Blue Bird Cafe, Bundaberg, 1945

Blue Bird Cafe, Bundaberg, 1945. Taken from an elevated position to document renovations in 1949, a photograph of the Londy family’s Blue Bird Café in Bundaberg illustrates the features typical of Greek cafés from the 1920s. The milk bar with its ‘blue bird’ mirror flanked by shelves of gleaming silverware is the focus of the café. Rows of cubicles are popular gathering places, while an extensive confectionery counter near the door on the other side of the shop is the place to buy lollies and Bex. The simple curved lines of mirrors, light fittings, cubicles, and the shop façade are classic Art Deco. The Blue Bird is a ‘double café’, but in the case of narrow shops, mirrors running the full length of the space reflect light and give cafés a feeling of spaciousness. Son, George Londy (centre), works in the family cafe and local girls wait on tables. Collection of George Londy