man”. “There was no competition,” she said to laughter.
Radio presenter Simon Marnie said that whenever he saw Fulton she would ask after his family, “as that’s what I think she felt was the most important thing in life”. He said she was a progressive thinker who held diverse causes, philosophies and beliefs.
She was passionate about indigenous rights, politics, asylum seekers, the environment and animals. “Most importantly to me, she was the archetypal feminist before feminism existed,” Marnie said.
Fulton’s granddaughters Louise Keats and Kate Gibbs shared some of her life lessons, including to fend for yourself, be your own hero, be a black sheep, don’t give a damn what people think, set the table properly and always have a twinkle in your eye. Her daughter Suzanne Gibbs said Fulton had been an inspiration and guiding light, not just to her family but to all of Australia.
