Searching for our Greek history

FOR Macquarie University historian Leonard Janiszewski, regional Australia was not only founded on the sheep’s back, it was fed by an army of Greek Australians.

For the past 24 years Mr Janiszewski, along with his partner Effy Alexakir, has been researching, exhibiting, and publishing the Greek-Australian experience, and most recently has been delving into the uniquely Australian characteristic of country cafés run by Greek migrants.
During the earlier part of the twentieth century, countless cafés serving traditional Aussie fare – think steak and eggs and mixed grills – sprung up across regional and remote Australia and continued with their success right up until the 1960s.

Utilising their knowledge of European and North American cuisine, Mr Janiszewski believes Greek Cafés ‘Americanised’ our palates with soda, milk shakes and chocolate ice-cream.

And the bustling Outback centre of Longreach was no exception.

During its heyday, the Central Café and American Bar run by the Comino Brothers of Kythera was more than just a downtown eatery; it was a social institution for many of the town’s young people.

Gwen Genninges and Marie Forrest of the Longreach Archival and Historical Research Group remember fondly the days of Comino’s Café.

"It was very important to Longreach," Mrs Genninges said.

"When we were young we went to the café after the pictures, you just didn’t go to the pub in those days.
"We would turn up at 11 o’clock at night and have milkshakes.
"I can remember they had the most beautiful white tablecloths.
"The country people would sit on one side, and the town people on the other.
"It was just what you did and no one [gave it a second thought.]"

Mrs Forrest added: "They used to use fresh oranges and lemons for the fruit drinks, you don’t see that these days."

According to The Longreach Story by Angela Moffat, the restaurant and fruit shop owned by Comino brothers opened around 1913, servicing the needs of town and country patrons until 1963 when the family retired to the coast.

Mr Janiszewski is looking to extend his knowledge of regional Greek Cafés, including Comino’s Café in Longreach, and is seeking the memories, photographs and experiences of local people who frequented and worked in these institutions.

Mr Janiszewski is also gathering information about the Kalilis and Pipos families in Blackall, as well as the Kavazos family of Winton and the Kasimatis family of Muttaburra.

"It is incredible to think that Central Queensland has connections with the US and Greece, through it’s food catering history.

"Longreach really blossomed from 1910 to 1962, which is a huge period of time.
"Most regional centres had five to 10 years of prosperity, but Longreach has a long history."

The outcome of Mr Janiszewski and Ms Alexakir’s research will be a book and a touring exhibition.

"It is one thing to get input from the owners of these cafés, but it is also important to get viewpoints from the waitresses and clientele who remember the good old days of Outback café life.

"The exhibition will open in Chicago, Washington and New York, before coming back to Australia to open at the National Museum of Australia in Canberra.
"It will then tour the capitals and regions in 2008."

More information about the Greek-Australians project is available from www.austhistmuseum.mq.edu.au/greek
To share you experiences of Outback Greek Cafés, contact Leonard Janiszewski on (02) 9850 6886 or email greekoz@hmn.mq.edu.au