This year - four children, 13 grandchildren and 14 great-grandchildren later - Lorna Battye was still winning prizes at the Yass Show. Her 2016 tally was seven first prize certificates and five seconds, plus the Most Successful Exhibitor rosette. 

The sponge-cake specialist now has 17 Most Successful Exhibitor and 30 Champion Ribbons from the Yass Show in her prize gallery, along with accolades from the Canberra Show. Three years ago, at the urging of a grandson, she started entering the Harden Show as well.  The result: Most Successful Exhibitor three years out of three.

But it hasn't been all plain sailing for the prize-winning cook. The past seven years have become increasingly difficult as Parkinson's and other health issues bite. There's now a walker to get around the house and a wheelchair for outings.

"People say to me 'you won't be cooking for the show this year, and I say 'yes I am'. I'm not giving up." 

She pays tribute to her husband of 57 years, Ian.

"I couldn't do it without him," she says. "I can't stand up long enough to pour a cup of tea."

"She gives the orders, I follow," Ian says with a twinkle in his eye.

So he sets everything up on the kitchen table. When Lorna has worked her magic, he pops the cake tins in the oven, and when instructed, takes them out again. Then he washes up.

"After 57 years, we've got it worked out," he says.

Lorna recalls the early days, lighting the stove and getting wood. 

"It's so easy now," she says. "I used to stick my hand in to test the heat. And there was no mixmaster.  I'd be really going with the old egg beater."

Along the way Lorna has taught three generations to cook. First her four children. Then their children - Ian in Queensland has six, Margaret in Harden has two, Rodney in Yass has three and Penny in Harden has two. Now she's started on her great-grandchildren. That's a lot of children measuring, mixing and licking the bowls. But not on the egg beater... 

"Not as kids. Half of it would fly around the kitchen!"

The dedicated mother, grandmother and great-grandmother starts the youngsters off on scones. 

"I give them a little bowl and they sit there. It's important for the boys to know how to cook and look after themselves," she says. 

The night before this year's Yass Show Lorna and Ian were up until 3.45am, to take the final fragrant entries from the oven. Then they were up again at 6 to add the finishing touches and deliver the famous light fluffy sponges to the stewards by 9.30am.

Over the years she has submitted entries in other show categories as well. As a child (growing up on several of Sir Walter Merriman's properties) her poddy lambs won prizes. In this year's show she had craft entries as well as her 17 cooking entries.

"When the children were little they were prone to sickness, asthma and what not...  I'd only put in four or five entries, just sponges or bread."

It can take weeks to prepare for a show. This year one of Lorna's jobs was to help her granddaughter Rachel, 14, who in keeping with the family tradition entered the cooking sections. The Daramalan College student won first prize for her sponge cake and second for her coconut ice.

Lorna's conversation is liberally sprinkled with references to children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Her face lights up when she speaks of them. Unsurprisingly, most Battye family gatherings feature sponge cakes. Ian likes ginger and Penny likes chocolate. 

It is at those family gatherings that Lorna can combine her two great loves: family and cooking. For this devoted Mum and Nan, the two go hand-in-hand.