Dictionary of Sydney: Coffee Palaces

Have you ever wondered about how coffee came to our Aussie shores? Early coffee experiments failed, however the Gold Rush in the mid 1800s brought European and American settlers who brought with them skills in coffee-making.

The temperance movement from the 1890s to 1930s saw many “coffee palaces” open around Sydney, in an attempt to replace alcohol as the preferred drink. Dictionary of Sydney’s Nicole Cama spoke to Nic about the interesting history of Sydney’s coffee culture, and how the post-war periods brought about a “new coffee-consciousness”.