Australia is famous for its coffee culture, but it didn’t begin with Italian post-war migration. There was the rise of coffee palaces during the 19th century temperance movement and the influential Depression-era coffee shops run by Russian migrant Ivan Repin (who offered fresh-roasted beans when stale, day-old coffee was standard). The impact of Italian-Australian migration on our espresso obsession can’t be denied though: it's paved the way for an inclusive coffee culture that includes Ethiopian coffee ceremonies and Indigenous business owners presenting native ingredients and reconciliation in a cup. 

This episode features Paul van Reyk, author of True to the Land: A History of Food in Australia; Tinsae Elsdon, owner of Djebena Coffees; Nick Repin, grandson of Ivan Repin; Peter Patisteas and Shawn Andrews, co-owners of DHUWA Coffee; Sharon Winsor, Ngemba Weilwan woman and founder of Indigiearth and Warakirri Dining; and Leonard Janiszewski, co-author of In Their Own Image: Greek Australians.  

Image by Alana Dimou.