From the late 19th century to the early 1970s, there was a distinctive bohemian subculture in Sydney. Alternative thinkers gathered in private houses, clubs and coffee houses. Some of the best known bohemian hangouts were Kings Cross and the area around Rowe Street (demolished in the 1970s to make way for the MLC Centre).
One of these Rowe Street cafes, the Lincoln Coffee Lounge, is considered the birthplace of the “Sydney Push” movement in its early days, just after the war. A popular meeting place for artists and writers, it comprised a mixture of university students, lecturers, Bohemians & Libertarians.
These fascinating photos from State Library of New South Wales were taken by Brian Bird that show Bohemian life in Sydney around 1948 and 1951.
‘Johnno’ Robert Johnson; unknown from Lincoln Coffee Lounge & Cafe, Rowe Street, Sydney, 1948-1951
Anne Barrett from Lincoln Coffee Lounge & Cafe, Rowe Street, Sydney, 1948-1951
Dick Gooding (on right of door) from Lincoln Coffee Lounge & Cafe, Rowe Street, Sydney, 1948-1951
Dick Gooding, journalist from Lincoln Coffee Lounge & Cafe, Rowe Street, Sydney, 1948-1951
Ede Cohen (usually on cash register); or Martin Edie from Lincoln Coffee Lounge & Cafe, Rowe Street, Sydney, 1948-1951
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