LETTER 5 – CAFÉ DENAT
Established in 1893 by Swiss restaurateur Calixte Denat, Café Denat was one of Melbourne’s most fashionable dining rooms—a haven of French elegance on Little Collins Street. Renowned for its refined cuisine and lively atmosphere, it became a favourite of the city’s social set before moving several times, finally finding its home above Samuel Wynn’s wine store on Bourke Street in 1925. When Italian host Rinaldo Massoni took over in 1928, he renamed it Florentino—a name that would become legendary in Melbourne’s culinary history. Today, as Grossi Florentino, it continues the legacy of sophistication begun by Café Denat over a century ago.
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MOTHER’S DAY
Mother’s Day is a cherished celebration of mothers, grandmothers, and all who nurture with love and care. Its origins trace to early 20th-century America, when Anna Jarvis campaigned to honour her late mother’s devotion—leading to the first official Mother’s Day in 1914. In Australia, it is celebrated on the second Sunday in May, often with flowers, breakfast trays, and handwritten notes of gratitude. The white carnation, symbolising purity and remembrance, remains the traditional bloom of the day. Like Father’s Day and Grandparents’ Day, it reminds us to pause and honour the quiet, steadfast grace of family love.
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