11 July – 16 November 2008
Nation Focus Gallery
Free

Selling an American Dream: Australia's Greek Café is a photographic exhibition of Australia's Greek cafés.

The exhibition explores the key role that Greek Australians played during the formative years of Australian culture.

Every time you drink a Coke, enjoy an ice cream or sweet chocolate treat, go to the cinema, or listen to the latest popular music hit, you can thank Australia's Greek settlers.

Greek cafés in Australia were a Trojan horse for the Americanisation of this nation's eating and socio-cultural habits from the very start of the twentieth century. They initially introduced American commercial food catering ideas, technology and products and later influenced the development of cinema and popular music.

The Greek café helped transform Australian popular culture. This exhibition not only looks at how this was done, but also the personal stories of those involved.

More on Selling an American Dream: Australia's Greek Café

> Genesis
> California dreaming
> Family and community
> The last Greek café
> Photos from the exhibition

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Selling an American Dream: Australia's Greek Café is a touring exhibition from the In Their Own Image: Greek-Australians National Project, Australian History Museum, Macquarie University, Sydney.

Banner image: Astoria Café interior, Hunter Street, Newcastle, NSW, late 1940s. Courtesy: N Raftos.

This exhibition is part of the Vivid – National Photography Festival 2008.