Eamon Donnelly is a Melbourne-based, illustrator and all-round creative, who moonlights as a passionate Australian archivist. He recently launched his new site The Island Continent – a homage to the colour, lifestyle and humour of Australian culture. Featured on the site so far are collections of photographs of Australian subcultures and local icons, including a scary clown sculpture of Geelong, signage on the streets of Brunswick, 80s Kmart underwear ads and the Elvis Festival of Parkes, Victoria.
But our favourite was the Milkbar series – which has since been published into a book – which documents the crumbling milkbars of Melbourne and its surrounding suburbs. Looking at each photograph you can’t help but feel a pang of nostalgia, as we are reminded that the convenience store chains that have taken over our suburban landscapes, have replaced something quite special. Bright primary colours and hand-painted signage still shine bright in their faded glory – at least for now.
