Con and Helen Dracopoulos arrived in Bombala in 1962 after they had met and married in Sydney where they ran the Sydney Morning Herald canteen for a couple of years.

On arriving in Bombala, Con and Helen bought the Monaro Cafe that they operated for 42 years until they sold the business and retired.

Con and Helen had one son, Arthur who also went into business in Bombala operating the Shop Easy Supermarket for many years before he opened the Cosmo Cafe in 2000. 

”And I’m still here. I turn 55 years old at the end of March and have been in the business for that long – 56 years if you count being in mum’s tummy,” he said.

Arthur met his wife Dina in Melbourne and “as it turned out, our father’s were great mates”.

“Dina’s parents had the Kosciuszko Milk Bar in Cooma when we were little,” Arthur said.

Dina and Arthur have two sons who help out in the cafe when they are home from university study. Kosta is studying at the Catholic University in Canberra and Theo at University of Canberra.

Arthur was recently a recipient of a Community Service Award that was presented to him by the Member for the Monaro, John Barilaro.

Mr Dracopoulos helped start the Bombala ‘Trailblazers’ Scooter Group and every Thursday he welcomes the local knitting group who come in to Cosmo.