California Cafe, Nyngan, New South Wales.

The first panel of the travelling exhibition Milkshakes, Sundaes and Café Culture, which toured New South Wales in 2004 concentrated on the California Cafe in Nyngan.

Originally owned by Nicholas Cretha, it was later purchased by Jack Vanges. Jack sold it to the Stathis family.

For more information on Jack Vanges go to People, subsection, High Achievers, or search under Vanges, or Nyngan.

To view the California Cafe, looking from the rear of the shop, out to the street, see the next entry in this section.

The following is from an advertisment for the exhibition in Albury, NSW.

"Take your taste buds back in time at the Museum.

Do you remember your first visit to your favourite café or milk bar? Your first banana split, ice cream sundae or raspberry flavoured spider? Do you remember the frothy milk shakes in coloured metal containers served with a striped paper straw?

Revive and relive these experiences in the travelling exhibition Milkshakes, Sundaes and Café Culture which will be on display at the Albury Regional Museum from December 13 until March 3, 2004.

This exhibition brings together stories and objects from several cafes and country towns.
From the first milk bar to open in Australia, to cafes that have been run by the same family for over 90 years, the stories are remarkable and tell a great deal about our migrant history, our eating culture and our heritage".

Milkshakes, Sundaes and Café Culture is presented by the Museums and Galleries Foundation of NSW with assistance from the Parramatta Heritage Centre.

The development of this exhibition was assisted by Visions of Australia, a Commonwealth Government program providing funding support to tour exhibitions of cultural material across Australia.

[Numerous other entries regarding this exhibition exist at kythera-family].

Picture: Frank Hurley, Interior California Café
Nyngan NSW
Frank Hurley Collection, with kind permission from the National Library of Australia.