The Milk Bars Book. Volume II: A Sweet History

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"I’ll have one of those, and one of those, umm . . . and two of them . . . umm, no, three of them, please? How much is that?"

    In the follow-up to Eamon Donnelly's sold-out, out-of-print first title from 2018, The Milk Bars Book. Volume II: A Sweet History goes beyond the closed shopfronts and back to where it all began. Documenting over a century of sweet memories, archival photography, advertising, packaging, signage, stories, and history, the book is split into chapters for each decade — from 1900 to now. Volume 2 is a 356-page celebration of family, food, community, advertising, and childhood memory - a visual feast chronicling what we used to have and what has slowly faded away.

    Available in 4 cover colour options: Milk, Raspberry Spider, Orange Fizz, Lemon Sherbet

    Specifications: 

    4 cover colours: Milk [White], Raspberry Spider [Neon Pink], Orange Fizz [Neon Orange], Lemon Sherbet [Neon Yellow]
    ISBN: 978-0-646-86236-1 
    Published: December 2023 
    Size: 300mm x 240mm x 35mm / 11.8 x 9.4 x 1.3 inches portrait 
    Pages: 356pp 
    Number of Illustrations: 426  
    Format: Hardcover 
    Head and tail bands: White 
    End papers: Fluorescent orange 
    Packaged in a clamshell collectable cardboard box  
    Includes an autographed card from the author

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      News

      1. Read more: "Backed Into A Corner, Milk Bars Are Closing Shop" — Article in The Age, Sunday 16th Feb
        "Backed Into A Corner, Milk Bars Are Closing Shop" — Article in The Age, Sunday 16th Feb

        "Backed Into A Corner, Milk Bars Are Closing Shop" — Article in The Age, Sunday 16th Feb

        Cara Waters from The Age writes about milk bars on Sunday February 16th.
        Read more
      2. Read more: Frankie Magazine Feature: "Sweet Nostalgia: step back in time and reminisce about milk bar treats with author Eamon Donnelly"
        Frankie Magazine Feature: "Sweet Nostalgia: step back in time and reminisce about milk bar treats with author Eamon Donnelly"

        Frankie Magazine Feature: "Sweet Nostalgia: step back in time and reminisce about milk bar treats with author Eamon Donnelly"

        Emily Naismith writes about The Milk Bars Book in issue 124 of frankie magazine.
        Read more
      3. Read more: "The shop around the corner" — Feature in The Australian Women's Weekly, February 2025
        "The shop around the corner" — Feature in The Australian Women's Weekly, February 2025

        "The shop around the corner" — Feature in The Australian Women's Weekly, February 2025

        Genevieve Gannon writes about The Milk Bars Book in the February issue of The Australian Women's Weekly, pages 54 — 59.
        Read more
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      Testimonials

      “The Milk Bars Book Volume II is a confectionery, literature masterpiece, which will take you back, to a world of pure Milk Bar imagination, the past is brought back to the present, and all your childhood forgotten memories will come flooding in, just like the soda fountains of yesteryear!”

      - D. Yiannakou, 2024.

      "There is so much work that has gone into compiling this publication, and we just want to say a very big thank you for all the hard work and effort you put into every page. We especially love the opening line of, "I'll have one of those, and one of those,...umm" Perfect! . . . We can't thank you enough for your beautiful book that we are now proudly displaying on our bookshelf."

      - R & L Beer, 2024.

      "I received the book yesterday . . . It is GORGEOUS! The Lemon Sherbet cover is eye-catching and spectacular. The layout and content are lovely; artistic and tastefully put together, it is a joy to handle. Historically rich and I especially enjoy the old ice cream and lolly picture ads that I fondly remember from my childhood every time I walked into those wonderful establishments."

      - G. Karras, 2024.

      "Just received the fabulous book and it looks amazing. You have documented a very unique part of Australian history, which really formed a significant urban and rural visual landscape, and shaped many of my earliest memories of my childhood in the 1970’s. Thank you for such a valuable work."

      - J. Jacobi, 2019.

      “Eamon has a knack for capturing moments of Australian life like few others. Our past needs to be valued, documented and celebrated. The simplicity of the Milk Bar experience, a cherished memory of our childhoods, is one that should be elevated to a higher plane. Get behind this. I certainly am.” 

      — Tim "Rosso" Ross, Australian comedian, writer, radio host, social commentator and design nerd.

      Featured by:

      The New York Times, The Australian Women's Weekly, The Age, Herald Sun, The Today Show, SBS, The Big Issue, Broadsheet, Daily Telegraph, Sydney Morning Herald, Daily Mail UK, Channel 31, 3AW, 2GB, ABC News, ABC Radio: Melbourne, Perth, Darwin, Gippsland, Broken Hill, Vice, Triple RRR, Studio 10, Jetstar magazine, Monster Children, The Design Files, The Weekly Review, 2SER 107.3, Southern Cross News, Geelong Advertiser, Desktop magazine, The Australian.