At what event did the Chiko Roll debut in 1951?

The Chiko Roll debuted at the Wagga Wagga Agriculture Show in 1951.

The snack was created by Frank McEncroe, a boilermaker from Bendigo, Victoria, who later catered at football matches and other outdoor events. In 1950, he saw Chinese chop suey rolls being sold outside Melbourne’s Richmond Cricket Ground and decided to develop a sturdier version for eating on the move.

McEncroe’s roll used a thicker, doughier pastry and a substantial vegetable-and-meat filling. It was first sold as the “Chicken Roll,” although it did not contain chicken; the name was later changed to Chiko Roll. Its large size and robust casing made it especially practical at sporting grounds, shows and fish-and-chip shops.

Bendigo is associated with the invention, while Wagga Wagga is associated with the first public debut. That distinction explains why the two cities are sometimes confused. The product later became a major Australian snack, selling about 40 million rolls annually at its 1960s and 1970s peak.