Sipping history: A peek into Adelaide's early coffee houses and tea rooms

Step into the intriguing world of Adelaide’s early coffee rooms, teashops, and cafés. Explore their vital role in shaping politics and society from the 1870s to the 1940s. Discover the role of Bricknell’s Café in the battle for women’s suffrage, the beauty of the fabulous Maple Leaf Café, and the fires, feuds and and court cases that destroyed lives and businesses. 

How did immigrant bakers, cooks, confectioners and ice-cream makers shape our eating habits? What was the curious phenomenon of ‘foodology’ – was it real science or just a whimsical advertising ploy? And did the growth of tearooms and cafés encourage social mobility or further entrench class divides? 

Join us for a lively conversation that may not provide all the answers but offers plenty of fun as we explore the origins of Adelaide’s beloved café culture.

Image: The growth of the 'Maple Leaf' artwork - detail from Ellis Cafe organisation brochure, 1924. SLSA B 72464/7