City Hub 22 August 2019 - BEST OF SYDNEY by Alt Media

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city hub 22 AUGUST 2019

Abortion Bill Delay: Berejiklian caves in to conservatives BY Wendy Bacon NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian caved in to pressure from opponents of abortion this week delaying a vote in the Legislative Council until September. This is a bitter disappointment to hundreds of Pro-Choice supporters who rallied outside NSW Parliament on Tuesday morning, calling for the Reproductive Health Care Reform Bill to be passed this week without further amendments. The mood was jubilant. After 119 years, victory seemed very close. Their confidence seems justified. The bill easily passed the Legislative Assembly by 59 to 31. A majority of upper house Legislative Council MPs are reported to support the Bill.

Coalition of delayers But inside parliament, conservative Liberal MP Tanya Davies, Shooters and Fishers’ MLC Robert Borsak and other disgruntled conservatives were pressuring Premier Gladys Berejiklian to delay the vote. Before the Upper House debate had even begun, she agreed to delay the vote until mid September. This cave-in leaves Berejiklian looking weak and vulnerable as a leader, surrounded by conflict amongst her own Coalition MPs. It delivered at least a short-term political victory to socially conservative campaigners who are led by religious leaders, almost all of whom are male patriarchs. This includes the Catholic Archbishop Anthony Fisher who used his weekly newsletter to exhort Catholice school parents to sign petitions and join the campaign against the bill. These tactics are aimed at delay, amplifying conflict and obstructing the bill. The ProChoice Alliance of more than 80 organisations reacted quickly. Alliance Chair Wendy McCarthy described the delay as a “perverse and ridiculous waste of time” that left the community

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Decriminalisation of abortion in NSW is imminent. Photo: Supplied

in an “absurd situation where the government is ignoring the experts - the doctors, the women’s health organisations, the lawyers and the domestic violence experts who have all endorsed this bill. Instead, they are being swayed by a few hysterical voices who have no interest or expertise in caring for women, and do not reflect the majority view of the community.” There is no doubt that the overwhelming weight of medical, legal and other expert opinion supports the bill in its current form. This includes the Australian Medical Association (AMA), the NSW Bar Association, the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RANZCOG), Family Planning NSW, the NSW Nurses and Midwives Association, the NSW Council for Civil Liberties and the Human Rights Centre. Fake news and false facts But this does not matter to the opponents of the bill who not only base their objections on religious faith but spread false information about the bill and the impacts of abortion. For example they repeatedly claim the bill allows abortion on demand right up to birth, or as they put it, “abortion to birth”. One MP even referred to this as “the lawful use of the death penalty.” They choose to ignore evidence given by senior medical practitioners to a Legislative Council Inquiry last week that late terms abortions are rare and currently occur in complex medical and psychosocial situations after great consideration and under the supervision of multi-disciplinary teams. The bill provides that after 22 weeks, terminations would only occur in public hospitals and with the approval of two doctors with specialist knowledge. However, endless repetition of lies makes for a successful ‘fake news’ campaign. MPs have received

thousands of letters and phone calls that repeat scaremongering claims. The leaders mobilised a huge rally in Martin Place on Tuesday night. The real danger now is that further amendments could be inserted in the bill that would make it unacceptable to the medical profession and entrench discrimination against groups of women. In other words, there is a risk that what should be a big step forward ends up in an even more difficult situation. A large amount of evidence has been presented to parliament in speeches testimony and submissions that while women in urban areas with economic resources can access safe abortion services, women lacking financial resources, victims of violent relationships and women in rural areas do not have equal access to terminations. Almost all the amendments being suggested would increase these obstacles. Defending a woman’s right to chose Greens spokesperson for Women’s Rights, Newtown MP Jenny Leong, who is one of 15 co-sponsors of the bill, told City Hub, “There are people - overwhelmingly men - who don’t believe that people - overwhelmingly women - should make choices about their own bodies. They believe it should remain a crime for a woman to procure an abortion,” Jenny Leong, Member for Newtown said. “These people are a small minority - but they have loud voices and they have been using dirty tactics to try to sabotage the passage of this reform. The one that stands out as the lowest of the low was the suggestion that certain migrant communities would use abortion as a form of sex selection. This flimsy argument is based more on racism than on evidence,” Ms Leong said.

The gender selection amendment has been supported by nearly all opponents of the bill who have spoken in the Legislative Council so far this week. AMA Vice President Dr Danielle McMullen told the Inquiry that she considered the discussion around the amendments to be ‘offensive’ because much of it implied that doctors couldn’t do their jobs properly. She said that the amendment regarding gender selection would “cause great concern” because it would potentially make doctors providing abortions after nine weeks “party to a crime.” and require them to be “mind readers” to ensure that no crime was being committed. Anti-choice campaigners referred to a study concerning male biased sex ratios in Australian migrant populations published in 2018 by La Trobe University. “What they don’t say is that the study noted that there can be no conclusions drawn as to whether sex selective abortions occur. It also recommended that the most effective way to address any concern about male-biased ratios was to reinforce social policies that tackle gender discrimination in all its forms,” said Leong.

There are people - overwhelmingly men - who don’t believe that people overwhelmingly women - should make choices about their own bodies RANZCOG president and specialist obstetrician Dr Vijay Roach, who has delivered 6000 babies over 20 years, told the Legislative Committee Inquiry last week, “Frankly, that is offensive…. I think we should add in the fact that racial profiling is absolutely offensive and is not something that this country or Parliament should accept. This would end up precluding people from seeking care.” Family Planning NSW CEO Adjunct Professor Ann Brassil said delay showed contempt for women and the health staff who worked with them. “Politicians are dragging out a debate that the rest of Australia ...has long since put to bed. These groups garnering for extra time and perverse amendments, which seek to block access and build obtrusive restrictions, are openly staunch opponents of abortion. There is no scenario in which opponents are ever going to support abortion as healthcare for women. We need the NSW Parliament to put the needs of women and their healthcare ahead of this despicable lobbying.” Wendy Bacon was previously the Professor of Journalism at the University of Technology Sydney. She first campaigned for the decriminalisation of abortion in 1969.

ABN 52 600 903 348 Group Editor & Publisher: Lawrence Gibbons Production Manager: Michael Hitch News Editor: Alec Smart Contributors: Michael Hitch, Alec Smart, Wendy Bacon, Vanessa Lim, Andrew Woodhouse, Merrill Witt, Andrew Chuter Cartoonist: Sam Mcnair Arts Editor: Jamie Apps Advertising Manager: Georgina Pengelly Cover Photo: Alec Smart. Danny Lim Designer: Nadia Kalinitcheva Advertising: sales@altmedia.net.au Mail: PO Box 843 Broadway 2007 Email: news@altmedia.net.au, arts@altmedia.net.au Ph: 9212 5677, Fax: 9212 5633 Website: altmedia.net.au If you have a story, or any comments you’d like to share with us: news@altmedia.net.au

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altmediasydney city hub 22 AUGUST 2019

The City Hub celebrates its birthday with a new website

Is it too late to save koalas?

Lendlease’s proposed redevelopment of Mt Gilead near Campbelltown threatens endangered koalas. Photo: Merrill Witt

By Lawrence Gibbons To mark the 24th anniversary of the City Hub we have launched a new website: cityhubsydney.com.au. The old Altmedia website has given way to a revamped site with the same alternative inner-city news, independent views and cuttingedge arts and entertainment reviews you have come to expect over the years. A lot has happened here at our Ultimo offices in the last few months. In addition to launching a new website, we have taken on a new roommate: the Star Observer, Australia’s oldest and largest LGBTQI is now produced out of the same offices as the City Hub. The first edition of the City Hub hit the street in August 1995. Over the years we have adopted other independent titles in need of a home. The Bondi View, The Inner West Independent and the City News remain as stand-alone blogs with relevant news for vocal locals on our site. And the arts and entertainment sections that appear in the print edition of the City Hub: Stage, Screen, Scene and Sound are now easy to find on our new homepage. As the City Hub approaches a quarter of a century of publishing, we remain inner Sydney’s only independent news outlet. Each year we celebrate our anniversary by producing our annual celebration of the best of Sydney, our quirky guide to the best city on planet earth. Thanks for supporting the City Hub and the advertisers who make producing independent news coverage possible.

city hub 22 AUGUST 2019

BY MERRILL WITT Current predictions for the future of wild koalas in NSW are very grim, according to testimony given by scientific and environmental experts at last Friday’s Upper House inquiry into “Koala populations and habitat in NSW.” Sydney University’s Associate Professor of Life and Environmental Sciences Mathew Crowther, whose research focus is the Liverpool Plains’ koalas, predicted that wild koalas would likely be extinct by 2050 because of the twin effects of habitat loss from land clearing for agriculture and housing and the increased frequency of extreme heat waves due to climate change. At least 70% of the koalas in the Liverpool Plains are positive for chlamydia, a sexually transmitted infection that is also common in the region’s cows and sheep. Impact on koala fertility Dr Crowther said studies of cortisol levels in koala droppings suggest that the disease may be activated by higher than normal stress levels in their environment. One of the most worrying aspects of chlamydia in koalas is its impact on fertility. According to Dr Crowther, the chances of the Liverpool Plains’ koalas growing in number are slim because the juvenile population is low due to the high rate of chlamydia. The southwest Sydney koala population was an important focus of the hearing. The Committee heard that this “koala hub” is unique in NSW because at around 500 koalas it represents the only significant chlamydia-free population in the state. Committee Chair Cate Faehrmann (Greens MCL) was particularly interested to hear about the potential impact on koalas from Lendlease’s proposed redevelopment of the historic Mt Gilead rural property just outside of

Campbelltown into a housing estate of 1,500 dwellings. The Total Environment Centre’s Urban Sustainability Campaigner Saul Deane said that Campbelltown Council was wrong to rezone Mt Gilead for residential development. “Not only did the rezoning contradict key recommendations of the Council’s own koala management strategy,’’ he said, but it will “destroy the key west-east habitat corridor which gives koalas essential access to fresh

Rezoning contradicts Council’s koala management strategy water from the Nepean and Georges rivers.” The contradictory nature of the NSW legislation was highlighted by the experts. According to Rachel Walmsley, Policy and Law Reform Director at EDO NSW, the aims of environmental laws are often in conflict with planning and forestry legislation. The “laws also allow too much discretionary power” about whether koala habitat deserves protection, she said. “No laws prohibit the destruction of koala habitat” and “the wriggle room in the new biodiversity offset regime is appalling because everything is amenable.” Threats to koala habitat have also been exacerbated by the introduction in 2017 of code-based land clearing, which environmental experts believe has led to an acceleration in land-clearing rates because it was implemented before vegetation mapping was updated. The new regulatory framework allows for self-assessment by property owners of land that should be protected. In Dr Crowther’s opinion, self-assessment removes “important checks and balances.” Committee member Catherine Cusack (Liberal MLC) explained that

Forestry Corporation NSW has assured the Committee that the current supply of timber from logging in state forests could be maintained without jeopardising environmental protections for koalas. Senior Ecologist at the National Parks Association Oisin Sweeney questioned the logic of this assertion given that the Forestry Corporation now wants to renew logging in old-growth forests. He painted a very bleak picture of how industrialised forestry management practices have led to large-scale clearfelling. So can we hold out any hope for the future of our beloved national icon? Call for UNESCO ruling Stuart Blanch, the WWF Australian Forest and Woodlands Conservation Policy Manager said Australia should look to China for guidance. The dire circumstances of China’s giant pandas started to reverse when China took the unusual step of applying for UNESCO World Heritage status for their habitat. Recently China has established the vast Giant Panda National Park to restore and reconnect fragmented giant panda habitats. Experts told the panel that putting the brakes on residential growth in the southwest and preserving the visionary green belt around Campbelltown were necessary first steps required to protect the state’s healthiest koala population. The National Parks Association and others have also advocated the establishment of the Great Koala National Park in the Coffs Harbour hinterland. It would add 175,000ha of state forests to existing protected areas in order to create a 315,000ha reserve. If approved, the park would contain 44% of all koala hubs in NSW state forests. Time and resolve is of the essence if Australia wants to avoid international humiliation and save the koalas for our future generations.

ENTERTAIN LIKE NOWHERE ELSE. Urban Winery Sydney is Australia’s first true urban winery and the home of A.Retief wines. Bringing the country to the city, Urban Winery Sydney is the only place in the city where you can entertain and dine with your guests amongst barrels producing our latest vintage. The A.Retief wine label is made from grapes sourced from cool climate southern NSW regions, including Tumbarumba, The Hilltops and the family’s biodynamic vineyard in Gundagai. The grapes are all trucked in entirely handcrafted by Alex on-site. Being a working winery, epicurious visitors can discover and enjoy wine through our blending masterclasses, tours, tutored tastings, long lunches and exclusive private events.

AUSTRALIA'S FIRST TRUE URBAN WINERY MAKE YOUR OWN WINE! Urban Winery Sydney’s blending sessions are one of the more entertaining and informative classes. After being greeted in the winery, your group is taken on a tour through the facility to experience the art of the wine making process. Next, you will be separated into groups, with our Head Winemaker Alex Retief and be taken through six single variety red wines, exploring the aroma, structure and palate-feel of each. Each group is then given measuring cylinders and half an hour to come up with their favourite blend, for example, mixing 50% shiraz, 30% merlot, 10% petit verdot and 10% tempranillo. These ‘favourite blends’ are then collated and poured to the groups, so they can be blind-tasted and judged by everyone involved – with an ultimate winner appointed on the day!

TOUR & TASTING After being greeted in the winery, your group is taken on a tour through the facility to experience the art of the wine making process.

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Arriving at the tasting table, there is a six-glass wine-flight set up for each person, where we walk everyone through six wines from three different wine regions of NSW.

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LOCATION Conveniently located in The Entertainment Quarter, Moore Park (10 mins from Sydney CBD)

Harvest. It's the ultimate time of year in a winery. Urban Winery Sydney is the only place in the city where you can be part of it all. After being greeted in the winery, your group is taken on a tour through the facility to experience the art of the wine making process, right from stomping the grapes to sampling wines during different stages of the maturing process. *Classes run seasonally, each day from the second week in March for four weeks.

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enquiries@urbanwinerysydney,com.au city hub 22 AUGUST 2019

Time of the signs BY ALEC SMART Danny Lim is about to learn whether a sign he displayed at a protest, deemed ‘offensive’ to the police who arrested him, will get him into further hot water or be dismissed as a risqué prank. Either way, it will garner Lim more publicity, which is beneficial to the veteran peace campaigner. On 30 August Mr Lim is expecting the outcome of his appeal against a $500 fine issued at Downing Centre Local Court. He was arrested at Barangaroo in January and fined for offensive behaviour for wearing a sign that read: “Smile cvn’t! Why cvn’t?”. Mr Lim’s lawyer, Bryan Wrench, criticised the police who arrested his client. “What we’ve seen is just disproportionate conduct to the fine; he got arrested for trying to make people smile. There was no respect shown to Mr Lim, who is 74, instead they handcuffed him and threw him in the back of the paddy wagon.” Mr Lim, A former Strathfield Councillor, is familiar to many Sydney residents, particularly those working in and around the city, as the smiling Chinese man with long silver hair and whispy beard who wears humorous and political tabard signs at traffic junctions. There’s no denying the provocative nature of the sign that landed him in trouble; at first appearance it reads as the ribald ‘C-word’, although closer inspection reveals it is a cheeky modification of ‘can’t’ with a letter V replacing the letter A. Provocative Nevertheless, as Lim told City Hub, despite its intention to provoke reactions, in a previous District Court of NSW hearing also involving him displaying an apparent bastardisation of the C-word: Danny Lim v Regina [2017] NSWDC 231, he was found not guilty of offensive behaviour on appeal.

On that occasion, 29 August 2017, Judge AC Scoting set aside the conviction imposed by her Honour Magistrate Stapleton on 9 February 2016 at the Waverley Local Court. Lim had been arrested for wearing a tabard sign saying: “PEACE SMILE. PEOPLE CAN CHANGE. “TONY YOU CUN’T..” LIAR, HEARTLESS, CRUEL. PEACE BE WITH YOU. And on the reverse: “TRICKY LYING TONY, YOU CVN’T SCREW EDUCATION HEALTH, JOBS & THE ENVIRONMENT. CHILDREN’S CHILDREN’S FUTURE. SMILE” In summing up his judgement, Judge Scoting wrote: “At its highest, the prosecution case is that the use of the impugned word was used as derogatory description of the Prime Minister, and it is the use of the impugned word that is offensive. As a matter of law, the impugned word is not necessarily offensive, even when used in a public place…

The language used was clearly a play on words “Politicians and their views are often subject to criticism in public. This is an essential and accepted part of any democracy. That criticism can often extend to personal denigration or perhaps even ridicule, but still maintain its essential character as political comment. There is no reason to conclude that the Prime Minister, as the leader of the Federal Government should be treated any differently to any other person who holds or seeks political office… “The language used was clearly a play on words. If the appellant’s conduct was offensive.. in my view it was only marginally so.”

Danny Lim chats with police during an Extinction Rebellion march in August. Photo: Alec Smart

Exoneration And so Lim was effectively exonerated and permitted to call then-Prime Minister Tony Abbot the C-word. In the Downing Centre Local Court at the start of August, Mr Lim’s lawyer compared the double entendre to the UK-based fashion clothing brand French Connection, which in 1991 relaunched itself as French Connection UK, spelling its name FCUK. The implied use of the taboo F-word courted international controversy, but was hugely successful in raising the profile of a brand that was until then in decline, and inspired many other organisations to adopt humorous word-plays utilising profane words. Most recently, a company promoting unofficial tourism to the Northern Territory via T-shirts and

merchandise has also courted controversy with significant results following their cheeky use of the C-word to substitute the words ‘see you’. On their website they state: “CU in the NT is the independent underground campaign to promote travel awareness to the unique Northern Territory as an ideal travel destination for the young or young at heart..” The irony of Mr Lim’s conviction is that during his arrest the police officers who handcuffed him used language many deem offensive. In court, footage of Mr Lim’s arrest recorded on the body camera of one officer was replayed, in which a policeman is heard telling Lim he is ‘bullshitting’ in response to a complaint the handcuffs hurt his hand. When witnesses nearby complained that Mr Lim’s arrest was unacceptable, one officer is then heard to describe them as ‘f ***ing pathetic.”

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city hub 22 AUGUST 2019

BEST OF SYDNEY 22 AUGUST 2019

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A note from the Editor

ydney is a dynamic city, brave enough to embrace change, but savvy enough to hold onto what’s valuable and worthwhile. This year’s Best Of Sydney feature reflects these two characteristics. Among the 2019 winners are many familiar names; businesses that have shown consistency and commitment to serving their customer base and maintaining the quality of their offerings. In fact, browsing through the history of Best Of Sydney and noting the businesses that keep appearing year after year is a pretty good indication of customer satisfaction. Then there are the newcomers, many of which are newly sprung or revamped businesses; the variety of markets and the high representation of niches, proves that there’s room in this city for small players as well as the Goliaths.

Index EAT

Traditional Italian . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Potato Based Breakfast . . . . . . . . . . Chocolate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Vegan Dessert . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Vegetarian Food . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Bacon & Egg Roll . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Korean Fried Chicken . . . . . . . . . . . . Patisserie . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Custard Based Ice-cream . . . . . . . . Bread . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Student-Run Dining . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Chinese Seafood . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Ramen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Brekky Burrito . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Cookie . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Tex Mex . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Gourmet Pizza . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

DRINK

Cocktails . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Drink With A View . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Happy Hour . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Pub With A History . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Corner Pub . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Aussie Pub . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Funky Cocktail Bar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Winery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Awarded Beer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

PLAY

Editor:

Rita Bratovich

Contributors: Mike Hitch, Georgina Pengelly, Mark Morellini, Veronica Anassis, Madison Behringer, Rhiannon Soliman, Elizabeth Green Cover photo: Alec Smart

Adult Arcade . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Bowling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Weekly Queer Event . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Karaoke . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Whale Cruising . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Theatre For Emerging Aartists . . . Modern Art . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Live Music With A Conscience . . . . .

4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 6 6 6 6 6

7 7 7 7 8 8 8 8 8

10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10

Family Outing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Fun On Ice . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Shakespearean Theatre . . . . . . . . . . Queer Comedy Night . . . . . . . . . . . . . World Class Entertainment . . . . . . World Of Entertainment . . . . . . . . . Of The West . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Trivia . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

SHOP

Interior Style . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Specialty Bookshop . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Recylcer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Second-Hand Books . . . . . . . . . . . . . Vintage Clothing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . All Under One Roof Markets . . . . . At Everything Seafood . . . . . . . . . . . Bed Store . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Creative Hub . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

10 10 10 12 12 12 12 12

13 13 13 13 13 15 15 15 15

SERVICES

Media Arts Institute . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 Spa Beautician . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 Piercing Parlour . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 Creative Learning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 Indigenous Media . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 Friends Of Felines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 Research Charity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 Hotel Group . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 HIV Support . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 Real Estate Agency . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 Dentist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19 Tattoo Art . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19 Girls’ School . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19 Boutique Hotel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19 HIV Support . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 Dentist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19 Little Hotel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19

Redfern’s

Eclectic Bar

lvl 1, 106 george st, redfern | 9318 1497 | misﬁtsredfern.com.au | hello@misﬁtsredfern.com.au BEST OF SYDNEY 22 AUGUST 2019

BEST OF SYDNEY 2019 BEST TRADITIONAL ITALIAN

EAT BEST POTATO BASED BREAKFAST Barmuda Tucked away on Australia Street, Barmuda’s relaxed ambiance and tasty-morsels make it the perfect hangover-brunch café. While breakfast and brunch options are endless (vegans, look no further), the pyramid-shaped ‘Potato Cakes’ make any meal mouth-watering with their salty, crunchy, starchy goodness. If you couldn’t tell, they’re delicious. The signature ‘Potato Stack’ beats any other brekky with literal stacks of potato cake, soft scrambled eggs, grilled eggplant and rocket-tomato relish. Gluten free and vegetarian and locally sourced, Barmuda proves that carbs don’t have to be the enemy and that not every breakfast needs bacon. 283 Australia St, Newtown. 9516 3341

BEST STUDENT-RUN DINING

Alberto’s Pizza Alberto is a true Italian and a real character. Now an octogenarian, he immigrated to Australia some 60 years ago with a small suitcase, a piano accordion, a handful of traditional recipes, and a heart full of hope. You get a sense of his life’s work when you sit in this quaint Newtown restaurant adorned with family photos and Italian memorabilia; and even more so when you taste the food. It’s a village trattoria type scenario with a good range of pastas, pizzas, chicken and beef mains, some basic salads and dolce desserts. Not fancy dining, but rustic and satisfying. You’ll find familiar classics like chicken cacciatore, steak masala, veal parmigiana; pastas with your favourite sauces; and a long list of pizzas which you can improvise with the extensive selection of ingredients. It’s a great place for families or a group of amici. Buon appetito! 589 King St, Newtown. 9519 4262. albertospizza.com.au

BEST CHOCOLATE Coco88 Chocolate Patisserie This patisserie is a chocoholics haven! Premium and fresh ingredients are used to produce all 50 chocolate products onsite. Bonbons are bestsellers owing to their unique taste and with 24 flavours available there’s a favourite for everyone! Freckles, chocolate bars and bites are popular and there’s also a large variety to choose from on shelf and in an alluring display cabinet. Uniquely presented gift boxes are available, but chocolates may be purchased individually and consumed over a delicious hot chocolate beverage. Chocolate making workshops are available for everyone and first timers receive chocolate tastings. Definitely worth revisiting! 44 / 2-4 Picrite Cl, Pemulwuy. 9636 9535. www.coco88.com.au

BEST VEGAN DESSERT Gelato Blue If you’re looking for a cheeky treat without the guilty conscience, look no further than Gelato Blue. Located right across from Newtown Station, Gelato Blue offers a vast array of artisanal gelato created daily in small batches using coconut milk. Not only is their gelato vegan, but they use wooden spoons to limit unnecessary plastic! Grab a scoop of those classic flavours you may have been missing if you’ve gone cruelty-free, such as cookies and cream, caramel or chocolate. Alternatively, try one of their more adventurous blends such as double banana split, pavlova, or passionfruit cheesecake. Say goodbye to that sad sorbet! 318 King St, Newtown. 9519 0933. www.facebook.com/gelatoblue

BEST VEGETARIAN FOOD The Apprentice TAFE Don’t let the fact that students operate, serve, and prepare the meals at this training restaurant lead you to believe the food will be sub-standard. Anything but! These are TAFE hospitality students preparing for a professional career, and working in this restaurant is part of their assessment. All cooking is done under supervision and each aspect of service is subject to scrutiny which means you get staff who are giving their absolute best. The restaurant is located on level 7 of one of the TAFE buildings, affording delightful views. They offer a three course menu with up to four options for each course and a range of choices that should accommodate most palates. It’s licensed to serve wine and beer and they are open for lunch and for dinner during TAFE term. You can check out the menus online. The price is unbelievably good for such high quality dining. 731/695 Harris St, Ultimo. 9217 5527. sydneytafe.edu.au/theapprentice

BEST OF SYDNEY 22 AUGUST 2019

Govinda’s Cinema and Restaurant Those who think vegetarian food is bland should think again, preferably after visiting this restaurant. A fixture of Darlinghurst for almost four decades, Govinda’s Cinema and Restaurant is a must-try at least once. Based loosely on traditional Indian cuisine, their menu switches up every day, but on any given night you can expect a wide range of tasty veggie and vegan options like pasta bakes, soups, lentil curries, and their ever-present and ever-delicious deep fried cauliflower. Their food is served buffet-style, and you can get a piece of the action for under $25. Second and third helpings are commonplace, and everyone leaves having licked their plate clean. 112 Darlinghurst Rd, Darlinghurst. 9380 5155. govindas.com.au

BEST BACON EGG ROLL Hoochie Mamma Café While every bacon & egg roll is special, there’s one that sits above the rest. Hoochie Mamma café provides one of the widest, eccentric selections of foods and juices however, they

clearly specialise in the classics. Served on a brioche bun, the healthy serving of bacon will always have a crispy finish and the two egg-yolks are guaranteed to ooze into the roll with every bite. With choice of aioli, BBQ sauce or homemade tomato relish – everyone can partake in this hangover holy grail. Don’t forget a side of hash browns and a coffee, it’s part of a balanced breakfast! 156 Missenden Rd, Newtown. 9557 9444. www.hoochiemammacafe.com.au

KOREAN FRIED CHICKEN Flying Tong Flying Tong puts a new spin on ‘KFC’ with their Korean fried chicken. Situated on Enmore Road, Flying Tong’s Korean fusion of chicken and beer is sure to excite the senses and the stomach. With choices of sweet chilli, soy garlic or the ‘Spicy Bomb’, the original chicken recipes are sure to melt in your mouth without losing the golden crunch from the fryer. With share-plate options such as ‘Gogi Fries’ and ‘Seoul Sliders’, an excellent selection of Korean and locally sourced beers and a homey ambience, Flying Tong is the place to kick back for a cosy catch-up with some stellar chicken. 99 Enmore Rd, Newtown. 8056 5985. flyingtong.com.au

BEST PATISSERIE La Royale Patisserie Lovers of delicious cakes with French, Spanish and Italian influence won’t be disappointed in what must be the best patisserie in Sydney!! Two pastry chefs, 3 apprentices and two cooks work their magic each day to provide customers with a selection of over 20 individual cakes including massini, baked ricotta slices, chocolate eclairs and ricotta sospiri. An assortment of 30 luscious celebratory cakes including framboise gateaux, chaja cakes and Italian continental cakes are

also made to order. Gift boxed mini cannoli and assorted Italian almond biscuits are available for purchase. Recently renovated with a fresh and modern vibe, customers can also enjoy baguettes and empanadas or just a coffee prepared by an experienced barista. A gem out west! Shop 9, 1183 – 1185 The Horsley Dr, Wetherill Park. www.laroyalepatisserie.com.au

BEST CUSTARD BASED ICE CREAM Lickits Frozen Custard This is a unique ice cream as there’s no other dedicated frozen custard store in NSW. It’s all natural, hence no preservatives or stabilizers and for the most part no gluten and they’re made fresh daily. Vanilla and chocolate are always available and the flavour of the week which alternates 75 yummy flavours including Nutella, cake batter, white chocolate and rocky road.There are 40 different mix ins which can be mixed through with toppings.Also available are 25 custard based mouth-watering desserts such as the popular choc chip cookie dough custard stack. Pure indulgence and worth the trip outer west!! Shop 2/4 Shaman Cl, Harrington Park. Phone: 4626 3263. lickits.com.au

BEST BREAD Paddy The Baker Here’s a gluten that’ll bring out the glutton in you. Bondi Junction’s other sweet and sour-doughs, have nothing on this Irish staple.The traditional Irish soda bread satiates the bustling crowds, at a wee stall of the Oxford St Mall markets, on Thursdays and Fridays. It’s pure rustic comfort: a damper of malt, wheat and salt, with the Britannian texture of a savoury scone. The authentic taste is from another time. From the first bite, you’re convinced this is what Celtic forefathers tasted; how bread is supposed to taste. Comes best in original, and goes best with butter. Cnr Oxford and Newland St, Bondi Junction. 0424 997 552. www.paddythebaker.com

BEST CHINESE SEAFOOD Golden Century This is the kind of restaurant that other chefs go to after they finish their shifts - the food is that good. Owners, Eric and Linda Wong first opened the now iconic original restaurant in Chinatown 30 years ago. It quickly established a reputation for excellence in food, service, and dining experience. Since then they’ve opened up a sister restaurant in The Star complex, The Century, and the Wine Bank at the Golden Century, each also garnering glowing reviews. The menu at Golden Century reflects modern, creative experimentation with flavours while retaining authentic Chinese tradition. Their specialty is seafood, with a selection of dishes that showcase the very best qualities of the very best catches. Food is served with unique sauces and condiments that enhance, rather than mask the true flavour of fish, crustaceans, shellfish and every other seafood. It is all made and presented in the Chinese spirit of sharing, warmth, and respect. 393-399 Sussex St, Sydney. 9212 3901. www.goldencentury.com.au

BEST OF SYDNEY 22 AUGUST 2019

BEST OF SYDNEY 2019 BEST RAMEN RaRa The recipe to the tonkotsu broth at RaRa is so top secret, that when the owners go on holiday, they take it off the menu. It’s easy to see why the recipe is kept under lock and key; it’s beautifully rich and balanced after brewing for 14 hours. If the broth and the handmade noodles don’t have you hungry already, the juicy chasu (roasted pork) topping will have you out the door. You can watch the chasu roast over a charcoal grill in their open kitchen. But RaRa isn’t just for carnivores, with a hefty vegan ramen option that holds its own. 66b Regent St, Redfern. 9698 9994. www.rararedfern.com.au

BEST COOKIE West Juliett It’s out of this world. Morsels of rock salt emerge from cracks on a large crumbly saucer, with choc chips the size of craters on the moon. This is the mothership of cookies. These stiff grease planks

mix sweet and sour in the best way possible. Like chilli and chocolate together, it’s another gastronomical anomaly: a combo that shouldn’t work, but just does. The pink salt choc-chip cookie is West Julliett’s little gem, with great coffee to guzzle down with these biting sugar bricks. Monstrous in size, utterly munchable. 30 Llewellyn St, Marrickville. 9519 0101. www.westjuliett.com

BEST BREKKY BURRITO Vesbar Espresso Located conveniently just opposite Marrickville Train Station, Vesbar Espresso is open from 6am weekdays ready to fuel your morning commute with Campos coffee (yum!) and a delicious breakfast menu filled with plenty of on-the-go options. One menu item you can’t go past though is their Breakfast To Go Burrito. Packed with bacon, fried egg, grilled haloumi, baby spinach, aioli and BBQ sauce, it tops our list when it comes to grabbing a morning bite. With a vego option also available, it doesn’t get much better than an early morning Vesbar visit. 1 Warburton Street, Marrickville. 9558 2642.

BEST TEX MEX El Camino With new venues popping up all over Sydney (Entertainment Quarter arriving September), you can’t argue with the fact that El Camino Cantina is well ahead of the game when it comes to all things Tex Mex. Not only can you sip on $7.50 Margaritas from 5-7pm every day of the working week (hello Happy Hour), on Tuesdays you can tuck into some $2 tacos! In fact, almost every day of the week El Camino has a little something up their sleeve; Mexican Bingo and 1/2 price Fajitas Thursday, 10c wings on Wednesday and even a $19 weekend brunch deal. With all their new venues, there’s no excuse not to take advantage round up the crew get your fiesta on! 18 Argyle St, The Rocks. 9259 5668. www.elcaminocantina.com.au

BEST GOURMET PIZZA Crust Pizza Pyrmont Pizza is pizza, right? Wrong. Crust gourmet pizzas make other pizzas look like they’re not even trying. Made from locally sourced, all natural ingredients, each pizza is meticulously crafted on the premises, then baked in a spacious oven until the crust is perfectly toasted and the toppings are cooked through but not soppy. And what a variety! Try the Pulled Pork and Slaw: featuring twice cooked shredded pork with fresh pear, Vietnamese slaw & garlic aioli. Or the Smokey Beef Brisket: featuring 18 hour slow cooked smokey beef brisket, smashed sweet potato, garnished with maple bbq glaze. Great vegan options too like the Smokey BBQ Pulled Jackfruit: featuring smokey bbq pulled jackfruit, garnished with vegan aioli, parsley and freshly chopped chilli - made with vegan cheese. There are heaps more on the menu and they are happy to do half and half, variations or build your own from scratch. Great salads, great desserts, great idea for dinner. 208 Harris St, Pyrmont. 9566 1933. www.crust.com.au

S Y D NE Y O P E R A H O U S E .C O M

BEST OF SYDNEY 22 AUGUST 2019

BEST OF SYDNEY 2019

DRINK BEST COCKTAILS Bulletin Place Tucked away in an alley near Circular Quay, Bulletin Place is worth sniffing out. Every day, bartenders bring in a fresh haul of market produce, and a new repertoire of cocktails is added to the menu, meaning you’ll rarely have the same drink twice. Check out their daily menu, and you’ll find combinations like mandarin and coconut liqueur, gin and lychee, or even watermelon and jalapenos. Bizarre as they may sound, they all work beautifully. And if you’re feeling a little less daring, you can order traditional cocktails as well, made with top quality spirits. Level 1/10-14 Bulletin Pl, Sydney. 5553 0277. www.bulletinplace.com

BEST HAPPY HOUR

BEST PUB WITH A HISTORY

Fratelli Fresh There is nothing better than winding up a hard day’s work and enjoying some afterwork drinks. What’s even better, is when said drinks and food are much cheaper than they normally are. If you haven’t been down to Fratelli Fresh between 3-6pm during the week, you are well and truly missing out.This glorious Happy Hour not only offers cheap drinks - $5 House Wine/Beers and get this, $6 Espresso Martinis and Aperol Spritz’s - but you can also chow down on some of the best Italian food around. For $11 you can get an entire pizza fresh out of their woodfired oven as well as a serve as aranchini balls. Have you made a reservation yet? 52 Mitchell Rd Alexandria. 9259 5691. www.fratellifresh.com.au

Terminus Pyrmont One of the oldest pubs in Sydney, the Terminus has a Lazarus story to rival the one in the Bible. It was left abandoned for thirty years, covered in ivy, dilapidated and about to call last drinks when it was miraculously restored to its bygone splendour. Many of the original features have been saved or reproduced, including the iconically Australian pub green tiles around the walls. Situated towards the harbour end of Harris Street, it is a humble hotel with a steady cast of regulars and plenty of passing trade. In a prime location minutes from the CBD, close to transport, and walking distance to many attractions, this is a hidden gem of a boutique hotel.The food here is a level above classic pub fare and very tasty. Or just sit and have one of the bespoke cocktails - watching them being made is a form of entertainment in itself. 61 Harris St, Pyrmont. 9692 0301. terminuspyrmont.com

BEST DRINK WITH A VIEW Glenmore Hotel After this pub was built in 1921, all it had to do was stand still and let the icons go up around it. With a ridiculously fortuitous location in The Rocks and an open rooftop beer garden, this low level building can boast the best views of any pub in the city. Grab a pint of your favourite shade of amber, or wine, or try one of their flavoursome cocktails, then head up to the roof and sip slowly while taking in a magnificent postcard panorama. The House, The Bridge, The Tower, The Harbour - you can see them all. Enjoy the show with a bowl of popcorn chicken, wedges, prawn dumplings, or any of the tasty snacks available. It’s an ideal spot for lunch in the sun or dinner under the stars. If you prefer to dine indoors and you like a shake of nostalgia with your food, pull up a plush red velvet chair at a solid timber table. The Glenmore is Sydney’s worst kept secret, so head in early. 96 Cumberland St,The Rocks. 9247 4794. theglenmore.com.au

The Ord Family have been welcoming local and overseas guests for 21 years at their 47 Room Vulcan Boutique Hotel

500 Wattle Street ULTIMO NSW 2007 Ph: 9211 32 83 www.vulcanhotel.com.au

Winner of “Best Boutique Hotel” BEST OF SYDNEY 22 AUGUST 2019

BEST OF SYDNEY 2019 BEST CORNER PUB Lord Roberts Hotel This is a good, old-fashioned corner pub that’s been serving the locals for a century and a half and doesn’t look like letting up any time soon.The beautifully restored interior echoes with the exuberance of its Victorian patrons from the past.These days, you won’t find too many bowler hats or cravats, but the boisterous laughter is still there, and there’s good food, drink and entertainment to go with it.While the menu is not overly fancy, it’s satisfying and tasty, and the bar serves all your favourite beverages plus cocktails which you can take upstairs and drink out on the spacious balcony.This is the kind of pub that attracts a core of regulars as well as punters who come along for trivia night, the pool comp, live jazz, DJs, and of course, Happy Hour. See ya there! 64 Stanley St, Darlinghurst. 9360 9555. lordrobertshotel.com.au

BEST AUSSIE PUB

BEST FUNKY COCKTAIL BAR

Australian Heritage Hotel When it comes to being true blue these guys are through and through.They have 20 beer taps with labels rotated regularly, and 120 different craft beer varieties in the bottle; all are domestic brews from around the country. On the first Thursday of each month, a home-grown craft beer is nominated “beer of the month” as part of Beer Club.The brewers showcase their product, talk about their passion for brewing and pour out samplers.You can buy tickets to the event which includes tastings and some interesting nibbles (crocodile spring rolls, anyone?) If you’re with non-beer drinkers, the Aussie Heritage also offers an all Australian wine list with labels that reflect some of the best regions in the country. And if you liked the idea of crocodile spring rolls, then you’ll love the saltwater crocodile pizza - or go full dinkum and have the ‘coat of arms’ - half emu and half kangaroo. Oi oi oi! 100 Cumberland St,The Rocks. 9247 2229. australianheritagehotel.com

Misfits Before you settle in to one of the turquoise vintage office chair styled bar stools or brown-toned paisley velvet dining chairs make sure you take a tour around the joint. It’s got a very funky ‘60s/‘70s vibe with vintage decor and framed images of past pop culture legends. One room (which you enter via the bookshelf), has a fireplace set in the wall surrounded by leather sofas and chairs.Another sports a retro dining setting overhung by amber glass bowled light shades, with an inset display shelf of glass tear-drop vases. Decide where you’d like to sit and grab a cocktail. Like the premises, the menu is a cheeky modern twist on vintage classics. Thaw out with the Chilli Margherita: chilli infused Olmeca Blanco Tequila, Cointreau, Pineapple. Or get wild with a Cherry Bomb: Beefeater Gin, peach, lemon, cherry. 106 George St, Redfern. 9318 1497. misfitsredfern.com.au

BEST WINERY

Best Drink theglenmore.com.au 96 Cumberland Street, THE ROCKS 9247 4794 | info@theglenmore.com.au 8

BEST OF SYDNEY 22 AUGUST 2019

Urban Winery Urban Winery Sydney was established by Head Winemaker, Alex Retief, founder of the A.Retief wine label and is Australia’s first true urban winery. Epicurious visitors can come to this working winery and discover and enjoy wine through their blending masterclasses, tours, tutored tastings, long lunches and exclusive private events. For a unique and exceptional immersive experience, attend one of the special Chef X Winemaker Long Lunch events. After a guided tour of the winery, you’ll be seated in among the barrels and served a four-course lunch prepared by a guest chef, accompanied with a comprehensive tasting of the A.Retief label. Stop in at the wine bar and enjoy a glass of wine, gin, or vermouth, and a charcuterie platter, then buy a bottle or two to take home! Bldg 121, Bent St, Entertainment Quarter, Moore Park. 8097 9978. urbanwinerysydney.com.au

BEST AWARDED BEER Sydney Brewery Does beer taste better when it’s named after a Sydney suburb? Well it must, because the collection of brews from Sydney Brewery have won a whole basket full of medals! This year alone they amassed 24 gold, silver, and bronze medals at the Sydney Royal awards with their Olympic champion, Surry Hills Pils, just scoring a gold trifecta: Queensland Royal, Sydney Royal, and Australian International Beer Awards. This craft brewery produces stunning beers and ciders that you can proudly drink to your suburb: Paddo Pale, Darlo Dark, Pittwater Bitter - just to name a few. Head down to their bar in Surry Hills and try out a few “suburbs” with a good, alcohol-soaking meal. It’s a great spot for a get together with mates.We’ll drink to that! 28 Albion St, Surry Hills. 9289 0028. sydneybrewery.com

‘BEST THEATRE FOR PERFORMERS IN SYDNEY’ BEST OF SYDNEY WINNER, 2018

‘AN INTERVENTION’ 20–31 August SYDNEY FRINGE 2–28 September FRESHWORKS FEMME 30 September – 2 November ‘THE HOUSE AT BOUNDARY ROAD LIVERPOOL’ 5–16 November ‘MERCUTIO AND THE PRINCE OF CATS’ 19–30 November ‘THE SPLIT’ 3–14 December Level 1, 5 Eliza St Newtown

www.old505theatre.com BEST OF SYDNEY 22 AUGUST 2019

BEST OF SYDNEY 2019 BEST SHAKESPEAREAN THEATRE

PLAY

BEST FAMILY OUTING

Bell Shakespeare John Bell founded this preeminent theatre company in 1990 with a view to sharing the joy and genius of William Shakespeare with a wider audience. Over the years, Bell Shakespeare has performed the popular classics and lesser known plays from the Bard’s extensive catalogue. Plays have been staged in authentic Globe Theatre style with traditional costume, and in a variety of avante garde, experimental, modern forms of theatre. Bell Shakespeare recognises that these plays were written for everyday people, with themes and characters that almost everyone can relate to in some way, and even though the language has changed, the morals, jokes and sentiments still connect.The theatre company has performed on a variety of stages, from tents and small theatres with minimal sets to large scale auditoriums and outdoor shows with high tech productions. Because, let’s face it, all the world’s a stage. Lvl 1,33 Playfair St, The Rocks. 8298 9000. www.bellshakespeare.com.au

BEST THEATRE FOR EMERGING ARTISTS

BEST WHALE CRUISING

The Old 505 Theatre The Old 505 Theatre is unarguably Sydney’s home for emerging artists, companies and collectives. Established in 2004, Old 505 originally operated underground, providing a dedicated audience and performance space to new and emerging creatives. In 5 years, the Old 505 Theatre worked with over 350 local and internationally renowned artists and quickly developed a reputation as the place to perform when you wanted to connect with other local artists. Since 2015, the Old 505 moved out of the shadows and into their current home in Eliza St, Newtown. This move saw them double their audience capacity, and in turn their capacity to host and support the local music and theatre scene. 5 Eliza St, Newtown. old505theatre.com

Oz Whale Watching Have you ever had breakfast with a whale? If the answer is no, then you clearly haven’t discovered Oz Whale Watching cruises.This award winning tour operator is one of the most popular and best loved in Sydney. Step aboard a catamaran at their conveniently located dock in Circular Quay, sail through the most beautiful harbour in the world out through the Heads and into the sparkling blue playground of migrating whales.You can go out in the crisp clear morning air and enjoy a hot breakfast or wait until the sun’s a bit higher and have a BBQ lunch.The whales, of course, aren’t on the payroll, but there are plenty around at this time of year, and with four hours to scout around it would be rare not to sight a few. But if by a stroke of bad luck you don’t, you’ll get a complimentary return trip, so there’s no need to blow your top - let the whales do that. Eastern Pontoon, Circular Quay. 9518 7813. www.ozwhalewatching.com.au

Australian National Maritime Museum The centre of Australia’s maritime collections, exhibitions, research and archaeology – The Australian National Maritime museum has contributed greatly to protecting sea-faring culture and history. Built more than 25 years ago, the Museum sits in Darling Harbour, one of the busiest tourist precincts in the country and the perfect place for the whole family. With a constantly evolving program of interactive, stimulating and educational exhibitions/events, it’s no wonder the museum welcomes over 850,000 visitors annually. Come and see the renowned replica of Captain Cook’s HMB Endeavour or see the new ‘Sea Monsters’ exhibition debuting in September – don’t worry they don’t really exist… anymore. 2 Murray St, Sydney. 9298 3777. www.sea.museum

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BEST OF SYDNEY 2019 BEST FUN ON ICE

BEST WORLD OF ENTERTAINMENT

Canterbury Olympic Ice Rink

The Star

You’ll get an icy reception here, and you’ll love it! Forget the image of frozen faced (pun intended) skaters with legs awkwardly splayed - this is where gold medal hopefuls come to perfect their spins, jumps and triple axels. It operates as a training school for figure skating, ice hockey, speed skating and synchronised skating, and offers expert tuition from beginner level right through to Olympic contender. But it’s not just for the pros.You can come and hire blades and glide around at your own pace on an Olympic sized rink. They have several public sessions during the week plus you can arrange private parties and group sessions. For a real treat, put on some sequins and come and boogie on ice at the Friday night discos. There’s free public parking, a heated canteen, lockers, and seating around the rink in case you just want to spectate. It’s really, really cool! 17A Phillips Ave, Canterbury. 9789 4044. www.canterburyolympicicerink.org.au

Stand in front of the glass windows on the second level and take in the stunning harbour panorama, then pull yourself away and walk around this impressive complex because there’s a lot to explore.With one of Sydney’s best luxury hotels rising up from the complex, there’s plenty to cater for both travellers and locals. For fine dining,The Star boasts six of Sydney’s finest restaurants including the three-hatted Momofuku Seiōbo. For more casual meals there’s Harvest Buffet,Antidote Cafe and a wide selection of options in the open dining area. There are a number of great bars too, some perfect for a pre-dinner/show cocktail, and some where you can settle in for some funky beats and late night clubbing. Stores include designer labels clothing, accessories and quality goods. You can walk around the gaming floor and enjoy drinks, food and a variety of entertainment or go and see a show at Sydney Lyric - they host some of the biggest musicals and live performances in the country. It’s all here. 80 Pyrmont St, Pyrmont. 9777 9000. www.star.com.au

BEST OF SYDNEY 22 AUGUST 2019

BEST OF THE WEST Casula Powerhouse The Casula Powerhouse is a cultural gem in South West Sydney. Their highly regarded Bellbird Restaurant is run by two hatted chefs who source most of their vegetables from an onsite garden. The six galleries have a constantly rotating program of exhibitions and feature local and international artists, emerging and advanced. A recently completed 3.5 million dollar playground and two off-leash dog parks provide some outdoors recreation, while indoors, the multi disciplinary arts centre hosts live music, theatre, and performance art. There have been some quirky, progressive shows in the 320 seat state of the art theatre, with appeal ranging across the demographic spectrum. All this is complimented by an extensive education and workshop program catering for all ages and abilities. It’s worth the trip. 1 Powerhouse Rd, Casula. 8711 7123. www.casulapowerhouse.com

BEST TRIVIA Turbo Trivia Turbo Trivia aims to answer the age old question of “How could we make trivia better?” - turns out they found a way! Turbo Trivia understands the soul of any good trivia-night and goes above and beyond for five nights every week, with challenging and entertaining quizzes and queries. With the help of their funny, feisty and fabulous drag hostesses, Turbo Trivia asks the burning questions that the whole table will want to know the answer to. Turbo Trivia guarantees that every venue has a restaurant, so everyone can pull up a chair, put their thinking caps on and grab a bite to eat as they puzzle over the best trivia in Sydney! 0420 969 989. www.turbotrivia.com.au

BEST OF SYDNEY 2019 BEST RECYCLER

SHOP

The Bower Reuse and Repair Centre The Bower has become a staple among students and green-thumbs alike for its affordable, quality furniture that is not only easy on the debit card – but the planet too. Priding itself on reuse and sustainability, The Bower’s hand made furniture items utilise items taken from landfills, council pickups and anything that’s been thrown in the bin – one person’s trash becomes another person’s treasure. Located in the Addison Road community centre, The Bower’s ability to reinvigorate everything from worn-out chaise-longues, mahogany dining tables and white vanities, has earned it the title of an inner-west community staple and a pioneer for a greener future. Building 34/142 Addison Rd, Marrickville. 9568 6280. bower.org.au

BEST SPECIALTY BOOKSHOP

BEST SECOND-HAND BOOKS

The Bookshop Darlinghurst Simply named ‘The Bookshop’, this bookshop is anything but ordinary. It boasts one of the most extensive ranges of specialist literature, making it a treasure trove of all things LGBT: biographies, memoirs, fiction, historical accounts and even graphic novels.To the beat of disco music, you can roam the shelves for hours, and when you’re through, head up to the second floor, where they keep their sale items piled high in a separate room. For regular customers, joining their loyalty program is a must. In most cases, you’ll receive a discount right away, and gain credit on each subsequent purchase. 207 Oxford St, Darlinghurst. 9331 1103. thebookshop.com.au

Elizabeth’s Bookshop Situated amongst the hustle and bustle of King Street, Elizabeth’s Bookshop has been selling quality second-hand books at affordable prices across Sydney since 1973. With a diverse array of books ranging from Australiana novellas and children’s stories to nature photography and arty erotica - there’s something for everyone. However, if you’re looking to take a literary leap, then try Elizabeth’s Blind Date With A Book. Readers select a book wrapped in brown paper, so there’s simply no way they can judge it by its cover. 257 King Street, Newtown. elizabethsbookshop.com.au

BEST INTERIOR STYLE Annandale Interiors

This is a full service furniture store. They are not just interested in selling you pieces, they want to ensure that those pieces will complement the environment, suit your needs, and make you feel happy at home. For over 30 years Annandale Interiors has been at the top of their field, selling quality modern classic styled furniture. They have incredibly knowledgeable staff who are patient and intuitive in offering advice and making informed suggestions, and they are happy to come to your office or home and provide a decorating quote. Their range includes large pieces such as beds, dining settings, wall cabinets, sofas, wardrobes and more, right through to decor and ornaments. Each item is custom designed then expertly crafted using natural, durable materials such as mahogany, rosewood, oak, leather and textiles. It’s beautiful furniture made well. 38 – 42 Parramatta Rd, Stanmore. 9565 1275. annandaleinteriors.com.au

BEST VINTAGE CLOTHING Glebe Markets Held in the grounds of Glebe Public School, the Glebe Markets are sure to excite the senses with fresh and multicultural food, hand-crafted goods and of course, the amazing array of vintage clothing. Recycled vintage fashion not only looks good on you but looks stunning on

the environment too. Whether you’re looking for bohemian wrap-dresses for the seventies chic, or the flashiest tracksuit fresh from the nineties, regular stalls such as ‘Jacky Lestrange Vintage Clothing’ have got you covered. Open every Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. – there’s a great deal to be had every week. Cnr Glebe Point Rd & Derby Pl, Glebe. 0419 291 449. www.glebemarkets.com.au

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Sydney Markets Flowers, fresh produce, gadgets, shoes, electronics, fancy dress, snacks - whatever it is you’re looking for, you’ll almost certainly find it at one of the huge indoor warehouse style emporiums at Haymarket (Paddy’s Markets) and Flemington (Sydney Markets). With a tradition that dates back two hundred odd years, the markets are an established first port of call for small vendors and enthusiastic buyers. In the crisp, pre-dawn dark, while most of us are still deep in our pillows, these markets are bustling with growers bringing in flowers, vegetables, and fruit, straight from the farm still covered in dew. Paddy’s Markets located at the southern end of the CBD is the go to place for bargain and one-stop shopping, and with its proximity to the city, it’s a popular inclusion on a day-out itinerary. The bigger markets at Flemington are the place to go for party, weekly grocery, make-over, feel-good spending spree shopping. 250-318 Parramatta Rd, Homebush West. 9325 6200. sydneymarkets.com.au

Sydney Fish Market This industrious wharf sits on the shore of Blackwattle Bay with the Anzac Bridge towering above it and the busy water traffic of Sydney Harbour swishing all around. It’s been a very popular seafood wholesale market for many decades, operating out of modest warehouse buildings. Plans are in place for a brand new market in a new location just across the bay, but in the meantime, it’s business as usual, and that means fresh as the sea prawns, lobster, octopus, muscles, oysters, crabs, squid - in fact, every edible form of sea life you can think of and literally hundreds of different species of fish. But it’s not just about buying seafood; it’s a great place to go for a delicious al fresco lunch along the boardwalk, or a cool waterside cocktail. Plus you can pick up other grocery needs at the various other stores while you’re there. Pyrmont Bridge Rd, Pyrmont. 9004 1100. sydneyfishmarket.com.au

BEST BED STORE Beds Australia Experts agree that a good night’s sleep leads to a happier, healthier life - and having the right mattress is key to getting those uninterrupted zzz’s.Your mattress should adhere to the Goldilocks principle: not too hard, not too soft, just right.That’s why you should go to Beds Australia for this all important purchase.They have the widest range of leading brand mattresses in the country, so you’re guaranteed to find the perfect one for you.And just to be sure, they offer a 100 night comfort guarantee and if it doesn’t give you the best life’s sleep, you can exchange it for one that will. Don’t forget though, a bad pillow will undo all your good mattress’ work, so ask the expert staff about their specialty pillows while you’re there.They can also set you up with a made to order bed or headboard and an adjustable bed to suit your lifestyle needs. Don’t take insomnia lying down! 503 Old South Head Rd, Rose Bay. 1300 588 788. bedsaustralia.com.au

BEST CREATIVE HUB Hypmotive Hub Located in the wheel of diversity that is Marrickville, Hypmotive Hub is a nucleus of all things creative. Housed in what was once a commercial building, it still functions as a place of industry - one that runs on imagination, craft, and talent and produces unique artworks, handmade goods, jewellery, accessories, fashion and other bespoke items. Owners, Renee and Jake Russo have a deep belief in allowing artistic expression to thrive, and not just their own; they encourage emerging artists to use the Hub to create and sell/exhibit/perform their works. In addition to being a retail, gallery, and performance space, Hypmotive also hosts creative workshops, talks, and special events. Not only that, they can provide artists with marketing support and an online sales platform. Now that’s very hyp! 155 Marrickville Rd, Marrickville. 0422 765 650. hypmotive.com

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SERVICE BEST MEDIA ARTS INSTITUTE AFTRS The Australia Film Television and Radio School is the nation’s preeminent film school and acknowledged as one of the best in the world. It boasts an honour roll of graduates who have represented at top festivals including Cannes, Venice, Berlin, Sundance, and bagged the most coveted industry awards including Academy, Golden Globe, Emmy, BAFTA, AACTA and Commercial Radio Awards. Their courses range across all aspects of production covering everything from animation, writing, scoring, to cinematography, editing, sound recording, and lots more.You can even learn to podcast. They offer degree level courses as well as short

Endota Spa You want a glow that’s truly sustainable? For skin that feels smooth and soft, you should feel that eco-friendly products are a must. At Endota Spa, heavy hands and harsh chemicals are banished. You’re taken down to a candled lavender den as you wait for treatment, to the sounds of the Himalayas. Everything is performed with delicacy. The body wrap exfoliation is pristine and soothing. Eye brow tints are organic, natural and refined. Their exfoliation glove and body moisturiser will become your household staples. Give them a visit for your next facial. 5/66 Harrington St The Rocks. 9241 3828. endotaspa.com.au

BEST PIERCING PARLOUR Industrial Strength While our mothers might disapprove, you can’t argue that piercings are becoming more and more mainstream. Industrial Strength has been in Australia for 20 years and it goes to show that while time may not heal all wounds – it’s sometimes preferred if they don’t. Offering a large range of high quality body jewellery and exceptional piercing sterilisation standards, Industrial Strength works hard to keep ahead of the industry in style and safety. If you’re looking for a piercing shop that deviates from the seedy stereotypes then look no further – their welcoming staff and purpose-built piercing rooms have got you covered. 192 King St, Newtown. 9516 2266. pierced.com.au

BEST CREATIVE LEARNING International Grammar School Education at this progressive school begins with mindset. At IGS they encourage independent thought, creativity, inclusion, collaboration, and curiosity. While its core focus has always been its immersive language program, the school also excels in music, arts, and STEM subjects. The unique campus in a repurposed industrial zone, features state of the art facilities, versatile spaces, and a vibrant, slightly quirky aesthetic. Students are encouraged to be active in the community, participating in local events, exhibiting artworks, performing, and engaging socially with community groups and businesses. It’s a co-ed, secular, nonselective school that accepts students from preschool through to Year 12. 4/8 Kelly St, Ultimo. 9219 6700. igssyd.nsw.edu.au

BEST INDIGENOUS MEDIA Koori Radio Established by the Gadigal Information Service in 2001, Koori Radio is Sydney’s leading indigenous broadcaster. Transmitting at 93.7 FM they play local and international black artists from all genres and have been responsible for breaking incredible new talent via their Young Black and Deadly initiative. As well as music, they present current affairs, interviews, local news, and indepth stories relevant to Aboriginal, Torres Strait Islander, and Pacific Islander people. GIS runs the popular annual Yabun Festival, which attracts crowds from every demographic, as well as Klub Koori, a night featuring black performers and put on at different venues throughout the year. 27 Cope St, Redfern. 9384 4000. www.kooriradio.com

BEST FRIENDS OF FELINES Cat Protection Society

Cats were revered in ancient Egypt and why not? These gorgeous little creatures are wonderful companions and hilarious to boot (seen any YouTube videos lately?) So it’s easy to see what drives the commitment and passion in the staff at The Cat Protection Society. Last year they celebrated their 60th Anniversary.That’s six decades of rescuing stray, deserted, or surrendered cats and finding suitable new homes and humans for them. Cats are thoroughly checked by a vet, wormed, vaccinated, desexed, microchipped, groomed, and rehabilitated so that they are healthy and happy and ready for adoption. CTP is a registered charity and relies on donations, sponsorship, and fundraising.They sell cute cat paraphernalia and accessories at the front desk and have an opp shop a few doors down. The website is packed with useful tips, links, and information for cat owners and they hold regular seminars and events. It is categorically supurrlative! 103 Enmore Rd, Newtown. 9519 7201. catprotection.org.au

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Everyone knows someone who has cancer. It touches the lives of literally millions of people around the world each year.And while treatments are improving, what we really need is a cure.That’s why these guys are special they are entirely dedicated to funding research into all types of cancer with the ultimate aim of finding a cure.They seek out early career researchers who are coming in with vitality, eagerness and a fresh approach; young, brilliant thinkers who embrace technology and are at the forefront of new ideas.Through a series of creative initiatives, Cure Cancer actively encourages and supports fundraising efforts from the public. So why don’t you hold a barbeCURE or host a World’s Biggest Dinner, invite all your friends and raise some money for this very worthy charity. Level 1, 422 Kent St, Sydney. 8072 6116. www.curecancer.com.au

Warwick Short and his wife Ros were hospitality entrepreneurs who began buying and running Sydney pub hotels in the 1970s. Today, the family owned business presides over a group of popular pubs around the city and north coast. The Glenmore and Australian Heritage in The Rocks, Misfits and The Tudor in Redfern, The Royal in Leichhardt, and The Seabreeze in South West Rocks all bear W.Short’s distinctive brand. While each venue has its own personality and aesthetic, they all share the same high quality standard in dining, entertainment, service, and overall experience. The Sydney venues are all historic buildings that have been restored with a view to preserving original features and charm while integrating a sense of quirky fun and modernity. It’s a business run on family pride. 100 Cumberland St,The Rocks. 9241 2711. wshorthotelgroup.com.au

BEST HIV SUPPORT Positive Life Positive Life is about attitude reform; they want to eliminate the stigma still associated with HIV through a program of education, awareness, and advocacy. Established in 1988, the organisation has provided support for hundreds of people living with HIV, as well as partners, families and communities. Their website is an invaluable hub, with in-depth information about HIV, links to helpful resources, connections to networks, events listings, and more. Through consistent media campaigns, they strive to keep HIV in the public eye and ensure people living with HIV continue to get the support they need and are not excluded from work, personal, and social activities because of their status. It’s a very inclusive organisation and, as a non-profit, relies on donations to continue its good work. Suite 5.2, Lvl 5, 414 Elizabeth St, Surry Hills. 1800 245 677. positivelife.org.au

BEST REAL ESTATE AGENCY Deans Property With so many people in the property game in this city, it’s hard to find anyone that stands out, but Dean’s does. That’s because they think outside the square metre, use imagination, and consider the potential beyond what is physically obvious.The people at Dean’s are like sustainable artists: they pick up properties that are overlooked, on the fringe, defunct, or under-utilised and repurpose them into something meaningful and useful.Warehouses, ex-industrial and commercial spaces, empty land, are developed or converted into community minded living spaces, shared work environments, creative studios, industrial units.Whether you are looking for a place to call home, an office to grow your business, or a block to build your multi-story castle, Dean’s Property has the experience, staff, and willingness to help you out. Buy, rent, develop, your property dreams here. Level 2, Suite 2C, 255 Broadway, Ultimo. 9282 6777. www.deansproperty.com.au

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BEST OF SYDNEY 2019

Pyrmont Dental Health

Anything that makes going to the dentist less stressful is a winner, and a large aquarium full of tropical fish will do just that. The fish tank creates a soothing, relaxed environment that distracts you from the long, thin metal prods clinking against your vulnerable teeth. Not that you need fear here. The staff are friendly and very experienced and the dental practitioners are of a very high calibre. As the aquarium suggests, they are an innovative clinic, with equipment that reflects state of the art, leading edge technology. Apart from routine dental treatment, you can come here for more advanced procedures, remedial work, and cosmetic dentistry. Now, that should make you smile. 3 /19 Harris Street, Pyrmont. 9518 6262. www.pyrmontdentalhealth.com.au

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MLC School Dare to be more is the bold statement on the home page of their website; it’s a challenge MLC School both sets for its students and helps them achieve.The all-girls, independent, non-selective Uniting Church school has a history that dates back to 1886, and even back then they were remarkably progressive, thwarting established limitations imposed on women.That spirit holds true today with a mission statement that encourages fearless thought, moral courage, compassion, and active social participation.They embrace diversity, inclusivity, creativity, and individuality.The school has around 1250 students, from pre-kindergarten through to Year 12, with the option for seniors to do either HSC or International Baccalaureate (IB). Co-curricular activities are in-depth and immersive.They include: Shakespearean theatre training with Sport For Jove; visiting City Of Sydney to exam urban life; an experiential trip to Broken Hill; and overseas trips to assist communities in third world countries. Rowley St, Burwood. 9747 1266. www.mlcsyd.nsw.edu.au

BEST BOUTIQUE HOTEL Vulcan Hotel Situated in the heart of Sydney, the Vulcan Hotel provides boutique accommodation to the weary traveller – a stone’s throw away from the CBD, Haymarket and the Harbour. A family-owned business, The Vulcan Hotel’s contemporary interiors, stunning architecture and heritagelisting allows for a truly exceptional experience in Sydney’s history and culture. While great restaurants are only a walk away, guests can also tickle their taste buds to a fantastic brekky at The Vulcan café. With free Wi-Fi, Qantas frequent flyer points and fantastic rates for rooms, it’s clear to see why The Vulcan Hotel has been awarded TripAdvisor Certificate of Excellence since 2016. 500 Wattle Street, Ultimo. 9211 3283. vulcanhotel.com.au

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Lighthouse Tattoo The standard of graphics in the tattoo industry has long surpassed the hastily etched anchors and skull and crossbones on drunk sailors of yore. In such a competitive arena it’s hard to stand out, but Lighthouse Tattoo does.They have a stable of 13 elite specialist artists plus regular interstate and international guest artists.The studio offers the full gamut of recognised tattoo styles including: western traditional, neo-traditional and illustrative, black and grey, realistic, geometric and dot work, portraiture, and script; or clients can design something totally bespoke with an artist. Lighthouse Tattoo is especially revered for their large scale work with a focus on Japanese tattoo. Led by Alex Rusty, Ryan Ussher, and Nathan Puata, these guys have gained a reputation as masters and are highly regarded by clients and tattoo artists alike.The renovated warehouse premises in Botany has a modern industrial chic, with clean lines and an easy, comfortable, welcoming vibe - you’ll need to book before you go, though. 1 Pemberton St, Botany. 9316 4565. www.lighthousetattoo.com.au

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Clover’s bulldozers create stir

By ANDREW WOODHOUSE Clover Moore has decided to “improve” Macleay Street with paving to create a higher aesthetic. However, aesthetics, like art, are in the eye of the beholder. One person’s higher aesthetic is someone else’s ugliness. Moore’s ideas were outlined at a night meeting on Tuesday 25th July in Kings Cross Library. Her letter of invitation notes “we’ll … discuss the project to pave Macleay Street.” But no shopkeepers I’ve since spoken with recall seeing the letter. And what project? Does “paving” mean the whole roadway or the footpath? About 40 people attended on that cold night. And no-one at council really understands the detail either. No plans are available. What we have is a top-down driven thought bubble presented as a fait accompli. When a previous council “upgrade”’ scheme occurred in Darlinghurst Road, it caused utter chaos where pedestrians risked colliding with Venetian-style pontoons to get to shops. Some shops closed. When council “upgraded” Rushcutters Bay Park residents staged a sit-in. And the infamous George Street, CBD, “upgrade” is creating a tsunami of problems, delays and compensation claims. Council has no underground surveys of utilities such as electricity cables, water, sewage and drain pipes or gas mains. In Glebe Point Road, the council’s “upgrade” took two years. As reported in the City Hub, one restaurateur, owner of Cuccina di Lusso, pinned a note to the door: “Business closed due to the “disaster” road works.

“The front of my restaurant was a council excavation site park with a skip and bobcat parked in it,” said the owner, Rob Fairall. Lawful basis an enigma After Clover’s meeting on 25th July, questions were put including the lawful basis of the proposal, which remains an enigma. We know it involves replacing street infrastructure by excavating and removing asphalt on the pavement on both sides of Macleay Street between Orwell and McDonald Streets, Potts Point; replacing street furniture with new furniture and water bubblers; slowing cars down; including 50

“smart poles” with flags/advertising banners; installing granite paving as part of “beautification and aesthetic improvements” and installing rain gardens - so far.

Upgrades” can create a tsunami of problems, delays and compensation claims Consultation begins in eight weeks with a short design exhibition in November 2019. Construction excavators and bulldozers arrive in

February 2020, all to be completed pre-Christmas, December 2020, taking “about 12 months”. No costings are known. A phalanx of concerns has been raised by the community, namely; how many trees will be demolished? Are shared footpath bike paths proposed? Works should/could be done in stages. How will residents get some Zzzs? Will every shop have clear access from the street and foot path at all opening hours times? What compensation is provided? Isn’t this scheme a revenue raising idea through advertising banners? Will there be street fountains and street mosaics? How can works occur with on-street café tables and chairs now in place? Will apartment car park entrances remain open or will residents be trapped inside their apartments? Will heritage lamp posts and awnings be reinstated? Will there be footpath heritage plaques? The silent response is deafening. One anonymous shop owner said “this idea will be a disaster.” So, this project isn’t little pain for little gain as some hope.

Disruption deserves consultation Ms Angela Vithoulkas, City of Sydney Councillor and founder of the independent Small Business Party, said “It’s part of the core business of any council to upkeep their local Government Area in the best shape possible, and to upgrade as required. “All too frequently the construction

Opinion

works are disruptive and we can have economic impacts to our local businesses and serious amenity disruption to our residents. “It’s my hope that the City of Sydney will display good community engagement and true consultation with the people who will bear the brunt of any works, and make it their priority to mitigate the impacts. It’s vital that any economic pain is avoided or compensation needs to be provided. Our local businesses are the heart and soul of our communities, providing jobs and activation. No one’s livelihood should be affected, just because local government can’t plan or won’t step up and do better. It’s the least our ratepayers deserve being treated fairly.“ And in early August the council issued another notice advising works in St Neots Reserve in Potts Point for a new water bubbler beginning 19th August for nine days saying “there will be restricted access to properties … restrictions to on-street parking … transport of heavy machinery at night, noise from works during the day …including jackhammers, saw cutters, tip trucks, generators … contact Sydney Civil contractors.” If all this is for one bubbler what can expect for the whole of Macleay Street? Ms Vithoulkas is attending a local meeting in the near future for those concerned. To register your attendance please email heritageandconservation@ hotmail.com

Randwick Boys stays boys only By VANESSA LIM Randwick Boys High School (RBHS) will stay boys only despite overwhelming support from the community to make it a co-educational school. CLOSEast, a community group that has been been advocating for another Eastern Suburbs public high school since 2016 was disappointed. Licia Heath, an Eastern Suburbs local and member of CLOSEast who has waited over 12 months for the decision to be made, said it would not only affect herself but other community members. “It’s just a joke. It shows how tokenistic this issue was to the election. This has such an effect on families’ lives. For the first time ever, girls attended the RBHS open night at the beginning of this year, thinking that there was a chance that it would go co-ed, but it was all just a red herring.” The NSW Department of Education’s (DoE) public survey, which was open from December 2018 to February 2019, showed that 66.4% of the 2,226 participants supported changing RBHS to a co-ed school. The other 28.12% of participants were against it, while the rest stayed neutral. Dr Marjorie O’Neill, Labor MP for Coogee, said the report was meant to be released in the first half of the year. “Regardless of what the outcome was, we were really pushing for a decision to be first made, so that we could know what the future of the school would be.” Decision not based on popularity It appears the survey results were just a small factor of what was taken into consideration. A spokesperson from the DoE said, “The decision was not based solely on the online survey results; other community consultation and considerations were involved, as covered in information on the department’s website.” In the public survey report, 40 Eastern Suburbs’

Ms Heath also argued that there was no longer a choice for her two children that would eventually go to high school. “I have two kids and I’m very passionate about them to go to a co-ed school. At this stage in my area, there’s fifteen private schools and one public school. Of those sixteen in total, two are co-ed.” Nearly 2 years ago, CLOSEast conducted a survey with over 2000 participants and found that many parents didn’t want to send their children to single-sex schools. “Single-sex schools might have been very in vogue in the 1950s and 60s, but increasingly they’re not.”

Randwick Boys High School won’t be educating girls for the foreseeable future. Photo: Pixabay

public schools, parents, school kids, representative stakeholder groups and the general public views were all taken into consideration. Dr O’Neill said that while she agreed that turning RBHS into a co-educational school would remove choice for single-sex schools, there was now no co-educational choice in the Coogee electorate. “Now that this decision has been made, the minister and the Department of Education need to now be very clear about how they propose for parents to have access to co-educational public schools.” A spokesperson from the DoE said, “The department continually monitors population and development trends to plan for future enrolment demand, and develops projections of student

numbers that are based on the official NSW population projections, from the Department of Planning and Environment.”

Single-sex schools might have been vogue in the 1950s-60s, but now they’re not Dr O’Neill said, “One of the things that have been proposed is that kids can go to JJ Cahill Memorial High School or Matraville Sports High School. But how are kids going to get there? What is the public transport plan to get there? If you have a look on google maps and just do a public transport plan, it takes over an hour.”

Boys’ school under capacity The reason why RBHS was chosen instead of Randwick Girls High School to become coeducational was because it was under capacity. “People weren’t wanting to send their boys to a single-sex school. I think the enrolments were something like 650 of 1000 students whereas Randwick Girls next door was basically at capacity.” “CLOSEast’s view is not about making Randwick Boys H.S co-ed. If the community wants that, terrific. Our campaign has been about the capacity constraints across the whole region requiring a whole new [public] school.” Dr O’Neill said that she now wanted to know what Liberal Federal Member for Wentworth, Dave Sharma, would do to help. “The current Liberal government has never committed to a coeducational school, but I’m very interested though to hear what the federal member of Wentworth has to say about this. “He committed to building a co-educational public high school in the Eastern Suburbs but he seems to have gone silent. “I would like to see his advocacy in this position as he ran off this as well as a number of other issues as part of his electoral campaign.” city hub 22 AUGUST 2019

NRMA’s Sydney Harbour contest By ANDREW CHUTER The upcoming NRMA election of directors is shaping up to be a referendum on the WestConnex tollroad, says one of the two candidates contesting the Harbour Region. Mr Peter Hehir, a retired construction manager, film actor and anti-tollroad activist, is standing against Mr Tim Trumper, who is the director of the Harbour Region and the current NRMA chairman. The region extends from Botany Bay to the Northern Beaches, encompassing many of the suburbs most negatively impacted by WestConnex, and also includes those areas that will be affected by the yet to be approved Western Harbour and Northern Beaches tollroads. The 315,000 NRMA members who reside in the region will be sent election material in the coming weeks. Voting will open from 23 September to 28 October. All current financial members of the NRMA are eligible to vote. Mr Trumper is on record in the May/June 2019 edition of the NRMA’s magazine Open Road. “I’m pleased to say transport infrastructure projects like WestConnex, NorthConnex and the Sydney Metro Northwest Project will all come onto the network in the coming years, representing an important change in Sydney’s transport. The NSW Government has also committed to progressing the Northern Beaches Link, which is a vital piece of infrastructure that will improve the lives of the hundreds of thousands of Sydneysiders.” NSW Labor says “No” to tunnel In the recent NSW election, the present leader of the NSW Labor Party, Jodi McKay, promised that the Western Harbour Tunnel would not be built under a Labor Government. Without this link under the harbour the construction of the Northern Beaches Link would be unlikely to proceed.

that tollroads like WestConnex aren’t the solution to Sydney’s traffic congestion. He, like many transport experts worldwide, argues that public transport, especially rail with 12 times the capacity of road, is the only solution capable of efficiently moving the city’s workers during peak periods. “New roads have never provided a solution to congestion, nor can they, because of induced demand”, says Mr Hehir. “This is a phenomenon where new roads, regardless of the number of lanes, generate new traffic and within a very short period become choked, making the situation as bad as or worse than before.”

Public transport speeds are what ultimately determine road speeds

Peter Hehir campaigning against WestConnex on the City West Link. Photo: Bill Holliday

Mr Hehir, who is also the convenor of the 850 -member group Rozelle Against WestConnex and the editor of the RAW newspaper Bottleneck!, says

“Freeways, especially radial freeways, those that have the CBD at or near their hub, have never worked for long wherever they have been tried – not anywhere in the world”, says Hehir. “Many of these freeways have subsequently been torn down.” Hehir’s other concerns are the cost – estimated by SGS Economics and Planning at $45 billion – along with the ever-increasing tolls and the concentration and release of carcinogenic diesel exhaust. He cites figures from the 2.2 km M5 East tunnel provided by the RMS, suggesting that over 300 tonnes of toxic material will be released annually from the 4 unfiltered exhaust stacks in Rozelle alone. “I struggle to see how this will improve the lives of hundreds of thousands of Sydneysiders”, says Hehir, “especially those who pay to breath the toxic air in the tunnels or live anywhere near the fallout plume from the stacks”.

The business case for WestConnex has also been questioned. Evidence given at the Parliamentary Inquiry into WestConnex suggests that the costs had been understated and the benefits overstated. In Sydney, the Lane Cove Tunnel and the Cross City Tunnel went broke when toll revenue failed to match forecast revenue. The Cross City Tunnel has been in receivership twice. Zeibots predicts failure of WC Stage 3 The Sydney Harbour Tunnel has cost NSW taxpayers over $1 billion since the tunnel began operation, monies paid by the government to the operators because usage fell well short of the projected figures. In Brisbane, the Clem7 and Airport Link also failed for the same reason. In her evidence to the WestConnex Inquiry, UTS transport planner Dr Michelle Zeibots predicted that WestConnex Stage 3 would “achieve an outcome similar to that experienced by the Cross City Tunnel”. Zeibots became well known for correctly predicting the failure of the Cross City Tunnel in 2002, a year before construction began. Her submission provides evidence that public transport speeds are what ultimately determine road speeds and that projects such as WestConnex fail to improve congestion in the long term. Hehir says he is keen to ensure that the election offers NRMA members a clear alternative in relation to radial tollroads. That will be difficult, given that the NRMA have imposed restrictions on candidates that preclude any mention of “policy, objectives or intentions” in the published candidate’s statements.

Mr Trumper was approached for comment but no reply was received by deadline.

PROPOSAL TO UPGRADE A MOBILE PHONE BASE STATION LOCATED IN SYDNEY Telstra are currently upgrading existing mobile network facilities to allow for the introduction of 5G to Telstra’s network. As part of this network upgrade, Telstra proposes the installation of NR3500 and 2100 technologies in Sydney.

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ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT w

Managing Carmen

This August, Lane Cove Theatre Company are bringing Australian playwright David Williamson’s Managing Carmen to the stage for a two-week season. Directed by Isaac Downey, the play features a plethora of colourful characters, focusing on AFL star Brent Lyall. On the field, Brent is the darling of Australian football. He’s the captain of the leading team and is at the top of his game. Behind closed doors, however, Brent has a secret. He spends his free time crossdressing as his alter ego Carmen. Australian actor Cam Ralph plays both Brent and Carmen in the production and spoke about the differences between the two characters. “He’s quite timid in some ways, and she’s very extroverted and big and explosive.” Cam has enjoyed taking on the challenge of playing such a complex role and being pushed outside his comfort zone as an actor saying, “It’s been quite a challenge stepping out of my comfort zone. I’ve had to put aside any kind of ego but also then become quite comfortable in doing anything and saying ‘yes’ to anything.” Managing Carmen is an all-round comedy however woven into the script’s wit is a touching and memorable story, brought to life by both Brent, Carmen and the surrounding characters. When asked what kind of experience an audience might have when coming to see the show, Cam replied, “I can guarantee they’ll have a very good laugh but also see an underlying dramatic side to things. It’s a very intimate performance.You get to have one-on-one time with each of the characters and explore their depths.” (MB) Until Aug 31.The Performance Space at St Aidan’s, 1 Christina Street, Longueville. $20-$27+b.f. Tickets & Info: www.trybooking.com/ZFDE

Opera High Tea - Opera Goes To The Movies According to Murray Dahm, artistic director of Opera Bites, opera needs to be relatable to the masses and not seen just as high-class entertainment for the elite.With this in mind, Dahm and his company aim for complete immersion of the audience.The idea is to make opera pieces engaging and accessible by demystifying them.This boutique company has performed at pubs, private parties, historic houses and even in backyard sheds. Audience participation is encouraged too. In one production there were fez hats and fake spears set aside for audience members to play Turkish guards and arrest members of the audience. In another, there were lines of dialogue taped under seats and audience members were told when and how to say their lines. Dahm actually takes the role of MC and explains the operatic piece about to be performed. Operas include; La Boheme, La Traviata,Turandot, Madame Butterfly and, many others with which most of us

are familiar with, even if we don’t know it. This, in fact, is the point. As MC Dahm initiates his performers to wander through the audience singing for them, with them and at them. Remember the aria in Priscilla Queen Of The Desert as the bus drove through the desert with the silver cape twirling up to the heavens? Imagine the same moment performed at the now-defunct Taxi Club and you’ve got the picture. The singers usually number about four or five and are all consummate professionals. Sometimes they will do a full opera but mostly concentrate on the highlights.They have been performing for over 10 years and their newest event Opera Goes To The Movies is accompanied by a high tea in a classy hotel. Their pianist, Zsu Zsa Gizcy, is Hungarian and studied opera in Budapest. Class indeed. “We come from all walks of life,” says Dahm, “Amongst us is a physiotherapist, a couple of public servants, and even a firefighter.We have come

Picasso And His Dog

Everybody knows of the famed painter Pablo Picasso. But very few know of his dog, Lump, who lived with Picasso for 16 years and developed an unbreakable between the pair. Inspired by a true story, Picasso And His Dog is a delightful show which celebrates the animals with whom we share our lives while exploring what it is to be creative and to create. Picasso ad Lump first came together when Lump arrived at Picasso’s villa one fine spring morning in 1957. From that day forward the pair were inseparable, with Lump even becoming a source of inspiration for the artist. Lump would appear in 54 of Picasso’s famed artworks before they would

Photo: Pia Johnson

Chorus Marking its world-premiere season at the Old Fitz this August, Chorus brings Greek tragedy Agamemnon into contemporary Sydney culture. Featuring a creative team that boasts some of Sydney’s best emerging talent, Chorus is written by Ang Collins and directed by Clemence Williams. Presented with groundbreaking multimodal elements, Chorus follows the journey of Agamemnon, a pop-icon who has just returned to Sydney following her sellout worldwide tour. On her return, Agamemnon is forced to face the painful reality of the life she left behind, with the show’s story being told by a live chorus.

a&e

19 STAGE 10 SCENE 11 Sounds 11 SCREEN

together due to our great love of Opera and we wanted to share it with all and sundry.” A beautiful sentiment. We all deserve to soar through the heavens on the odd occasion. A natural high. (RLD) Aug 24.The Castlereagh Boutique Hotel, 169 Castlereagh Street, Sydney. $99+b.f. Tickets & Info: www.operabites.com.au

Ella Prince (A Girl Is A Half Formed Thing) plays the lead role and spoke about the process of bringing Agamemnon into the present. “Whenever you bring something into the very present it’s quite exciting,” Ella said, continuing, “It’s interesting in the first instance to invert that and make her a woman because we consume female bodies in completely different ways than we do male bodies in our modern culture.” Speaking of the importance and role of the chorus in this piece, Ella explained, “I think we’ve kind of exploded the concept of a chorus in the first instance, and in the classical sense, and we’ve brought that into modern day Australia.” Chorus boasts a theatre experience unlike any other, and in

both pass in the very same year. This month Lemony S Puppet Theatre Productions will pay tribute to this incredible friendship with a unique childfriendly puppet play. The show combines the art and story of Picasso with the extraordinary poems of Chilean poet Pablo Neruda and the text of Picasso’s contemporary and lifelong friend, Gertrude Stein. Picasso And His Dog is a refreshingly original, wild and adventurous work that could only be achieved through puppetry. Aug 29-31. Glen St Theatre, Cnr Glen Street, Blackbutts Rd, Belrose. $23+b.f. Tickets & Info: www.glenstreet.com.au

the Old Fitz’s intimate space, audiences are invited to be completely immersed in the modern reworking of this Greek classic. “In the first instance I think it’s quite exciting for an audience to be planted in this immersive landscape so I would hope that they’d have a sensory experience unlike any other that they’re quite used to in the theatre” said Ella, going on to share, “I hope that their experience of the elements in this show will also open people up to discussing their own sense of image in this world.” (MB) Aug 28-Sep 21. The Old Fitz, Cathedral Street, Woolloomooloo. $33-$45+b.f. Tickets & Info: www.redlineproductions.com.au

Arts Editor: Jamie Apps

Ella Prince as Agamemnon. Photo: Philip Erbacher

Contributors: Irina Dunn, Mark Morellini, Olga Azar, Rita Bratovich, Joseph Rana, Madison Behringer, Allison Hore, Renee Lou Dallow, Alannah Maher.

For more A&E stories go to www.altmedia.net.au and don’t forget to join the conversation on Twitter at @AltMediaSydney city hub 22 AUGUST 2019

Comedy Queens

William

An international cast of the world’s funniest drag queens is on its way to Sydney! The Comedy Queens 2019 tour will also hit Adelaide, Melbourne and Brisbane this August. Greats of the American drag scene, Coco Peru and Jackie Beat, will take to the stage with Aussie legends Trevor Ashley and Karen From Finance, as well as some of the biggest personalities to come out of RuPaul’s Drag Race - Alaska Thunderfuck, Willam, Bob The Drag Queen, and Vanessa Vanjie Mateo. Willam spoke to the City Hub ahead of this mammoth tour to dish on the life of an international drag

superstar. An author, an actor, a businesswoman, a Youtuber, a podcaster - there aren’t many hats this unapologetic queen doesn’t wear, and she carries her no-holdsbarred attitude across every endeavour. Willam made a memorable impression sharing the screen with Lady Gaga in the box-office hit A Star is Born, yet she says it was her part in the new HBO documentary Wig, covering the history of New York’s cult drag festival, that was a “full circle moment” in her career. “I grew up watching the OG (1995) Wigstock documentary. To be asked

to perform on that stage by (Lady) Bunny and to have Neil Patrick Harris introduce me was a pinch myself moment... It was truly humbling to be in a room with hundreds of people and hear them laugh at me in the new documentary.” When it comes to the Comedy Queens tour, Willam promises to bring that energy. “I think it’s safe to say audiences can plan on laughing,” she said. (AM) Aug 24.The Roundhouse, UNSW, Anzac Parade, Sydney. $108.03-$311.61+b.f. Tickets & Info: itdevents.com

THE NAKED CITY

LIGHTS, CAMERA, ACTION – SYDNEY! With Coffin Ed Think of some of the classic movie locations of all time and you might immediately recall the mean streets of New York City, the boulevards of Paris or the historic precincts of Rome. All have been the urban film sets of some of cinema’s greatest classics. Sydney, on the other hand, can’t quite match its northern hemisphere counterparts as an iconic location but things are starting to change. The city, of course, has been featured in numerous homegrown movies and over the years as a set for a number of foreign-funded productions. Back in the late 50s, Fort Denison in Sydney Harbour was the focus of the British thriller, The Siege Of Pinchgut, notably the last film ever made by the acclaimed Ealing Studios. The story involved a couple of German POWs who escaped during World War II and commandeered the Fort, holding the city to ransom by threatening to blow up a munitions ship. A box office flop at the time it was more recently resurrected by Australian movie aficionado Quentin Tarantino for a screening at one of his film festivals. In June of 2004, Japan’s famous Toho studios arrived in Sydney to shoot what was the 28th in their series of Godzilla movies. Not

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surprisingly Godzilla got to trample the Sydney Opera House and trash the Harbour Bridge, although these scenes were either shot in miniature or using CGI. Toho did, however, recruit hundreds of local extras to run through

Darling Harbour in a mass panic, with their hysterical screams no doubt later enhanced in the dubbing booth. A few years earlier Sydney was a more expansive location for the shooting of Mission Impossible II, starring Tom Cruise. Shot in and around the CBD as well as Bare Island at La Perouse, the production poured millions of dollars into the local economy and set a precedent for many imported ventures to follow. With the facilities of Fox Studios, highly skilled local film crews, financial incentives from the State Government and a very favourable exchange rate with the weak Australian dollar, Sydney is now a desirable location for many of the big American film companies. Universal Studios are currently filming a remake of The Invisible Man in Sydney however the city itself is being disguised to resemble somewhere in Canada. That’s not an unfamiliar scenario in recent years with overseas film companies either reinventing Sydney as a US location or as an anonymous metropolis as in The Matrix. Sure we get a “shot on location in Sydney, Australia” in the final credits but where’s the real international exposure that we so often seek? Some years ago I made my own personal protest regarding these foreign studios coming here and using Sydney purely as an unnamed backdrop for

some crummy American movie franchise. It was a Sunday afternoon, Bridge Street in the city had been cordoned off by a huge film crew and there were American police cars lined up for some kind of action shoot. I actually lived on Bridge Street at the time and was returning from shopping in a nearby supermarket. The northern end of the city was abuzz with film trucks, camera crews and security personnel keeping sightseers at bay. The front door to my apartment building was right in the middle of the closed-off street, my tub of ice cream was melting and there was no way I was waiting until the filming was completed. Slipping through the security I hastily headed for my front door, just as the director called ‘action’. As four or five police cars charged down Bridge Street I walked defiantly straight through the shot, quickly pursued by a screaming security thug. Luckily I reached my front door just before he could apprehend me and with great gusto, I closed it in his face. I never did find out what movie they were actually shooting although I am sure I would have been cut from the scene. If the State Government continues to offer large financial inducements to US movie studios, maybe they should insist that Sydney is the true location shown in the final cut, not Toronto, Canada or Long Island, New York.

REVIEW: Blood Territory Ever since Serial, the podcast world has been blitzed by one crime mystery series after another, each attempting to replicate a formula while also distinguishing itself from the others. It’s getting harder to do, and the bandwagon is creaking under the weight. It’s this sentiment of fatigue that may make crime and podcast fans hesitant about listening to the new Australian 10 part true-crime series, Blood Territory. Narrated by award-winning journalist, Mark Whittaker, this is a deep investigation into the case of 22-year-old Jimmy O’Connell who was murdered in the Northern Territory in 2006. Local man, Philip Mather was convicted of the murder and spent nine years in jail, all the while protesting his innocence along with O’Connell’s own parents. Mather and O’Connell were best buddies at one time until they had a petty falling out that turned ever more sour. However, there were plenty of other suspects with highly plausible motives

and only fractionally less evidence against them than the dubious witness testimonial that damned Mather. The real intrigue of the case is the murder scene. O’Connell’s burntout car was discovered on a property. Metres away, his body, partly mummified due to the delay in finding him, is lying in a dried out creek, naked and with a very specific mutilation, which may be key to the case or may have a reasonable, innocuous explanation. The success of these podcasts is in the telling of the story and for the most part, it’s done well; but the show does suffer from over editorialising by the narrator - something that has come to typify the genre. Without repetitive conjecture, the series could easily have been compacted down to six or fewer episodes. In its favour is the inherent mystique of the isolated and unpredictable Top End. (RB) Available now for a limited time, free on Audible.com.au

Mark Whittaker

Hilltop Hoods

By Jamie Apps Next weekend Australian hip-hop icons, Hilltop Hoods, return to a stage for their own headline performance in Sydney for the first time in three years. The two core members MC Suffa (Matthew Lambert) and Pressue (Daniel Smith) would initially meet at Blackwood High School in Adelaide in 1987 before formally creating Hilltop Hoods with DJ Next (Ben Hare) in

1994. Those three men would star together until 1999 when Hare would leave and be replaced by DJ Debris (Barry Francis). Regardless of the members though Hilltop Hoods would be a force within not only the Australian hip-hop scene but the overall Australian music scene. The formidable impact of Hilltop Hoods cannot be disputed. Their latest record, The Great Expanse, was their sixth album to debut at number

A Dog’s Journey

one on the ARIA Album charts which is a record for any Australian band. Although the band was sitting atop the Australian music world in 2016 they simply couldn’t keep up the pace any longer. “To be honest, we were a little burnt out,” explained Smith before continuing, “We’d been making records and touring for 10 years straight without ever really taking a proper break. So we need to take six

to 12 months off just to step away and refresh.” During the time away children would come into play for the band members and alter their lives dramatically. “It’s a mad life changer having kids, it changes everything. The people you hang out with everyday changes.Your daily routine, or lack of, changes,” said Smith. Despite the time away Hilltop Hoods haven’t missed a beat. They’ve just come off a tour supporting Eminem and are now partaking in their biggest ever headline tour of their own. Reflecting on the recently concluded tour Smith said, “Supporting Eminem was a bit of a life-changer… I absolutely never imagined playing on the same stage as him.” Perhaps the most crucial part of the tour with Eminem was the chance for Hilltop Hoods to “road test” some of their new material in a stadium environment before their own stadium performances. When asked how he felt leading into these headline shows Smith said, “It’s a bit surreal. You’ve got to stop every now and then to enjoy it and check that it’s actually happening. I still don’t quite believe that many people are going to be there. I couldn’t be more touched by the support that we’ve had for this record and world tour.” Aug 31. QUDOS Bank Arena, 19 Edwin Flack Ave, Sydney Olympic Park. $91.60+b.f.Tickets & Info: www.qudosbankarena.com.au

relationship between a boy (Ethan) and his dog (Bailey). Told through the voice of Bailey it is about the dog’s quest for the true meaning of what it is to be a dog. What is the purpose of being a dog? A Dog’s Journey is a continuation of this theme. This theme is sensitively dealt with and the film does not become overly sentimental. Gotta love dogs eh? (RLD) WWWW

The debut album from Brisbane quintet WAAX hits with an unrelenting tidal wave of noise throughout its 12 track offering. After years of filling up the airwaves and streaming platforms with single after single WAAX finally deliver a special debut album. With Big Grief, the band explore the various facets of grief which everybody feels at some point in modern society, whether that be anxiety, mania, melancholy, loneliness or rebellion. Across the 12 tracks, WAAX have obviously been keenly aware of crafting a singular album package rather than just singles, which makes this record something special. In saying that though, each song is crafted so expertly that they are all able to still impact the listener in their own right. The overall scruffy, garage, punk-rock sound is a powerful yet fun listen, which we should certainly be hearing much more of. (JA) WWW1/2

Korean Film Festival A Resistance

A Dog’s Journey, directed by Gail Mancuso, is a picture book corn-fed, country style, feel-good movie with a difference. Yes, it’s the story of a dog, told by a dog who keeps coming back as a different dog but it is also the story of a fractured family unit with all the angst and complications that make us want to run and keep running until we can find a place to regenerate and breathe. The film is actually a sequel to, A Dog’s Purpose which is about the

WAAX - Big Grief

This is the festival’s 10th anniversary in Australia which also celebrates 100 years of Korean filmmaking with an excellent program of 22 films. “Korean cinema is steadily rising to be one of the global powerhouses in film. The productions are of high quality with nearly 600 films produced domestically last year,” explained David Park, the Festival Artistic Director. The purpose of this festival is to culturally engage with Australians. “Our festival isn’t organised to cater for Koreans that are living in Australia, but we cater for non-Koreans and it is reflected in our audience demographics where last year 75% of our audience was from non-Korean heritage.” There is a great diversity in films

screening at this festival, from laugh out loud comedies to dramatic offerings and touching documentaries. The festival opens with A Resistance, beautifully filmed in black and white this film explores the fight for Korean independence and is followed by a Q&A with director Joe-Min-ho and cast members Ko Asung and Kim Yeeun in attendance. Animated films are rarely produced in Korea, but this year the festival is proud to present Underdog, a film for the whole family to enjoy. “This animation based on animals and their relationships living in a human world was invited to screen at several film festivals in Japan and was also critically acclaimed.” Text-book zombie flicks are always a drawcard at film festivals so Rampant

and The Odd Family: Zombie On Sale are two titles enthusiasts of this genre should not miss. “There is a lot to offer in Korean cinema and I highly recommend this film festival for anybody who is looking for something new, something with a different perspective. All our films are screened with English subtitles and if you’ve never seen a Korean film this festival is catered especially for you.” (MMo)

PARK’S HOT PICKS PARASITE: There should be a lot of interest in this drama about income inequality, which was the first Korean film to win the Palme d’ or award at Cannes. BIRTHDAY: Dramatic look at a family who has been struggling with the tragic sinking of the MV Sewol ferry in South Korea, 2014. THE GREAT BATTLE: Set in 645AD, the Tang Dynasty emperor Li invades an ancient kingdom of Korea. An epic Asian period action war film. Aug 22-31. Dendy Opera Quays, Shop 9, 2 East Circular Quay. $12-$40+b.f. Tickets & Info: www.koffia.com.au city hub 22 AUGUST 2019

H W ’S AT O

MEMORIES OF THE MOON LANDING

ASTRONAUT

FUTURE

PICASSO AND HIS DOG

Considers memories of the 1969 Moon Landing and Australia’s involvement at the time from multiple perspectives.

A series of works by artists that consider space exploration from the perspective of the astronaut.

This delightful show celebrates the animals with whom we share our lives while exploring what it is to be creative.

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