Tea Culture in Australia
Australia has always been a tea-drinking nation. While its popularity has waxed and waned over the years, it is as popular as ever today. Most households have a few types of tea in their pantry.
Our customers are very diverse, from older Australians with one tea favourite to younger buyers who want to try everything and make their own blends.
But how did Australia’s tea culture evolve? In this article, we will examine why tea has been so important in the lives of Australians.
The origins of tea
Legend has it that Shen Nung, a Chinese emperor, was boiling water under a tree when leaves from the Camellia sinensis tree fell into his water. As he was a herbalist, he tried the drink and really enjoyed it. This was the origin of tea.
Whether or not the story is true, the Chinese have been growing and drinking tea for thousands of years. In the Han dynasty, it was used medicinally to aid digestion.
Moving around the world
Approximately sometime in the 6th century, Japanese Buddhist monks studying in China brought tea back to Japan with them. Other travellers and explorers started moving it around the globe. In the 16th century, tea spread to Europe, starting with Portugal and Italy.
Britain was a little slower to embrace this beverage. It only gained popularity when a Portuguese princess, Catherine of Braganza, married Charles II in the 1600s. She loved her tea and the East India Company began importing it from China. By the 1800s, Britain had commercial tea plantations in India and Ceylon.
Aboriginal Australian ‘ti’
The traditional owners of the land had their own version of tea. Aboriginal Australians drank water infused with the leaves of the Leptospermum plant. The story goes that Captain Cook saw them drinking this and called it tea, and it became known as ti-tree (now tea-tree).
Coming to Australia
The British brought tea to Australia on the First Fleet in 1788 – but only for Governor Arthur Phillip! In 1794, military officers started importing it for the colony.
Over the next hundred years, Australia’s tea culture really developed. In 1883, Alfred Bushell opened the first tea shop in Australia and, in 1884, the Cutten brothers started the first commercial tea plantation. Grocery stores sold tea in large chests. By the 20th century, Australia’s tea culture was well and truly established.
Tea’s heyday
In 1929, Australia had the highest per capita rate of tea consumption in the world. Australians also drank an enormous amount of alcohol, but the ‘temperance movement’ was still influential – a social movement to limit alcohol consumption – and tea was an ideal substitute.
Australia’s tea industry was booming. Tea bags were a new revelation, bringing convenience, and no messy tea leaves or old-fashioned teapots.
From the 1960s, Australia’s tea consumption dropped slightly as other beverage options became available. However, tea still remained very popular.
The resurgence of tea
Australia has seen an exciting resurgence of tea culture over the last 10 years, mainly due to an increased focus on health. Currently Australians are discovering the potential health benefits of tea.
As well as the traditional black and green teas, customers are excited about our white tea and the delicious range of herbs & flowers and fruits & berries.
As a society, we have also become more conscious of where our food comes from and how it is produced. Sustainable practices and environmentally friendly packaging are priorities. Organic tea is an expectation, and there has been a return to loose leaf tea and teapots. We are also passionate about protecting the environment at teamyway.com, so we use recyclable packaging and biodegradable tea bags.
So it seems that Australia’s tea culture is alive and well. Perhaps, in today’s busy world, we crave the comfort and simplicity of a pot of our favourite tea. Just as the Chinese emperor did so many years ago.