‘It’s about time.’
That was the main sentiment during an event at 20 Martin Place in Sydney on Wednesday, July 31 as descendants of Mick Adams and members of the broader Greek community gathered to witness history being officially recognised after seven long years.
The historic occasion was made possible thanks to researchers Leonard Janiszewski and Effy Alexakis from Macquarie University. The dynamic duo have been fighting since 2017 to formally recognise Mick – a Greek Australian also known as Joachim Tavarlidis – and his achievement in establishing the world’s first modern milk bar – the Black & White 4d. Milk Bar at 24 Martin Place, Sydney.
Mr Adams’ modern milk bar revolutionised the provision of a cold refreshment beverage – the milkshake – across the nation and later in Great Britain, Europe, New Zealand, South Africa, South Pacific Islands and even Japan.
Mr Janiszewski and Ms Alexakis applied to the City of Sydney’s historical ‘green plaques’ program in 2017 to have the site of the milk bar etched in history for its cultural and historical significance. The Council’s historical office reviewed the application and approved the recommendation for a plaque to be produced.Â
However, the new owners of the site would not agree to the plaque being placed on their building, which is now the ANZ tower in Sydney.
For seven years, the researchers and Mick’s descendants called on the Council to provide a solution for where to place the historical plaque. Over that time, Mick’s daughters Lilian Keldoulis and Helen Gerondis passed away.
Finally, on Wednesday, July 31, the plaque was unveiled not on the actual site of the milk bar, but further east on a Pembroke-owned building at 20 Martin Place, as a compromise.
‘Nice to finally see it up’:
Mick’s grandson, Adam Gerondis, was present at the unveiling and said despite the delays, he was happy to see his grandfather’s hard work recognised.
“It’s close [to the spot] and it’s great to have [the plaque] finally on display. My mum and aunty actually got to see the original plaque when it was made. Even though it wasn’t installed, at least they knew it was happening. So it was something they were looking forward to. It’s a shame it took so long, but it’s nice to finally see it up,” Adam told The Greek Herald.
Mick’s 11-year-old great granddaughter Harriet Keldoulis added that she always heard about the milk bar growing up.
“My yiayia Lilian used to tell me stories about the milk bar,” Harriet said. “She always used to make me milk and cookies and talk about milkshakes.
“That’s why I’m proud to be here today. I love my family and I wanted to come and represent them.”
‘It’s a celebration’:
Mingling with Mick’s descendant on the day of the plaque unveiling were also a number of official guests including the Lord Mayor of Sydney, Clover Moore AO; Pembroke’s Regional Director for Australia, Joe Fitzpatrick; and the Trade Commissioner of Greece in Australia, Chrysa Prokopaki.
When questioned by The Greek Herald on why it took seven long years to finally recognise Mick’s milk bar, Mayor Moore said whilst it was sad the plaque was not put on display before Mick’s daughters passed away, the unveiling event was still a great occasion.
“Their children are here and they are very excited,” the Mayor answered. “I just feel this is a celebration of a wonderful Australian story. It’s fantastic.”
Mr Fitzpatrick, representing Pembroke, said the real estate group was proud to play a role in recognising the unique and revered history of the milk bar’s site.
“Our belief is real estate is more than buildings. Our global portfolio is a collection of properties for people—places to live, work, create community and stay connected. As the world’s first milk bar of its kind, this site is of incredible historical importance to the descendants of the original owner and Sydney’s community,” Mr Fitzpatrick stressed.
Historian Mr Janiszewski summed it up perfectly when he expressed his joy at the world’s first milk bar finally being cemented in Australia’s rich history.
“At one stage I thought it would never happen… but it’s finally here and it’s fantastic,” Mr Janiszewski said.
“The voice of the ‘other’ in Australian history, those from a non-English speaking background, is often forgotten. They are aspects of Australian history that we tend to use as footnotes and not in the main documentation. But here we have an example of a migrant settler who changed the landscape of popular culture within Australia.
“Two things happened in 1932 that became iconic – the opening of the Sydney Harbour Bridge in March and then the opening of the first modern milk bar in November. People know about the Harbour Bridge, but very few actually know about how the milk bar developed, when and where. So now we’ve literally put it on the map with the plaque.”
*All photos copyright The Greek Herald / Andriana Simos.
