Victoria Australia Menus, 2014

Notes from the collector: When I started this journey I thought I was sending pieces of paper or cardboard with words written or drawn on them. I didn’t know how I even obtained many of the menus let alone when or where. And I only had some idea of the dates. Only since I have been obtaining them more recently have I realized it is about people rather than paper. When I ask for a copy of the restaurant’s menu I get some very interesting replies – too busy, okay if the boss isn’t looking, why do I want it, etc. When I have the chance to tell someone where it is going the response can be completely different. For example - Late last year Barnie and I went to a small town for a few nights. There was an Accor resort in the town of Creswick, just out of Ballarat, one of our provincial cities. Good mining country and find the area fascinating. Ballarat even had a stock exchange during the gold rush days. One night we ate at the American Hotel, and had quite a reasonable meal for a country pub. After the meal I asked the manager if I could have a copy of his menu and told him where it would end up. He got quite excited and said to hold on a minute. He gathered all his menus. He was a hometown boy and had never heard of Cornell. Told him about the Ivy League and had heard of Harvard! He asked if we would like to see the rest of the property. There were guest bedrooms, a function room, and more. He even pointed out the outbuilding where the gold was held before being shipped to Melbourne. The rooms were covered with prints of Norman Lindsay, a hometown boy. Originals would be worth a fortune as he was very successful. The two original American owners were involved with Cobb and Co. a stagecoach company which covered the east coast of Australia and a cinema company. The town of Creswick had seen better times since the gold rush days, but now a very successful woolen mill with a retail outlet and a great patisserie on the main street. The passenger rail has been brought back top life for a couple of times each week. We just spent four days in what is called the High Country some one and fifty miles north east of Melbourne. We ate in four different restaurants and found them all satisfactory and a lot of fun. Menus as follows- The Bright Brewery. A good concept. You order and pay at the counter. You get your own silver from a bucket. The food is delivered to your table. Outside tables when the weather permits. Alpine Hotel. A bustling property. Same concept as the Brewery. A bit of everything on the menu. Even Moet at $110.00. Established 1864. Tahbilk Restaurant in the Tahbilk Winery. This is a favorite of ours, only about sixty miles north of Melbourne on the Goulbourn River. It is the oldest winery in Victoria and some of the oldest vines of a particular variety in the world! We have been going to this winery for about forty-five years now and pick up a couple of cases each time. The menu is several sheets, but I grabbed the main one.