Most Australians love to grab a cup of coffee when working, chatting or catching up with others, and for many, it’s their daily ritual to kickstart the day.
But do we know the history of coffee culture that is deeply embedded in the everyday Australian lifestyle?
This month’s journalist club article will give you something to think about the next time you get your java fix.
A Brief History of Coffee Culture in Australia
At first, coffee arrived in Australia on the first fleet in 1788 brought by British colonists. However, it wasn’t a widely consumed drink at the time compared to tea which was the first preference.
Coffee culture didn’t truly start until the early 1930s during WWII when Italian immigrants began settling in Australia and bringing coffee-drinking traditions with them.
Afterwards, in the late 1940s-1950s, a second wave of Italian immigrants came to Australia bringing with them espresso machines and started opening the first espresso bars.
By the 1960s-1980s espresso bars or cafes started to grow in popularity, turning into social hotspots and attracting a mix of people like teenagers, Australian bohemians, hipsters and migrants.
During the 1990s, Australians started to gravitate towards specialty coffee instead of the standard espresso. This led to the growth of long-standing, independently owned cafes, which have unique quality coffee beans, brewing methods and atmosphere.
Remarkably, to this day, 95 per cent of Australian cafes are independently owned, which highlights Australians’ preference for high-quality, unique, community-fuelled coffee culture. To conclude, what we all know to be true is that coffee culture is deeply embedded in everyday life in Australia.
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