User:Wittylama/Paragon

The Paragon Cafe is a restaurant and confectioners in the Blue Mountains town of Katoomba, Australia. It formerly trading as The Paragon Cafe and Oyster Palace and The Paragon Sundae and Candy Shop.

It was founded in 1916 by the 19 year old Greek-Australian Zacharaias Simos who had migrated from Kythira in 1912. It was owned and operated by Zacherias, then his wife Mary (née Maria Panaretos from Elkton, Maryland USA ), for 70 years - being one of the one of the "earlier and most successful" of the "omnipresent 'Greek cafe' " in country towns of NSW. The current owner has decided to close on 27 May 2018, citing the high rental costs.

In 2015, in time for its centenary, the building was listed on the New South Wales State Heritage Register citing its "artistic, industrial and cultural" significance. The survival of the shop interiors in a "very high" state of integrity was noted as being "possibly unique in Australia": ""The Paragon restaurant is a fine and rare surviving example of an inter-war refreshment room. Its surviving interiors with their high quality fitments and design demonstrate the changing fashions of the interwar period from the front restaurant with its slightly classical taste through to the ocean liner influence of the ballroom and pre-Columbian décor of the former banquet hall...The Paragon is one of the best known Art Deco restaurants and function rooms in New South Wales and its name remains a strong attraction to tourists.""

"There was nothing else like this, growing up in the 70s. It was a beacon of beauty in a very sad orange formicad world" - Robyn Parker, owner.



Closure

 * http://neoskosmos.com/news/en/Formerly-Greek-owned-Paragon-Cafe-in-Katoomba-to-close
 * http://au.greekreporter.com/2018/02/16/iconic-greek-australian-cafe-facing-closure/

SLNSW refs

 * calendar: https://primo-slnsw.hosted.exlibrisgroup.com/primo-explore/fulldisplay?docid=SLNSW_ALMA2197212270002626&context=L&vid=SLNSW&search_scope=EEA&tab=default_tab&lang=en_US
 * Gov't printing office https://primo-slnsw.hosted.exlibrisgroup.com/primo-explore/fulldisplay?docid=ADLIB110149504&context=L&vid=SLNSW&search_scope=MOH&tab=default_tab&lang=en_US
 * Photos (not digitised) http://archival.sl.nsw.gov.au/Details/archive/110094994?_ga=2.45110244.1115546220.1519130671-901075523.1516881434
 * More photos http://archival.sl.nsw.gov.au/Details/archive/110318753
 * Family papers http://archival.sl.nsw.gov.au/Details/archive/110318943?_ga=2.211366741.1115546220.1519130671-901075523.1516881434
 * wall designs http://archival.sl.nsw.gov.au/Details/archive/110313987?_ga=2.207175379.1115546220.1519130671-901075523.1516881434

Trove refs

 * Trove general: https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/result?sortby=dateAsc&q=%22paragon+cafe%22+katoomba
 * neon sign: http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article190140521
 * car crash: https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/189518805
 * https://trove.nla.gov.au/work/39225029?q=paragon+katoomba&c=article&versionId=52063566
 * https://trove.nla.gov.au/work/208618042?q=paragon+katoomba&c=article&versionId=228912842

Blue Mountains library

 * flickr: https://www.flickr.com/search/?user_id=26602074%40N06&view_all=1&text=paragon
 * caption: https://www.flickr.com/search/?user_id=26602074%40N06&view_all=1&text=paragon
 * heritage image: https://library.bmcc.nsw.gov.au/client/en_AU/default/search/results?qu=paragon&te=&lm=ASSET_SEARCH
 * local history walk: https://bluemlocalstudies.wordpress.com/2016/04/26/katoomba-street-history-walk/