Surrounded by towering skyscrapers and heritage buildings, Sydney’s Hyde Park is famously called "Sydney's Biggest Backyard" - and it’s the venue for the Great Aussie Barbeque.

Beef is, of course, on the menu for Australia Day celebrations. And Dan Morice, who owns the meat business Hereford Prime, exclusively supplies beef for the festivities.

So how much meat does a barbecue of this size require?

[Dan Morice, Meat Business Owner]:
“We're looking at between 7 and 8 thousand unit of beef just for the day.”

That's over 7000 steaks, sausages and beef patties. But it’s not just about quantity; it’s also about quality.

The Hereford cattle breed, originally from England, can handle a range of climates. Farmers say the animals require less food and maintenance than other breeds.

[Keith Miles, Cattle Farmer]:
“In a world that’s short of food, it’s extravagant to feed up to seven ton of grain or feed to one animal, whereas with Hereford cattle we get by with one and a half ton of feed.”

Hank the bull weighs in at almost 2,000 pounds (900 kilograms), yet despite his size, he seems gentle and content with being the centre of attention. He doesn’t even flinch when the whips start cracking.

Historians say that barbecuing originates from the Caribbean’s Taíno people. The “barabicu,” meaning “sacred fire pit,” involved digging a hole and covering meat with maguey leaves and coal, before setting the food on fire.

Nowadays, the barbecue is done with modern cooking equipment. These skilled chefs use a kitchen to demonstrate barbecue recipes.

An estimated 150,000 people attended the Great Aussie Barbecue, making it one of the region’s largest cooking events.

Guy Harvey, NTD News, Sydney.