In a nod to milk bar nostalgia, The Milk Bars Book. Volume II: A Sweet History has been released, inviting readers to uncover the stories and memories of Australian milk bar, ice cream and confectionery history from 1900 to the present day.
Its predecessor, The Milk Bars Book: Milkshakes, Memories & Mixed Lollies: Documenting Australia’s Colourful Corner Stores, was released in 2018 and garnered nationwide attention for its creator, Eamon Donnelly.
Now, the sequel has hit the shelves in time for Christmas, and delves even deeper into the history of Australia’s beloved milk bars, tracing their evolution over more than a century. With each decade meticulously documented, readers are treated to a visual feast of ads, brands, and sweet treats that shaped Australian childhoods.
The book goes beyond the shopfronts and back to where it all began in a celebration of family, food, community, advertising and childhood, showcasing over a century of sweet memories. Split into chapters for each decade, the beautifully crafted, coffee table book is a visual feast chronicling what once was.
From the very first ads for ‘Freddo’ in 1939 to the origins of the thirst-crushing Solo in 1958, readers will learn how these brands were marketed over the decades to entice us to spend our treasured coins on a sweet treat at the milk bar. Photographs showcase milk bars through the ages, as well as the hardworking families who ran them.
“We might hear a song that takes us back to our youth, feel the warmth of the summer breeze, reminding us of the halcyon days of a fleeting summer romance, or encounter a taste or an aroma that transports us back to a place in time – back to that sweet place. One place that sits in the realm of nostalgia for many is that shop that sold the sweet stuff – the milk bar,” says Eamon. “These businesses were responsible for quenching our thirsts and obliging our sweet tooths.”
He adds: “I’m thrilled to have released the second volume of the Milk Bars Book, which continues the choc-a-block journey down milk bar memory lane.”
In a fun twist, the book is available in a choice of three eye-popping colours: Raspberry Spider, Lemon Sherbet and Orange Fizz, as well as Milk (white). It would make a perfect Christmas gift for anyone who cherishes nostalgia, style, and a good dose of Aussie history.
Each copy comes packaged in a specially designed clamshell collectible cardboard box, complete with an autographed card from the author for $115. For a truly unique gift, The Milk Bars Book. Volume II: A Sweet History also comes in a limited edition all-white cover edition, signed and numbered by the author. With a print run of only 50, this edition also comes with a giclée fine art print of The Rio Milk Bar in Summer Hill, Sydney, also stamped, signed, titled, and dated on the reverse by Eamon Donnelly, with a signed certificate of authenticity for $400.
Eamon Donnelly Publications is a small independent publisher dedicated to preserving and archiving Australia’s cultural heritage through high quality, limited print run coffee table books. Their publications explore a diverse range of subjects, including advertising, graphic design, ephemera, nostalgia, popular culture, and photography.
