A history of coffee in Melbourne

Why do Melburnians so love their coffee?

It all started with Melbourne’s magnificent coffee palaces of the 1880s, when the temperance movement urged Melbournians to ditch booze and drink morally superior coffee instead. Happily, we no longer need to choose one or the other – but something big had begun.

Watch the video above to join Changing face of Victoria Curator Linda Short as she basks in our city’s long-term affinity with the latte, which has not only cured countless cases of morning fogginess, but has also influenced local innovation and culture. 

More to explore

• Take a closer look at the history of coffee in Melbourne with our online gallery
• Explore the Changing face of Victoria exhibition online