icecreamparlor

Thomas Hughes Thomas was born in Wales and came to Ipswich with his parents as a young boy. He apprenticed as a pastrycook to Mr. F Whitehouse of Whitehouse Café in Nicholas Street after leaving school but then changed his career path to hairdressing. Thomas went to work at a well-known Ipswich hairdresser, Professor Fred Jenyns’ saloon, learning the trade. Thomas married Mary Ann Cullinane on 12 August 1885. They lived in Roderick Street, Ipswich, and went on to have four sons and three daughters. In 1888 Thomas established his own hairdressing business on the corner of Nicholas and Brisbane Street, and opened the first American-styled marble bar in Ipswich for the sale of Iced soft drinks and cordials, combining the two businesses. Mr. T H Thomas’s Premier Hairdressing and Shaving Saloon were comprised of two sections; the lolly and refreshment department and the Tobacconists and Hairdressing department. For sale at the Tobacconist were items such as cigars, cigarette holders, walking sticks, shaving sticks, and razors. Decorating the refreshment station were two attractive bubbling fountains supported by stout marble counters. Fresh iced drinks, ice cream, and lollies were available. Drink flavorings included cherry phosphate, lemon, strawberry, vanilla, sarsaparilla, pineapple, ginger, lime juice, raspberry, orange champagne, Kola champagne, vanilla cream, lemon vanilla, root beer, soda plain, and milk-soda. Thomas opened a branch of his marble bar business in Queen Street, Brisbane, and named it the New York Marble Bar and Ice Cream Parlor. Source: www.ipswichlibraries.com.au/thomas-hughes-thomas-ipswich-...

The signage clearly identifies it as a Horlucks shop, and this website has a lot of neat info on the Horlucks company, which was later bought by the more remembered Sick's Brewery.

Thanks for pointing out the signage!! We've updated the photograph's description.