Kytherians may have dominated Australia’s café culture from the 1920s to the 1960s but a significant number of the Greek migrants who played a role in Brisbane’s early history—such as the Mavrokefalos and Mavromatis families—came from Ithaca. Jerry Palmos was born in Ithaca in 1905. He was only sixteen when he went to Sydney and was put to work fishing for prawns. Heading north to Brisbane, he worked in the office of a cake shop in the Carnegie Building opposite Barry & Roberts. Jerry bought his first shop in 1937 and his seventh in 1966, and died in 1975 having lived fifty-four years in his adopted homeland, thirty of which he devoted to commercial enterprise in Brisbane.
The first business was a fruit shop/milk bar in East Brisbane on the corner of Lytton Road and Heidelberg Street, which Jerry and his wife Elizabeth had from 1937-1941. A succession of businesses followed: the Day Dawn Café in Queen Street beside the York Hotel, the South Pacific Café on the corner of Stanley and Melbourne Streets, the High Hat Café in Fortitude Valley, the Colony Club in Edward Street opposite the Commonwealth Bank, the Palms Café at the entrance to the Regent Theatre in Queen Street, the Colony Club again—a new one established in the basement of the building after the first caught fire, so we won’t count that—and the Black and White Milk Bar in a building on the corner of Edward and Queen Streets.
The Palms was a narrow café with stylish modern cubicles along both walls and a carpeted floor. Overlooking the café was a mural on the back wall that featured an arched mirror clock flanked by palm trees.
What do you remember of these shops?
Greek Cafés in Brisbane: at the State Library of Queensland we are unearthing stories of Brisbane’s Greek cafés, milk bars and oyster saloons. Be part of this exciting Queensland Business Leaders Hall of Fame project by sharing your memories, photographs and family stories with Dr Toni Risson. 
The Colony Club looks so elegant, all of these photos and articles provide such a wonderful insight into our history.
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It’s not easy in these days of eating out to remember what it was like for dinner at a restaurant to be a rare and quite special occasion. The Colony Club was a cutting edge restaurant in its day.
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In the late 60’s as a student at The College of Art, then located within the Botanical Gardens it was not uncommon for a troupe of fellow art students to abscond to the tempting environs of Brisbane inner city and explore. When we were flush we would head to the Palms and position ourselves in one of those booths and drink malted milks. When budget permitted I would indulge in the best cheesecake that I have ever eaten. Rum and chocolate based baked cheesecake – I can almost taste it now and have never found one to surpass it.
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Thank you for these memories Wendy. Milkshakes were one of the most popular menu items in Greek cafés, and huddling in those cubicles is a strong memory of camaraderie or intimacy for many people. I wonder when cheesecake became regular café fare. My grandmother used to make it in the 1960s but I don’t remember it being readily available elsewhere. It was possibly part of the late 1950s/1960s ‘Continental’ culinary revolution.
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Hi Toni – love that you are exploring this aspect of our Australian/local history. I have fond memories as a young 15 yr old dropping into a Greek café across from Anzac Square in Adelaide Street in Brisbane. A regular milkshake treat on my way home from evening `typing/shorthand’ classes at Commercial Business College (now QUT Gardens Pt Campus). Wondering if the attraction was the handsome young greek lad who didn’t even know my name – yet occasionally declared his love for me along with serving the yummy milkshake. How many other young ladies had the same experience? Anyone remember the name of that Greek Café?
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My Uncles had cafes in Brisbane and St George in Western Qld, they migrated to Australia in the mid 20’s. My Dad had a fish and chip shop with friends for 20 years in Mt Gravatt then Albion from the 60’s-70’s. Other friends of my parents and also cousins had milk bars and cafes in Brisbane. I remember spending weekends at my Dads Fish and Chip shop in Albion making myself milkshakes, eating lollies and chips and playing Space Invaders and Pinball. Those were the days… I’d love to get in touch and put you in contact with my relatives and friends!
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The Palms cafe .Queen Street..parents and I used to get crab sandwiches there followed by a great trifle for me…fabulous food always…milk shakes etc great coffee…great memories ..then off to the Regent for a movie or perhaps another movie theatre…every Saturday after they finished work…they had hairdressing businesses …love the movies smd the food from the Palms..never will forget!!
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Thank you Irene for contributing your precious memories of the Palms. I wonder if it was fresh or tinned crab…
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Fresh crab…beautiful and plenty of it on the sandwich….best ever. Many years ago now..but their trifle was delicious. as well.No alcohol in it but sponge had …..,Would love to get my hands on the recipe ….a syrup of pink colour on it…delicious no idea what the flavour was.those were the days!!
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Sounds delicious Irene. People definitely went for the quality of the food then, not just the vibe.
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