The first classes for Dairy Produce were recorded in 1858 for butter and cheese in the prize schedule of that year. Both classes continued to feature at the Show in the subsequent years with a food section, containing entries of chocolate, preserved butter, preserved milk and condensed milk added around 1870.

In 1905 Dairy Produce was given its own section. Classes for butter and cheese were joined curiously by classes for ham, bacon and lard. 1910-1912 saw entries of ice cream in the food section.

Apiculture joined with Dairy Produce in 1961 and in the years following the program expanded to include a variety of new produce such as yoghurt and sour cream. Apiculture separated in 1994 and the current name Cheese & Dairy Produce Show was introduced.

Currently there are 10 Perpetual Trophies awarded in this section including the oldest Perpetual Trophy, The Australian Dairy Corporation Perpetual Trophy, first awarded in 1993 and the Bega Cheese Perpetual Trophy introduced in 2002.

Timeline

1969	Yoghurt
1974	Sour cream, cultured buttermilk
1984	Custard
1988	Cream
1990	Ice cream
1991	Other dairy desserts, new & novel dairy product
1992	Long life milk, flavoured milk
1993	Frozen yoghurt
1994	Frozen dairy dessert, ice confection (can include cheesecake and ice cream cakes), fromage frais
1995	Dips, chocolate
1996	Non-bovine products – goat milk, goat milk cheese, ewe milk cheese, ewe milk
1997	Removed - Non-bovine products – ewe milk yoghurt, goat milk yoghurt fromage frais
1998	Gelato (own class, previously gelato entries under ice confection class)
1999	Fermented milk drinks
2002	Milk (other than dried, long-life or flavoured eg pasteurized/homogenised), non-bovine products and buffalo milk, cheese & yoghurt
2003	Removed - Non-bovine products and buffalo milk yoghurt
2006	Cultured milk beverage Removed – fermented milk drinks