Full disclosure: the treats we’re talking about might not be so tasty… given that they are made of wood, BUT they’re still even more spectacular and worth witnessing as a result!

For artist Callum Preston who grew up in suburban Melbourne in the 90s, the milk bar was a place of wonder, with buzzing neon, faded posters of Diet Coke-loving windsurfers, collector cards, musk sticks, jelly snakes, the ubiquitous smell of pies…  More than just its stock, the space was also a meeting point and a cherished after-school ritual in a time before social media – the hub where you’d just turn up and see who else might arrive.

A fond nostalgia has spurred the co-founder of Everfresh Studios to meticulously recreate his own childhood milk bar, completely by hand, one wooden, illustrated, chip packet and Coke can at a time. ‘It’s a low-fi recreation plumbed from the depths of memory and feeling,’ explains the artist, illustrator and sculptor.

‘For most of us, these simpler times might have passed,’ says Callum. ‘Sure, the memories may be a little blurry now, but it’s my hope that when all the elements are recreated you can be transported right back to when “going down the shop” was an experience of pure joy.’

The awe-inspiring, life-size installation is ‘operating’ inside Collingwood’s RVCA Corner Gallery, and the more than 500 items stocked are all on sale. Treat yourself!

Callum Preston’s MILK BAR
December 8 to 10, 11am to 4pm
RVCA Corner Gallery
82 Stanley St, Collingwood