Australia’s ‘Queen of Scones’ Retires After Nearly 20 Years at the Royal Show

For almost two decades, Joy Davis was a familiar figure behind the kitchen doors of the Melbourne Royal Show, helping bake thousands of scones for visitors each year.

Now, at 80, the woman affectionately known by fellow volunteers as the “Queen of Scones” has hung up her apron after reaching the volunteer age limit.

Davis first joined the Country Women’s Association kitchen at the Melbourne Royal Show nearly 20 years ago. What began with just one day of work eventually became an annual 11-day commitment.

She gradually learned the techniques needed to make large quantities of scones, picking up tips from experienced cooks as older volunteers retired. Over time, she became one of the team’s most experienced bakers.

At the height of her baking career, Davis could make almost 1,000 scones in a single day. She also began keeping track of the number produced at the show, a tradition that continued among the team.

Her biggest recorded year came in 2025, when the CWA team made 17,831 scones during the Melbourne Royal Show.

Despite the huge numbers, Davis said she preferred a calm and careful approach to baking. She believed good ingredients and gentle handling were more important than rushing through the work.

Her years at the show were about more than baking. Davis said the friendships and companionship she found among volunteers from across Victoria were one of the most rewarding parts of the experience.

Her retirement is therefore a bittersweet moment. She is leaving behind a role she had dreamed about for years, but also a legacy that her fellow volunteers say will remain part of the show’s kitchen traditions.

CWA Victoria president Marie Vassallo described Davis as someone who generously shared her knowledge with other volunteers, offering advice and practical tips with patience and a smile.

Davis’s connection with the CWA began much earlier. She joined the organisation’s Traralgon branch in Gippsland in 1969, inspired by her mother’s involvement.

Even after stepping away from the Melbourne Royal Show kitchen, Davis is not leaving behind the memories she created there. She said that if she had the chance to live her life again, she would choose the same experience.

For nearly 20 years, her work was measured in trays of freshly baked scones, long kitchen shifts and thousands of visitors served. But for the people who worked beside her, her greatest contribution may have been the knowledge, friendship and quiet dedication she brought to the kitchen every year.

The Melbourne Royal Show will continue without its “Queen of Scones”, but Joy Davis leaves behind a story of volunteering, craftsmanship and a commitment to doing one simple thing exceptionally well.

Sources: ABC News Australia.