Gus's

Gus's cafe is a well-known cafe located in Civic, Canberra, Australia. It opened in 1969 and later became the first outdoor pavement cafe in Canberra. It is one of the oldest and best known cafes in Canberra and one of the first European-style cafes in Australia. It has both outdoor and indoor dining areas.

The cafe was established by Augustin 'Gus' Petersilka (1919–1994) who emigrated to Australia from Austria in 1951, and arrived in Canberra in 1962. Petersilka had difficulties with introducing this new style of dining to Canberra as it was against the regulations of the time for people to sit outside in a cafe or restaurant and he had several well-publicised clashes with bureaucrats.[1]

A plaque on the pavement outside Gus's cafe marks the occasion of Gus Petersilka being made the Canberran of the Year for 1978. It reads:

“ Gus epitomised the emerging soul of Canberra. His constant representations on behalf of the people of the city produced the establishment of the outdoor Viennese cafe throughout Canberra. He was the scourge of the establishment and a crusader of the people. His friendly hospitality and fierce determination has been indelibly stamped on the character of Canberra. May his energy, vision and laughter live on in this city. ”

Petersilka was commemorated on 14 November 2002, by having a street[2] named after him in the Canberra district of Gungahlin.[3]

References

  1. ^ Condolence motion on the death of Mr Gus Petersilka at Parliamentary Debates (PDF), Australian Capital Territory Legislative Assembly, 8 November 1994, pages 3771–3774. . During the debate Mr Stefaniak said: Gus went through various jobs and businesses until he went to his famous Cafe Gus's on Bunda Street. He had a lot of fights with bureaucrats there. One morning he found that his tables and chairs had been taken away on the back of a Department of the Interior truck. As a result of the public outcry, those tables and chairs were returned. .... In 1974 he had further problems with the department in relation to some awnings and some poles which did not have the correct approval. Again, the department did a raid; this time, I understand, a pre-dawn raid. Again, there was an outcry; and those goods were returned.
  2. ^ Petersilka Street
  3. ^ "Schedule: Public Place Names 2002, NO. 11 (Street Nomenclature - Gungahlin) - Division of Gungahlin: Australian Industrialists and Aspects of Industry, Gungahlin Pioneers" (pdf). ACT Government. 2002. http://www.legislation.act.gov.au/ar/2002-1/20021119-3266/pdf/2002-1.pdf. Retrieved 2008-03-06. 

External links