Selling an American Dream: Australia's Greek Café

I remember Parry’s…it was the place to be

Hurstville Museum & Gallery would like to thank everyone who responded to a public call out for memories of Parry’s milk bars in the local area. We had an overwhelming response from the community, which demonstrates the significance of milk bars as part of people’s social and daily life.

A snapshot of the many great stories, and some of the photos and memorabilia we received, are on display in the Local Studies cabinet at Hurstville Library until 28 September 2014.

Here is a sneak peak of the display!

 

Ron Heffernan still remembers how Mr Parry would toss the milkshake in an arc from the metal container in one hand into the glass in his other hand without spilling a single drop. It was like a performance and people would love to watch him do it.

Customers enjoying a milk shake at Parry’s in Caringbah, Easter, 1970s.

The shop was initially set up by Jim Parry (Panaretos) in 1958. In 1968, the two brothers, Peter and Bill Cassimatis and their families, took over and ran the business for the next 35 years.

Images courtesy of the Cassimatis family.

Also, don’t forget to visit the exhibition at Hurstville Museum & Gallery:

Selling an American Dream: Australia’s Greek Café, a touring exhibition from the “In their own Image: Greek-Australians” National Project, Macquarie University, Sydney.

On display until 28 September 2014.

Join us and celebrate Greek culture with musical and dance performances on our Greek Culture Sunday

Date: Sunday 21 September 2014

Time: 2.00pm – 4.30pm

Cost: Free!

Bookings not essential, but desired: (02) 9330 6444 or www.trybooking.com/FCHA

Selling an American Dream: Australia’s Greek Café

Guest talk about milkshakes & ice cream sodas

Effy Alexakis and Leonard Janiszewski, co-curators of the nationally touring exhibition, ‘Selling an American Dream: Australia’s Greek Café’. 
Photo by Effy Alexakis, from the ‘In Their Own Image: 

Greek-Australians’ National Project Archives, Macquarie University.

Would you believe that milkshakes were originally a health food? Their ingredients included fruit, cream, butter, eggs, chocolate, honey, caramel, malt, yeast – and rum – but no ice cream or artificial flavours were added.

Milkshakes were popularised through milk bars. And you might be surprised to learn that milk bars originated in Sydney in 1932 as the brainchild of a Greek known as Mick Adams (Joachim Tavlaridis) – not in the United States as many people believe.

When Adams’ milk bar, the Black and White 4d.Milk Bar, opened it attracted over 27,000 customers in the first week alone! Traffic had to be halted in the then non-pedestrian Martin Place.

Leonard Janiszewski and Effy Alexakis will reveal how Adams’ refreshment revolution quickly became an Australian – and international – food-catering icon in their guest talk:

Shakin’ the World over: The Greek – Australian Milk Bar

Sunday 24 August 2014, 2.30pm

Ages: All welcome

Cost: Free

Bookings essential: www.trybooking.com/FCHA

Hurstville Museum & Gallery

14 MacMahon Street, Hurstville

Selling an American Dream: Australia’s Greek Café

“Every time you drink a Coke, enjoy an ice cream or sweet chocolate treat, go to the cinema, or listen to the latest popular music hit, you can thank Australia’s Greek cafés.”

-Leonard Janiszewski and Effy Alexakis

Hurstville Museum & Gallery is hosting a touring exhibition from the “In their own Image: Greek-Australians” National Project, Macquarie University, Sydney.

This photographic exhibition, curated by Effy Alexakis and Leonard Janiszweski, explores an important chapter in the development of Australian culture. Greek cafés were known for their introduction of American sodas, ice-cream sundaes, milkshakes, hamburgers, milk chocolate and hard sugar candies, into communities right across Australia.

Leonard Janiszewski and Effy Alexakis tell us more about the first modern Greek Café in Sydney:

“In 1932, Mick Adams (Joachim Tavlarides), opened Australia’s first modern ‘American-style’ milk bar, the ‘Black and White 4 pence Milk Bar’ in Sydney. The ‘milk bar’ was created by Adams based upon his observations of American drugstore soda bars – he had visited the United States two years earlier. In Australia, the Greek-run oyster saloon and soda bar/sundae ‘parlor’ had placed prime importance on sit-down trade for meals, drinks and desserts. American drugstore soda bars emphasised quick stand-up and bar-stool bar trade (soda drinks, milkshakes and sundaes) over sit-down meal trade. Adams firmly took up the American soda bar catering emphasis and highlighted the milkshake.

Seating capacity in Adams’ premises was restricted to just six small two-seater cubicles along one wall, the main feature being a long hotel-style bar with soda fountain pumps and numerous Hamilton Beach electric milkshake makers (imported from the United States). No cooked meals were offered. On the first day of opening 5,000 customers frequented the milk bar, and as many as 27,000 per week then began to patronise the establishment. Other food caterers were quick to adopt the idea and within five years of the opening of Adams’ original Black and White Milk Bar there were allegedly 4,000 milk bars in Australia; most were Greek-run. Food caterers in Great Britain and New Zealand were also quick to embrace the concept.”

Black and White 4d.Milk Bar exterior, Martin Place, Sydney, NSW, 1934.

Mick Adams is pictured here with children from the Dalwood Health Home.

Photos courtesy L. Keldoulis, from the ‘In Their Own Image: Greek-Australians’ National Project Archives, Macquarie University.

Selling an American Dream: Australia's Greek Café will be on show at Hurstville Museum & Gallery from 2 August – 28 September 2014

Don’t miss the exciting public programs and book in here

Lex Marinos at Hurstville Library

Join well known actor Lex Marinos at Hurstville Library when he introduces his recently published book, Blood and Circuses An Irresponsible Memoir.
Best known for his role as Bruno Bertolucci in Kingswood Country, in his early years on TV, and more recently for his powerful performance as the majestic patriarch, Manolis, in The Slap , Lex Marinos' career has been a 40-journey of survival in the entertainment business.
His memoir, is a vivid account of a life lived to the full. Growing up as a young Greek Australian boy,whose family were members of the 'milk bar aristocracy' in Wagga Wagga, Lex dream't of making his life in the theatre.
As expected of a memoir describing the wild days of the 70s cultural revolution, sex, drugs and rock and roll just had to be involved. Lex also takes us back to the hippie era of university, heady nights working on radio Double J, precarious road-trips around Australia in travelling theatre groups and happy memories as a sports commentator.
Lex is also a director, a writer on the arts and culture diversity in Australia, and an all round media personality .
Hurstville Library
cnr Queens Rd and Dora St, Hurstville
Tuesday 15 July, 2014 @ 7.00pm
Bookings essential: 9330 6142 or online here.
Free event
Book available for sale and signing.