Debbie Robson's Blog - Posts Tagged "amendola-s-wine-bar"
Sydney's Lost Cafes
This post was uploaded last month on wordpress.
There are quite a few that are hiding from me. Images I'm talking about. After a few weeks of dogged research I have finally unearthed the photo above courtesy of Mike Sutcliffe's article from This Australia 1986. I know the writing is small but according to the ad "Delightful hot supper from 10 o'clock...dancing until 1am...Order drinks before 6pm."
Now that last is a vital piece of information - the ridiculous six o'clock closing which, of course, bred the sly grog shops and the illegal sale of liquor at many locations, including The Ambassadors. I have just this week finished writing about a raid on the cafe and have now turned my attention to other cafes in the area.
Jack Lindsay, Norman Lindsay's son, writes of Mockbells: "I sat over my eked-out coffee and dozed amid the pseuod-moorish decorations almost obliterated by smoke, age, damp and their own insignificance." I know from my research that there were a few over the years. One in Castlereagh Street (possibly Jack's). Another in the Imperial Arcade in 1902. In 1897 a Mockbells cafe had a general meeting of the Society of Artists. That's the earliest mention I have found. The latest is 1948 in an article: "Mockbell's, Ltd., has agreed to sell six of the company's seven city restaurants to a new company to be called Mockbell's Pty. Ltd." And after that they disappear. As for pictures? I haven't found one! If anyone has any I would love to see them.
I have also been unable to find several other cafe/restaurants of Sydney in 1921-1926 that Jack writes about. There is the Cambridge, the Hungarian cafe, the Moana, the Roma and Burt's Milk Bar. I have also not been able to unearth a picture of Amendola's wine bar in Wilmott Street which later became Cafe La Boheme. Or Pelligrini's. I'm still hopeful about these last two. And will post again if I find any of the cafes mentioned.
If however you are looking for a Sydney cafe frequented twenty odd years later by bohemians - journalists, writers and artists - well you are in luck! Below is one of many wonderful photos of the Lincoln Coffee House 1948-1951.
If you know of any photos of the above cafes and restaurants of Sydney in the Twenties, I would love to hear from you. Here's hoping!
There are quite a few that are hiding from me. Images I'm talking about. After a few weeks of dogged research I have finally unearthed the photo above courtesy of Mike Sutcliffe's article from This Australia 1986. I know the writing is small but according to the ad "Delightful hot supper from 10 o'clock...dancing until 1am...Order drinks before 6pm."
Now that last is a vital piece of information - the ridiculous six o'clock closing which, of course, bred the sly grog shops and the illegal sale of liquor at many locations, including The Ambassadors. I have just this week finished writing about a raid on the cafe and have now turned my attention to other cafes in the area.
Jack Lindsay, Norman Lindsay's son, writes of Mockbells: "I sat over my eked-out coffee and dozed amid the pseuod-moorish decorations almost obliterated by smoke, age, damp and their own insignificance." I know from my research that there were a few over the years. One in Castlereagh Street (possibly Jack's). Another in the Imperial Arcade in 1902. In 1897 a Mockbells cafe had a general meeting of the Society of Artists. That's the earliest mention I have found. The latest is 1948 in an article: "Mockbell's, Ltd., has agreed to sell six of the company's seven city restaurants to a new company to be called Mockbell's Pty. Ltd." And after that they disappear. As for pictures? I haven't found one! If anyone has any I would love to see them.
I have also been unable to find several other cafe/restaurants of Sydney in 1921-1926 that Jack writes about. There is the Cambridge, the Hungarian cafe, the Moana, the Roma and Burt's Milk Bar. I have also not been able to unearth a picture of Amendola's wine bar in Wilmott Street which later became Cafe La Boheme. Or Pelligrini's. I'm still hopeful about these last two. And will post again if I find any of the cafes mentioned.
If however you are looking for a Sydney cafe frequented twenty odd years later by bohemians - journalists, writers and artists - well you are in luck! Below is one of many wonderful photos of the Lincoln Coffee House 1948-1951.
If you know of any photos of the above cafes and restaurants of Sydney in the Twenties, I would love to hear from you. Here's hoping!
