Bingara: local people enjoy a preview of the restored Greek Cafe

Bingara 3 December 2010 - local people enjoy a preview of the nearly complete Peters and Co (Roxy) Cafe restoration. The cafe was originally opened in 1936 by three men from Kythera - Emanuel Aroney, Peter Feros and George Psaltis. It formed part of the Roxy complex, the other elements of which were the art deco Roxy Cinema, a string of shops and a guesthouse. The story of Bingara's Greek cafe and cinema is told in the book "Katsehamos and the Great Idea" by Peter Prineas, a grandson of Peter Feros.

Following the restoration of the Roxy Cinema by Gwydir Shire Council, the Council acquired the old cafe site. It is now restoring the Greek cafe with the assistance of of a substantial heritage/stimulus grant from the Commonwealth Government (announced by the Hon Peter Garret, Environment Minister, in 2009) and also private donations. A museum devoted to Greek settlement in country Australia (NSW and Queensland) is being developed in rooms above the cafe.

The official opening of Bingara's Greek cafe and Greek museum is scheduled for the weekend 9-10 April 2011. There will be a dinner-dance in the Roxy Theatre to celebrate its 75th anniversary, and also a screening of the 1936 opening feature 'Roberta', a toe-tapping hit of the 1930s with Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers, and Irene Dunn.

http://peterprineas.com.au/