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june 4, 2015

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Construction scheduled for George Street light rail

By Joe Bourke The major construction schedule for the CBD and South East Light Rail was announced last week after sustained pressure on the state government for its release.

Minister for Roads Duncan Gay and Minister for Transport Andrew Constance announced that construction on the project will start in the CBD on October 23. at an event in Martin Place last Thursday May 28.

Construction will take place in 31 construction zones over two and a half years, with testing commencing in June 2018.

Independent City of Sydney councillor Angela Vithoulkas has been a long term campaigner for business rights during construction. She told City Hub that she was pleased to see the schedule, but it had come too late for business owners like herself.

“I’ve had 120 days notice for 1000 days of construction. How am I supposed to plan on such short notice?” Clr Vithoulkas said.

“It’s irresponsible for government to assume that everybody can just change what they’re doing so quickly and so easily when no major organisations, especially not the government, have ever done anything on such short notice.”

Mr Constance said the schedule’s release was “about providing business plenty of time to prepare and plan well ahead”.

“We’ve been elected to get on with the job of transforming NSW through major transport projects such as the North West Rail Link, Sydney Rapid Transit, WestConnex and NorthConnex and light rail in the Sydney CBD and Parramatta,” he said.

One George Street business owner told City Hub they were optimistic about the light rail, subscribing to the idea of “short term pain for long term gain”.

But Brian Liang, owner of Fresh Plus Juices on George Street told City Hub he was so concerned about the light rail’s construction that he sold his business.

Construction in the city earlier this year. Source: Twitter.com

“From my point of view, it is a very bad idea to build a light rail in George Street, especially because they’re going to take so long to build it,” he said.

“We will have less tourists because they will avoid the area, and there will be less chance to get out for lunch because of the very bad environment.”

To minimise the construction pains for

businesses, Transport for NSW (TfNSW) highlighted that access to business and properties would be maintained during construction, and hoardings around construction sites would include directions to businesses.

A 24-hour construction hotline is also up and running for businesses to call and voice their concerns.

Clr Vithoulkas said that while access to business

will be maintained, she remains in the dark as to what the area will look like.

“What that’s going to end up looking like, we don’t know, because maybe people will have access to those businesses but they may not want to go to the area where construction work is happening,” she said.

“It’s again another example of a very true lack of consultation.”

Aside from its effect on George Street businesses, one of the biggest concerns of the construction is the relocation of the many bus services that use the CBD. A new bus timetable will be released on October 4, just 19 days before major construction starts.

In a statement, TfNSW said bus stops would be moved along other corridors, including Elizabeth Street, Castlereagh Street, Park Street, Druitt Street, Clarence Street and York Street.

To ease congestion throughout the period, the College Street cycleway will be removed and work will not begin on a Castlereagh Street cycleway until after construction is finished.

Lord Mayor Clover Moore, who was responsible for the addition of the bike lanes, denounced the planned removal, saying it was an “irresponsible” decision to not complete the Castlereagh Street cycleway.

“Safe, separated cycleways are essential for fixing congestion in the CBD and protecting people who choose to ride,” she said on her website.

Roads Minister Duncan Gay said the government was doing everything they can to take pressure off the CBD. “We’re throwing everything at this to alleviate pressure – we’re appointing a central body, putting work on hold where we can and carrying out supporting road upgrades before construction starts,” he said.

“We know this is going to be a difficult period of change but we’re Sydney and we’re used to rising to this challenge – I know light rail will be no exception.”

One year on and the Redfern Aboriginal Tent Embassy continues to fight Published weekly and freely available Sydney-wide.

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ABN 52 600 903 348 Group Publisher: Lawrence Gibbons Group Manager: Chris Peken Group Editors: Joe Bourke & Emily Contador-Kelsall Contributors: Lydia Watson-Moore, Callum Cyrus, Tang Li & Georgia Fullerton Arts Editors: Jamie Apps, Alannah Maher Dining Editor: Jackie McMillan Advertising Managers: Robert Tuitama, Mark Barnes Cover Photo: Chris Peken - Sydney Fish Market Email: question@alternativemediagroup.com Advertising: sales@alternativemediagroup.com Contact: PO Box 843 Broadway 2007 Ph: 9212 5677 Fax: 9212 5633 Web: altmedia.net.au

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By Callum Cyrus The Redfern Aboriginal Tent Embassy continues to represent Sydney’s indigenous community in protest, one year after the Embassy pitched tents at Eveleigh Street.

Despite several eviction notices, with the latest timed to coincide with Sorry Day, the Embassy remains.

The community at Redfern’s Block is pitted against the Aboriginal Housing Company (AHC) whose Pemulwuy project has caused tension with protesters.

Speaking with City Hub, an AHC spokesperson said, “This is a complicated issue and sometimes change is something we don’t like, but people should understand this project is an opportunity to really do something for our community.”

“There is no part of the Pemulwuy Project that is for sale. The income from the commercial and retail precincts will sustain the 62 houses that we are building,” the spokesperson said.

On a visit from this newspaper last weekend, the occupiers were found in good spirits, preparing for their next action.

This month, the Embassy will again take to the streets, holding two marches which could spill on to the front doorsteps of Deicorp, developers of the $70 million Pemulwuy scheme destined for Eveleigh Street.

Aunty Jenny Munro, one of the community’s leading figures and a former member of the AHC, will speak to students at the University of New South Wales, furthering the Embassy’s message.

The Aboriginal Tent Embassy at Redfern. Photo: Callum Cyrus

There is talk of legal proceedings and some believe that a submission to an arbiter such as the Independent Commission Against Corruption could create a level playing field. “[The AHC] wants to try and fight us off this land, but if [the authorities] had a look through the records in court you’ll see the endemic... mismanagement and disorganisation have really abrogated their duties to the community,” she said.

While the AHC stresses student accommodation and shops will be vital if affordable houses are to go-ahead, there is no guarantee on when these residences are going to be delivered.

Sceptics at the Embassy allege that commercial arrangements between Deicorp and the AHC put the long term promise to deliver affordable housing into doubt.

Deicorp once aided the AHC with a $500,000 bank loan, but then joined with

a marketing firm proclaiming “Redfern’s potential”. today, Aunty Munro said this does not inspire confidence from the community.

“The housing company has to realise that the developer is just going to use them to make money, as the tool, that’s their business. They don’t care what community they destroy or disrupt in the process,” Aunty Munro said.

“This is sacred land for our people, and we will defend it to the end.”

The AHC has worked to dismiss the controversy.

“They have claimed they needed to “save” the block, whereas the block is indeed owned by an Aboriginal Company,” the spokesperson said.

“The Embassy has made other claims, including that the AHC had sold the land to developers, and that we weren’t building any affordable housing at all,” the company told City Hub. city hub 4 june 2015

3

By Emily Contador-Kelsall Greens member for Balmain Jamie Parker will introduce to NSW Parliament a bill aimed at securing the future of Callan Park this Thursday June 4 as City Hub goes to print.

Callan Park has long been a source of contention between the state government, Leichhardt Council and the community. The Friends of Callan Park group and Mr Parker have criticised successive state governments for neglecting the park and leaving it in “a state of limbo”.

Mr Parker said he was optimistic the bill would get through parliament and ensure Callan Park would not be privatised.

“There’s been a battle of wills between those who would like to see the site privatised and sold off and those that are defending it, and they’re at an impasse,” he said.

“The private seller [is] still hanging on and we have to ensure that we can quash that view by getting the Trust and the Master Plan implemented.”

There are three elements to Mr Parker’s bill, including the implementation of a Callan Park and Broughton Hall Trust. The Friends of Callan Park and Leichhardt Council have long been campaigning for the trust to be established to manage the historic park.

“The independent trust is very important.

It takes it out of the hands of government departments that see Callan Park as a honey pot rather than an important heritage and cultural and community site,” Mr Parker said.

Mr Parker’s motion also calls for the implementation of the principles of the Callan Park Master Plan.

Leichhardt Council approved the Callan Park Master Plan in 2011 and council formally presented these plans to the state government

Cartoon: Peter Berner

Parker plans for Callan Park’s future

Callan Park. Source: wikipedia.commons

in the same year.

Despite council approving the building of the Callan Park Skate Park last month, a key aspect of the master plan, it is still yet to be fully implemented and acknowledged by the state government. “[The motion aims to] ensure that the principals of the Master Plan are adopted and those principles, if you have a look at the Master Plan, include no sell off and no commercialisation of Callan Park,” Mr Parker said.

The NSW Department of Planning and Environment is currently responsible for the Callan Park Act. The Callan Park (Special Provisions) Act 2002, is “an Act to preserve the public

ownership of Callan Park; to protect its current features and restrict its future use; and for other purposes,” according to the ‘Callan Park Your Plan’ website.

Planning Minister Rob Stokes said the government is looking at a number of options to secure the long-term future of Callan Park.

“Callan Park is a vital heritage asset and provides crucial public space in inner Sydney.

We are committed to a sustainable and funded future for the precinct in cooperation with the local community,” he said.

The University of Sydney’s College of Arts at Callan Park is another source of controversy, pushing the park’s future into uncertainty as the university refuses to confirm whether it will remain in the park or not.

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Unlikely alliance shakes up Leichhardt Council

Waverley Council unites to keep Centennial Parklands affordable

By Joe Bourke Leichhardt’s Labor and Liberal councillors controversially voted in favour of a rescission motion proposing that council consider a merger of Leichhardt, Ashfield and Canada Bay last Tuesday June 2.

While the motion notes that council should restate “its unambiguous preference and intention to stand-alone”, it later makes a point of noting the NSW government indicates a clear intention to amalgamate councils.

Speaking to City Hub before the meeting, Independent councillor John Stamolis attacked the councillors responsible for the motion.

He said that although the merger option was presented as a “plan B”, it was a political play.

“This is not a fall back position. You don’t go to these lengths, you don’t turn away from the community, Labor and Liberal councillors do not secretly meet without informing the community or other councillors, and they don’t put forward urgency motions and extraordinary meetings unless this is their primary position,” he said.

“This is their one and only opportunity to create a large council that is Labor and Liberal dominated. It is about their political future and they are desperate.”

Canada Bay and Ashfield are historically stronger for the ALP and the Coalition than Leichhardt.

Residents and activists packed the gallery of the extraordinary council meeting to protest the motion and present their arguments to council.

More than ten members of the public spoke about the motion, with not one person speaking in its favour.

Among the speakers was heritage expert and retired barrister Phillip Jenkyn OAM, who urged the councillors in favour of the motion to reconsider their stance.

“The way for the future is not to destroy councils that work like Leichhardt council; the way for the future is to support councils like Leichhardt and to encourage all councils to work with their surrounding councils on true regional matters and on

By Lydia Watson-Moore Waverley Council has pledged its support for affordable access to primary schools for use of Centennial Parklands in the midst of fee spikes.

At their meeting on May 19 council unanimously voted to work with Centennial Parklands and the Public School Sports Association (PSSA) to encourage a fair price for use.

Greens councillor Dominic Wy Kanak brought the motion to the meeting, and said he got involved after concerned residents and schools raised awareness of the issue to him.

“The council will encourage Centennial Parklands to keep public school sports fees affordable,” Clr Wy Kanak said.

The original motion put forward by Clr Wy Kanak had specific actions proposed, but was changed to gain support from Waverley Mayor Sally Betts, who seconded the motion.

“It was only going to be supported by the mayor if it was more general,” he said.

Mayor Betts told City Hub she was happy to support the motion, but thought civil conversations were the best method of action.

“I’m more than happy to work with them and talk with them,” she said.

Clr Wy Kanak told council that in 2014, Centennial Parklands charged the Sydney Coastal branch of the PSSA (SCPSSA) over $23,000 for one season of ground hire.

This was in comparison to $3,481 for 2013, and just $75 in 2001.

Members of the gallery protest amalgamations. Photo: James Ryan.

efficiencies where that is relevant,” he said.

Labor councillor and former mayor Darcy Byrne moved the motion, and said the debate of the evening was good for democracy but the motion needed to go ahead.

“It doesn’t bother me that a lot of people disagree with me, but I am happy to have a lot of our citizens here to participate,” he said.

“With that I’m happy to say that I’ve taken on board all of the sentiments that everyone has expressed and I’m happy to move on with the motion.”

When the motion was passed, the gallery booed and many members of the public yelled “rats” and “betrayal”.

Save PSSA in Centennial Parklands, the main lobby group championing the cause, was represented at the council meeting by Kilty O’Brien.

Ms O’Brien said the aim of their organisation was to get guarantee from Centennial Parklands and the government that the parklands would always be affordable and accessible to school students.

“If fees continue to rise, we won’t be able to manage it,” she said.

Ms O’Brien said that although Waverley Council has no jurisdiction over park fees, their extra level of support would help generate momentum.

“We have asked Waverley councillors to support the health and wellbeing of the public school students in there area, and to take a stand to ensure that public school sport always has a home in Centennial Parklands,” she said.

A Department of Education spokesperson told City Hub “There is no agreement to freeze rental rates for Centennial Parklands grounds and the SCPSSA envisages fee increases will be applied”.

A Centennial Parklands spokesperson told City Hub “This matter has been resolved with the PSSA. The PSSA has paid their next season’s fees and kids sport continues to grow and flourish in Centennial Parklands”.

The Minister for Environment media was contacted by City Hub but didn’t reply in time for comment.

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Community says no to Powerhouse sale

By Georgia Fullerton Concerned politicians and residents rallied last week at Sydney’s Powerhouse Museum to protest plans to move the museum to western Sydney.

Lord Mayor Clover Moore and Federal MP Tanya Plibersek were speakers at the rally on May 30 and condemned the plan, saying the museum is a vital part of Sydney’s cultural heritage.

At the rally, the Lord Mayor voiced the City’s opposition to the closure and sale of the museum.

“We have passed a resolution to that effect, but we also support the expansion of cultural facilities in western and south western Sydney. The two are not mutually exclusive,” she said.

The Lord Mayor said the Powerhouse is important for innovation and creativity in the Ultimo, Pyrmont and Chippendale precinct.

“The City sees the Powerhouse as an integral part of the cultural ribbon we identified in ‘Sustainable Sydney 2030’,” she said.

The sale would see the museum move from its current Ultimo site to Parramatta.

President of Ultimo Public School P&C Association Janine Barrett said “It’s not that we object to western Sydney having arts and culture, we just don’t see why we need to lose our fantastic institution just for the sake of high rise development.”

The Powerhouse, which first opened to the public in 1888, is Sydney’s second oldest cultural institution after the Australian Museum.

Independent MP Alex Greenwich acknowledged that while it was important to share cultural assets with western Sydney, the Powerhouse was too iconic to lose from the CBD. “We need to retain this iconic asset in such an important part of Sydney. We don’t want the site redeveloped for developer gain and loss to public amenity,” he said.

Marrickville library’s heritage cost

By Lydia Watson-Moore Marrickville Council has taken the next step towards development of a proposed $40 million library site, but at the potential cost of three heritage buildings.

At their meeting on May 19, councillors voted to progress to stage two of the tender process for the site and approved demolition of three terrace houses on Livingstone Road.

The four shortlisted developers will now create a ‘concept plan’ for the site, indicating where buildings will be and their purpose.

The site will be a mix of community and public spaces, at least four percent affordable residential housing and private development.

Greens councillor Sylvie Ellsmore said it was important the council had made this decision, as a new library had been discussed for more than ten years.

“The project’s been going for so long, and we need to get it done. We don’t want to delay any further,” she told City Hub. Clr Ellsmore said the four developers, chosen from 20 expressions of interest, must make detailed plans and models by November this year. The would then be assessed by the council and community.

She said the public would be able to attend council meetings about the development, and that each proposal would be available for public viewing.

The proposed demolition of three terrace houses on the site was the main source of contention at the meeting.

Clr Ellsmore said the houses were at the back of the site, in the area allocated

The old Marrickville Hospital. Source: flikr.com

to private development.

She said while it was a difficult decision to make, allowing the developers the option to build up to three or four storey buildings was best for public interest.

“It was really hard, because it’s hard any time we vote to damage heritage, but

we have to make decisions in the public interest, and part of that is whether it’s good use of public money,” Clr Ellsmore said.

The decision to demolish the terraces was not unanimous, with two councillors objecting.Independent councillor Victor Macri voiced strong opposition

to both the demolition and the entire development, and said it was not what the community wanted.

“Do they really want a $40 million library? Do they? The people I talk to, they don’t want that,” Clr Macri told City Hub. He said council had ignored a heritage report that recommended keeping the houses.

“It’s the most disgraceful thing I’ve ever seen on this council. I am embarrassed,” he said.

Greens councillor Max Phillips voted against demolishing the buildings, but said he could understand why others voted as they did.

“I don’t think it was out of the question that [the terraces] could’ve been incorporated into the development.”

“It would’ve required some creative thinking, and it would’ve made the project more complex and difficult, but I thought they should remain protected. It was a very difficult decision though, I can totally understand why others voted for demolition,” he said.

While this report advised not to demolish, it stated that the houses were only moderately significant and that other buildings on the site, the hospital building and nurses quarters that would be kept were more important, according to Clr Ellsmore.

“It was a really difficult decision, but we need to take the whole picture into account. The fact that this is going to be the biggest investment this council has ever made in the community, and will protect these other heritage buildings,” she told City Hub.

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Sydney’s parties continue to go residential

By Emily Contador-Kelsall While Sydney’s lockout laws have curbed the alcohol-fuelled violence they were set out to fix, less popular impacts are also being felt across Sydney’s CBD and inner west.

Oxford Street, famous for its LGBTI venues, has experienced a downturn since the implementation of the lockout laws as late night revellers turn their attention towards alternative venues outside of the lockout jurisdiction.

President of the Darlinghurst Business Partnership Stephan Gyory said that while no one had measured the changes in the Oxford Street area, it had seen many licensed venues having to readjust their business model.

“Obviously there’ve been businesses that have closed and they pointed at the lockouts and I know of at least one licensee that sold into residential and moved into the inner west… that was purely financial, he goes, ‘well why would I stay when I can go trade there?’,” he said.

The Imperial Hotel, an iconic LGBTI venue in Erskineville has recently been taken over by The Spice Cellar, a dance club that was formerly located in the CBD but moved to the inner west. The current owners of The Spice Cellar said they had made efforts to maintain the LGBTI legacy of the venue.

Mike McGrath, co-owner of The Imperial and an Erskineville resident of over 10 years said he was very aware of how culturally important the Imperial is for the gay community and Sydney.

“We have stayed true to the queer heritage of the venue by offering a huge line-up of LGBTI gender illusionists, DJ’s and musicians performing almost every night of the week,” he said.

But City Hub was told that the Spice Cellar customers do not mix well with the former Imperial Hotel crowd , giving rise to a host of security issues.

Mr McGrath said the venue does not target anyone

The Imperial Hotel. Photo: Lauren O’Connor

based on their sexual orientation and that Spice, which operates on Saturday, “has always had an open door policy”.

“Our mantra at the Imperial is ‘Community, Culture, Diversity’ and we live by that,” he said.

The shift of nightlife to more residential areas like Erskineville has also brought other issues.

President of the Friends of Erksineville resident group Darren Jenkins said he received a detailed complaint about the noise and behaviour of patrons leaving the Imperial.

“My impression was that there had been a little bit

of additional noise and a little bit of additional rubbish from patrons,” he said.

“It’s not something I have any personal knowledge of and we’ve put our feelers out into the community to see whether this is an ongoing problem or whether this was a one off and we haven’t really gotten much additional feedback from that.”

Mr McGrath said in the early days of opening any business there “will always be teething issues” but that “the outpouring of praise has far outstripped the few negative comments we’ve had”.

The Newtown Hotel is another inner west

venue that was a former iconic LGBTI pub. Dawn O’Donnell, former owner of both the Newtown and Imperial Hotels, helped define and create Sydney’s gay night scene.

Currently the Keystone Group owns the Newtown Hotel, one of their many venues across Sydney, including Kit and Kaboodle in Kings Cross and The Cargo Bar in Darling Harbour. The Newtown Hotel told City Hub they had seen a definite lift in patronage since the implementation of the lockout laws.

The Newtown Hotel still runs gay events, and sponsors the Breakaways girls AFL team and the Asian Marching Boys and Friends, a group that promotes the visibility and acceptance of gay Asian men in Australia.

But as these inner west venues grow in popularity, licence venues on Oxford Street’s are feeling the effects of the lockouts differently.

Recently, the Midnight Shift, a gay venue that has stood for almost 33 years, converted half of its downstairs into a restaurant – one of several venues adapting their businesses to the changing climate. And Q Bar, “the home of queer parties” will close next month.

But Glenn Hansen, Promotions and Marketing Manager at the Stonewall Hotel on Oxford Street said he believes Oxford Street is “still very much the heart of the Gay scene”. Mr Hansen said that the Stonewall Hotel had been supported by their clientele since the lockout laws have been implemented, as they now arrive earlier and stay the entire night.

“Friday and Saturday nights were starting much later prior to the lockout laws. Since the implementation we have seen an increase in our patronage these nights and people arriving earlier,” he said. Mr Gyory said he thought that the future of the Oxford Street area would be residential as it was more profitable than opening licenced venues, but didn’t want to see the area lose its character.

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Documentary aims to keep Australian history alive

By Tang Li One of the few original campaigners still fighting Sydney’s longest conservation battle, Gavin Gatenby said the younger generation needs to know about Wolli Creek.

Mr Gatenby has transformed a 40-minute PowerPoint presentation into a video documentary series, Saving Wolli Creek, to explain the history of the struggle to younger activists.

“Even people like me who got involved in the mid ‘80s are pretty rare, so I wanted the new generation to understand the lessons,” said Mr Gatenby, co-convenor of EcoTransit Sydney.

His documentary traces the birth of the ‘freeway’ in Sydney, and the long fight to protect inner south-west Sydney’s environmental gem, Wolli Creek Valley, from the threat of an eight-lane M5.

Mr Gatenby believes that since palns forWestConnex have commenced, his project has taken on a new urgency, as Saving Wolli Creek highlights the counter-productive nature of radical urban motorways.

“In a city like Sydney, with its powerful and corrupting business and development lobby, nothing ever gets saved for the future, life never gets improved without a tremendous effort.”

But his message isn’t limited just to Sydney, as he believes the experiences are worldwide.

“Motorways generate huge amounts of additional car traffic and cause cities to sprawl horribly, a fact that was well understood, thanks to the U.S. experience, even in the mid 1970s.”

Saving Wolli Creek is not only a warning of ‘highway hell’, but serves to keep Australian history alive, and ensure governments are held accountable to their actions.

“It’s important to understand, for example, that governments will lie spectacularly in order to con the public, as the Greiner Government did when they got elected in 1988 promising to lift the freeway reservation through the Wolli Valley, then announced they’d lifted it, and then a few months later, put it right back there again,” he said.

Grassroots activism remains a vital method of advocacy against roads and infrastructure, and Mr Gatenby believes digital technology, like iMovie, has significantly broadened his audience capacity.

Greens NSW party against drug dogs

By Jessica Yun The Greens NSW launched their ‘Sniff Off’ campaign and drug dog repeal bill last Saturday May 30 with a party at Marrickville’s Red Rattler Theatre.

The Law Enforcement Amendment (Sniffer Dogs—Repeal of Powers) Bill 2015 aims to overturn sections of the current Drug Dog Act that allows for drug detection dogs to search people in public spaces without a warrant.

According to statistics cited by NSW Police, Greens NSW and reports by the NSW Ombudsman, only 26 percent of those searched by drug detection dogs proved successful, meaning almost three quarters of all indications did not find the person in possession of prohibited drugs.

At the sniff off party. Source: Twitter.com Greens MP and justice spokesperson David Shoebridge said he was supportive of several uses for drug “We wanted to do something other than detection dogs, but was against dogs being used just your standard press conference in order to “in a complete carte blanche fashion against the engage with our supporters... and get the word general populace”. out about just how wrong-headed the drug dog “There’s no doubt that if you screen program was,” he said. absolutely everybody with drug dogs and you “One of the other reasons why we decided search them and you infringe their civil liberties, that a dance party was a good way of doing you’ll find some drugs,” he said. it was we were getting good support from the “But that’s not the way our society is meant music industry.” to operate. We don’t just shake down every Several professionals in the music industry citizen and see whether or not they’re guilty. have openly supported the Greens’ Sniff Off The police are actually meant to have actual campaign including Dan McNamee from Art criminal intelligence before they engage in a vs Science and Paul Mac, who performed at the very intrusive and often humiliating public party last weekend. search of us on the streets.”

Mr McNamee said the presence of drug Mr Shoebridge explained that throwing a detection dogs in music festivals was not a ‘dance party’ to launch the bill was aimed at sufficient deterrent for those deciding to take engaging young people, the main demographic drugs. In fact, he observed that many were to attend and be searched at music festivals. engaging in riskier practices in order to avoid

detection.

“The dogs encourage ‘Binge Dosing’ - with many people taking some if not all of their drugs before arriving at the festival. I’ve certainly seen a rise in the amount of supremely munted people in some crowds - it’s not because the drugs are getting stronger - it’s because double dumping before heading into a festival is becoming the norm, because it’s simply too dangerous to bring the drugs in and take them sensibly,” he said in a statement.

Statements from NSW Police defended the use of drug dogs in public spaces as “very effective.”

“Drug Detection Dogs have a strong deterrence factor: in addition to the seizure of prohibited drugs from dealers and users, individuals regularly dump these drugs upon seeing the dogs. These drugs are not consumed and therefore the significant risk of harm avoided,” a NSW Police spokesperson said, “The prevention of a death of a person through Drug Detection Dog deployment is immeasurable.”

But, Mr McNamee also advocated for a more holistic integration between police and the public.

“It doesn’t have to be us and them,” he said.

“I invited the police down into the crowd to dance to our song Flippers. About half of them came running down and the crowd surged out to meet them … It was one of the most beautiful moments of my career.”

PROPOSAL TO INSTALL A TEMPORARY MOBILE PHONE BASE STATION FACILITY AT 1 DARLING ISLAND ROAD, PYRMONT NSW 2009.

Vodafone Hutchison Australia (VHA) wish to inform the community of a proposal for the operation of a temporary telecommunications facility at 1 Darling Island Road, Pyrmont which will provide additional services to the people in the area during the National Small Business Summit being held at Jones Bay Wharf, off Pirrama Road, Pyrmont. The temporary facility will operate from the 10 July to 20 July 2015.

The proposal involves the following activities: • The delivery and set up of the equipment trailer containing the equipment room and pump up radio mast; • The installation of three (3) panel antennas and one (1) radio dish on the top of the radio mast at a height of approximately 15 metres; • The placement of a diesel generator adjacent to the base station trailer if required; • Associated and necessary works to ensure the proper functioning of the telecommunications facility including guy wires, fencing, cabling, electrical works, signage and safe access.

The proposal does not require development approval. The proposed infrastructure complies with the ACMA EMR regulatory arrangements. If you have any questions or wish to obtain further information, please contact Emma Lachlan on 02 93633815 or email to info@commplan.com.au. Written submissions on the proposal should be addressed to VHA C/- CommPlan Pty Ltd, PO Box 267, Edgecliff NSW 2027 by 22 June 2015.

city hub 4 june 2015

9

FEATURE

Sydney Fish Market

BY Ryan Kennedy In the photo there are men standing in dark suits in a dark warehouse. Before them, separated by what look like thick chalk lines or ropes, are sections of neatly ordered fish laid out on the floor.

This photo is from the late 1800s when the Sydney Fish Market was in Woolloomooloo, and hangs in the office adjacent to that of General Manager Bryan Skepper.

Mr Skepper started working at the markets in 1975, and now in his fortieth year (“It’s almost a lifetime”), he can recount quite the history of one of the most iconic destinations in Sydney.

Of the aforementioned photo: “You’d never get away with it nowadays.”

The Sydney Fish Market first opened at its current location in 1966, starting off in the site of the current car park, which was originally a storage facility for drums of oil. This was via a move from Woolloomooloo to Haymarket in the early 1900s.

It took a couple of changes in authority—from commissioned fish agents, to the chief secretary’s department of the government, to the NSW Fish Authority in 1963—before the site was settled upon and the modern day market began to emerge.

As the business grew, the Sydney Fish Market bought up and redeveloped the adjacent Fairfax newsprint storage warehouse—where the main market is today—opening in 1989.

In 1994 the government decided to

privatise the fish market, which resulted in the formation of Sydney Fish Market Pty Ltd, 50% owned by the tenants, 50% owned by the commercial fishermen.

Granted a 50 year lease on the site, and 20 years into it now, the Sydney Fish Market sells approximately 20,000kg of seafood every hour during auctions, and 50 tonnes a day.

The third biggest fish market in the world and the biggest in the southern hemisphere, Mr Skepper admits that “the site is tired”.

“The buildings on site are very old, but the nature of the business has changed a lot too.”

Since the expansion in 1989, the opportunity for a bigger retail presence has seen the Sydney Fish Market become an ever-growing hub for fresh food.

Already there are on-site restaurants, a green grocer, butcher, baker, florist, wine shop, sashimi bars—and of course, fish retailers.

The next evolution of the markets is on the horizon, says Mr Skepper, “We don’t have the facilities to cater for the demand, and this gives us an opportunity to do that.”

“For the last 10 months we have been working with UrbanGrowth NSW on developing our vision, which is maintaining an authentic working market in the Blackwattle Bay region.”

He insists that, “We want to ensure there is an open and transparent procurement process.”

A May 17 article in the Sun Herald

Photo: Chris Peken – Sydney Fish Market

reported that a Chinese fishing and real estate conglomerate planned to make a $3 billion bid to redevelop Blackwattle Bay. Sydney Fish Market and UrbanGrowth NSW have both publically refuted claims that plans for Blackwattle Bay are a done deal. Mr Skepper says the Market had been “taken by surprise” by the reported plans, as they had not spoken to the developers.

UrbanGrowth NSW says what has been formed to date is simply “a discussion paper” and that there is no “done deal”.

Skepper advised that Sydney Fish Market has been working closely with UrbanGrowth NSW and had “great faith” that an open and transparent tender process would deliver a great fish market

for the seafood industry as well as for the community.

The Sydney Fish Market is currently putting together a functional requirements brief that will feed into a document that will form the basis for the tender process.

“From that we hope to get some great ideas on how to build the world’s best fish market,” says Mr Skepper.

The public has also been encouraged to submit ideas for Blackwattle Bay and the wider Bays Precinct via UrbanGrowth NSW’s ‘Call For Great Ideas’ process.

The change of the past and the present, however, has not impacted one enduring issue for the Sydney Fish Market: winter.

“Winter is funny. In winter it gets cold and you want to rug up and stay at home, but winter is the best time of year to buy

your fish species,” says Mr Skepper.

“The cold water means species are caught in more abundance and the price of seafood is better.”

Dimitri Hari from De Costi’s echoes a similar sentiment, “In Sydney seafood isn’t really a winter dish. Being from Europe, winter is when you eat seafood.

Trying to convince Sydneysiders that the best seafood is available this time of year—that’s the biggest challenge.”

What’s more, “A lot of the flavour is from the fat of the fish, the omega 3s and all the oils. The colder it is, the better quality fish.”

Whatever the future may hold, winter is here and Mr Hari’s message won’t change: “Don’t forget about fish.”

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EAT & DRINK

O Bar & Dining Emerging from the lift into this darkened space your eyes are instantly captivated by the panoramic city view. Head Chef Darren Templeman has brought over much of what I loved from Restaurant Atelier, though his new iconic Harry Seidler-designed location means he’s obliged to paint with a broader brush. Some dishes, like creamy Burata di Buffala ($29) simply play with expectations, substituting crisp chicken skin where you might expect crackers; while

$ - mains less than $15

$$ - mains between $15-$22

ROCKS & CBD The Gantry Restaurant & Bar Raw materials are a focus at the refurbished Pier One Sydney Harbour.

Interior designers Bates Smart have done wonders with reclaimed timbers; while in the kitchen, Canadian Chef Chris Irving pays reverence to the bounty of our seas. On a blustery evening, it’s his handling of land critters that beckon, from Venison Tartare ($20) to brutally satisfying Smoked Bone Marrow ($16). Rustic Beetroot Homefries ($8), salt-crusted slabs of earthy-sweet beetroot, provide a good stick-to-your-ribs supplement to judiciously sized mains, including the ultra-pretty Jumjum Muscovy Duck

By Jackie McMillan others, like House-made Soy Tofu ($30) with dashi spiked with aged Korean soy, are as gloriously uncompromising as ever. Owner Michael Moore’s health focus has not been forgotten; it’s just been given a distinctively Templeman twist in delicate Pink Snapper Sashimi ($32) with torched avocado, finger lime and crisp tapioca, or lettuce boats of Rump Steak ‘Tartare’ ($35) topped with crunchy puffed tendon. Darren’s favourite producers have also made the ascent. Milly Hill Lamb Rump ($42) kicks it British yellow curry-style against sheep’s yoghurt, cumin, charred okra and surprising sprouted lentils. Penrith’s Zokoko chocolate gets a look-in against an Atelier classic – the crowdpleasing Hot Plum Souffle ($20). In the hands of Head Bartender Andy Calderon, innovative cocktails like Pete the Peruvian ($18) & The Kingsford ($18) are in keeping with this high altitude location, as is warm, hospitable service from Restaurant Manager Thomas Philbin-Malucelli.

Level 47,Australia Square, 264 George Street, Sydney (02) 9247 9777 obardining.com.au Modern Australian, Cocktails $$$$

$$$ - mains between $22-$30

($36) with citrus glaze, carrots and purslane. End with the deceptively simple Fresh Austral Figs ($15) dessert elevated to near perfection.

11 Hickson Road, Walsh Bay (02) 8298 9910 thegantry.com.au Modern Australian,Wine $$$$ Opera Bar Café You can’t get more ‘Sydney’ than breakfast by the harbour, yet choices for Sydneysiders and tourists alike, are lacking on the lower concourse. Enter the new-look Opera Bar who say: don’t just come for sunset drinks, start your day here, too! Our pick is the Fig, Goat’s Curd, Mint and Walnut Toast ($12) with the barista’s own Single Origin Roasters Cold Brew ($5). If you’re on the go, (the café opens at

$$$$ - mains over $30

7am) grab a homemade muesli bar and a 100% raw, organic Cold Pressed Juice ($8), and be on your way. Or start the day properly with the Bacon and Egg Roll ($12) or Spinach, Mushroom and Raclette Toastie ($12).

Lower Concourse Level, Sydney Opera House (02) 9247 1666 operabar.com.au Café, Breakfast $ INNER WEST Forest Lodge Hotel Festooned with fairy lights, vintage photos, and boasting craft beers on tap, the Forest Lodge Hotel—or Flodge as I once lovingly knew it—has come a long way from stale beer and aromatic football socks.Where there were once

Martin Place Bar

By Ryan Kennedy A good location can often lead to a few cut corners— especially when it comes to city pubs. So it was a pleasure to find out that Martin Place Bar takes pride in not only producing good food, but in sourcing free range produce.With an impressively long bar, and sizeable wine list, bar snacks are bite-sized and moreish.

Prawn Tostadas ($12) are grill-smoky yet sweet with a

VB jugs, rusted-on locals, and footy on the TV, there’s now Craft Beer Tasting Paddles ($15) featuring hoppy Murray’s Stone Kicker Ale ($7) and smoke’n’barley flavoured Draughty Kilt Scotch Ale ($9).

And I’ve got to admit—things have changed for the better – especially with perfectly cooked Kangaroo Fillet ($26) with earthy beetroot, walnut and goats cheese salad, and the famous madras-style Fish Curry ($20), mild and elegant, with a slab of crisp-skinned salmon.

117 Arundel Street, Forest Lodge (02) 9660 1872 forestlodgehotel.com.au Pub Bistro $$-$$$ The Balmain Hotel With dumplings one buck each on a Thursday night, most patrons are tucking into steaming bamboo baskets—but The Balmain Hotel also has new dishes to try.

lingering chilli warmth; and there is an excellent fried crust-to-aromatic-filling ratio in balls of Pumpkin and Thyme Arancini ($10). Full marks for the delightfully porky house made terrine, part of a Charcuterie Board ($24), that goes down rather nicely with a glass of the big and peppery Cake Wines Cabernet Sauvignon ($11.50 glass/$55 bottle). More substantial fare comes in the form of the elegant ‘Cone Bay’ Barramundi ($25), the cooking right on-point, and earthy with new potatoes and a cauliflower puree; or the hefty, bone-protruding goodness of a 300g ‘Northern Rivers’ Rib Eye ($30). Corned Beef ($18) proved a bit home-cooking for me, but my Swedish dining partner was transported back to the Motherland. This is unpretentious pub food with appreciable sophistication, and if you’re after a more liquid dinner, they have just opened a cosy new cocktail lounge.

51 Martin Place, Sydney (02) 9231 5575 martinplacebar.com.au Bar, Modern Australian, Pub Bistro $$$

Salty creamy goodness is doubled down in smoked cheese-enriched stuffed zucchini flowers and aromatic jalapeno croquettes, each irresistibly deep-fried and crispy.Throw in some fluffy Peking duck steamed buns, and you have one tasty Share Plate for 2 ($35). But this is a pub, and pubs live and die by their classics. Fortunately the Balmain Burger ($18) stands and delivers with classic charred Australiana complete with grated beetroot. Fluffy little ice cream buns - Salted Caramel Sliders ($12) – have a nice hot-cold dynamic against warm chocolate sauce.

74 Mullens Street, Balmain (02) 9810 7500 thebalmain.com Pub Bistro $$-$$$ Runcible Spoon My favourite Camperdown café is now

opening on Friday nights between 5pm and 10pm. Kick back with a Mountain Goat India Pale Ale ($8) on the large shared table with a crowd of easygoing locals. Eat from a concise menu inspired by the path Chef Alex Watts takes to work. From Marrickville’s Faros Bros, the Salmon Belly ($22) is nicely fatty, and turned slightly Japanese with miso, tahini and bottarga. Enjoy it with Heirloom Tomato, Whipped Feta & Herbs ($14) using tomatoes plucked from his mother’s garden. Mum is also responsible for the rhubarb in his Rhubarb and Fig Upside-Down Cake ($8). Think healthy, homey, and relaxed.

27 Barr Street, Camperdown (02) 9519 2727 facebook.com/ runciblespooncafe Modern Australian, Café $$$

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city hub 4 june 2015

11

EAT DRINK

EAT &&DRINK

By Jackie McMillan

Osaka Bar Sydney has undergone a quiet Japanese revolution. Sushi trains have made way for izakayas, Japanese-style pubs where food accompanies drinking. Slick kushiyaki bars have appeared; and regional Japanese cuisine has landed.This spot celebrates the dishes of Japan’s second largest city, Osaka, famous for inexpensive street food. It’s the birthplace of Takoyaki ($8.50/8), and the gooey-centred offerings here are the bomb. Just keep your on-tap Suntory Premium

DARLO, KINGS X & SURRY HILLS Mafi Mitlo Slide into this subterranean M.A.S.H. unit to eat Arabic street food. Start with beer, and if on-tap Aussie options like Coopers Pale Ale ($6/330ml) don’t grab you, get the affable staff to nip next door for the Lebanese 961 Red Ale ($8.50).Yes, this is an offshoot of the formidable Kazbah empire, owned by Zahi Azzi. He’s put his stamp on the menu using his mother’s excellent recipe for Kibbeh ($8/4 pieces). Sambousek ($8/4 pieces) are also impressive, especially with strong garlic Toum ($6.50) or super-smoky Baba ($7.50).

Kale Tabbouleh ($12.50) is fabulous, nudging out Grainy Fattoush ($13.50). Round out your meal with fragrant Chicken Shawarma ($14.50) and surprisingly good Chips with

By Alex Harmon A DIY noodle bar where you self-serve your fresh crispy tempura and toppings, sauces and water, it’s got the bustle of a traditional Tokyo style diner, but the with the warmth of Sydney hospitality.The servers giggle sheepishly as you peruse the menu, made up mostly of ramen, rice bowls and salads, with a couple of great Japanese beers (Orion and Sapporo). Join up as a member of the Mappen chain and get a side of edamame, salad and sake for only $3 – an offer that is

EASTERN SUBURBS & BEACHES

Little Jean Double Bay has had a little makeover, and riding on the coattails of the impressive InterContinental Hotel, is Little Jean. Relaxed and streamlined, it’s like a first-class airport lounge, so keep it classy with freshly shucked Sydney Rock Oysters ($20/6) and Prosecco ($9.50/glass) from Victoria’s High Country.The café (bistro by night) is by the guys behind the Golden Sheaf’s bistro, and showcases seasonal, sustainable produce.

Bruschetta ($16) with house-cured 12

city hub 4 june 2015

Malt ($8.50) handy; they’re served piping hot.You also need to try their pressed, rectangular oshizushi.This Osaka specialty is made using cooked fishes and a less-vinegary rice mix.The BBQ Eel ($18.50) version stuffed with shitake mushrooms then topped with cucumber, egg and chives, proved excellent, and much easier to handle with chopsticks.

Konamomo – flour-based dishes - including tasty Ika-yaki ($8.50) squid pancakes, are also popular with the people of Osaka.Alongside golden-crumbed deep-fried stuff on sticks - kushikatsu – from moist Zucchini ($1.50) to Potato Croquettes ($2.50), they make excellent drinking snacks. In that regard you’ll find plentiful sakes, including Uragasumi Junmai ($29/720ml), and Japanese whiskies like the fabulously smooth Nikka from the Barrel ($21/glass). Balance bar bites with Hokkaido Pumpkin and Prosciutto Salad ($8). Chef Kazu Nakatani is renowned for his saucing (different with every dish) so his special steak-sauce with Grilled Wagyu ($10.50) is your final must-try.

Shop 15, Llankelly Place, 24-30 Springfield Avenue, Potts Point (02) 8970 1143 osakabar.com.au Japanese $$

Harissanaise ($6.50).

9/15 Bayswater Road, Kings Cross (1300) 529 224 mafimitlo.com.au Lebanese $ Rosan Enter the world of the Japanese salaryman at this intriguing traditional Japanese restaurant tucked into downtown Darlinghurst. Exchange meishi (business cards) at the communal table over a Suntory Premium Malt ($11) beer, before enjoy a lace doily of Chef Hiroshi Miura’s Thinly Sliced Imperador ($26). Super pliable pancakes wrap around tender Rosan Duck ($15/4), while Steamed Prawn Dumplings ($10/4) impress with the intensity of bisque-like (head and shell) flavour. Choose an individual sake cup for your clean, dry Asabiraki Junmai Ohkarakuchi Sujin ($28/300ml), and enjoy it with Deep Fried Whole Flounder

Mappen Bondi Junction

By Jackie McMillan jackie@alternativemediagroup.com

($18).The crunchy fried fish skeleton bowl transforms into a wonderful edible drinking snack.

Shop 107, 46-50 Burton Street, Darlinghurst (02) 9357 2240 facebook. com/RosanJapaneseCuisine Japanese $$-$$$

GREATER SYDNEY Cottage Point Inn Descend onto one of the leafy green fingers that protrude into the Hawkesbury. Parisian born Chef Guillaume Zika delivers a modern, fad-resistant menu. Line-caught Snapper Carpaccio ($28) utilises familiar ingredients - strawberry sauce vierge and celery – united by white balsamic to transport the dish somewhere new.

hard to refuse.The teriyaki is on point, whether you go for the Teriyaki Salmon ($8.50) with rice, or the lighter, fresher Teriyaki Chicken Salad ($7.90), they’re both delicious and at food-court style prices, you really feel like you’re winning.

The Curry and Beef ($7.70) comes with udon noodles and tender stewed beef in the typically sweet Japanese curry sauce. It’s one of those tempting winter dishes, made all the more comforting when you couple it with a few throw-backs of the house sake.You can even throw in a hardboiled egg for $1.20. Found on Spring Street, Mappen Bondi Junction is no-frills style eating in a licensed restaurant; so cheap and fast, you’ll think you are abroad.

Shop 5, 183-193 Oxford Street, Bondi Junction (02) 9388 0609 mappen.com.au Japanese $

salmon is fresh and filling, while Steak Frites ($28) are Frenchy and chic like the clientele, smothered in maître d’hotel butter. On the lighter side, Roasted Cauliflower Salad ($18) is perfectly balanced with creamy tahini and yoghurt dressing.

1 Kiaora Road, Double Bay (02) 9328 0201 littlejean.com.au Modern Australian, Café $$ Stillery Inside this luxurious Double Bay bar, decked out in pale blue and marble with stately gilt settees, Bar Manager Aaron Gaulke commands an impressive array of gins. While the subtle saffron notes of Boudier Saffron Gin ($13) are best sipped straight,

many gins benefit from lengthening with tonic. In that department this bar also excels, offering up many choices from artisan syrups like Jack Rudy Cocktail Co. Small Batch Tonic to East Imperial Tonic.

The latter is perfect against the nutty sesame of The Cambridge Distillery’s Japanese Style Gin ($22), and also well matched by Charred Fremantle Octopus ($16) with hunks of mortadella from Executive Chef Julien Pouteau’s tasty bar menu.

Level 1, InterContinental Hotel, 33 Cross Street, Double Bay (02) 8388 8388 intercontinental.com/ Doublebay Bar, Bar Food, Cocktails $$$

Haven The end of one-way communication between you and your barista is nigh! After ruling out their native Hong Kong for high rents and fledgling coffee culture, this triumvirate of owners - Roy Yu, Kit Tran and Bruno Koo – selected Sydney for their first customer-focused coffee concept.The spacious Chalmers Street setting sits opposite Central Station, and is drowned in afternoon light. A star-shaped flavour chart invites you

Spatchcock ($45) scratches the old roast chicken dinner itch, but lands looking beautifully contemporary. Under a fluffy shaved foie gras, the Grilled Wagyu Rump Cap ($48) is balanced by plump blueberries, king brown mushrooms, and roasted onion and lemon puree. Fabulous wines like the textural 2013 Château Petit Roubié Picpoul de Pinet ($83), and a ripper Raspberry Salad ($19) dessert, cement my affection for this unique spot.

2 Anderson Place, Cottage Point (02) 9456 1011 cottagepointinn.com.au Modern Australian $$$$

NEWTOWN & ENVIRONS Knuckles Sandwich Bar It’s the inkblot test – whether you think

to direct the barista using aroma, sweetness, acidity, body and aftertaste. It’s translated into adjustments in time, temperature, grind size and single origin bean, producing your customised Latte ($4), accompanied by palate-cleansing dried currants.While sugar is offered, it comes with a plea: taste your coffee first! (You were given the opportunity to enhance the natural sweetness of the brew.) After dabbling in Filter Coffee ($6) – not my cup of ‘tea’ – I’m convinced the best expression of the work of world champion Taiwanese coffee roaster, Jake Hu, is the 8-Hour Cold Brew ($6). Now while the focus is coffee, Chef Thomas Taylor ensures food isn’t neglected. His Pork Belly Kimcheese Burger ($19) shines from bold use of the healthy Korean staple, tangled with coriander, grated apple, radish and sesamedotted omelette. And if you’re not completely overcaffeinated; the Masfogato ($13) updates the affogato with a brownie and frozen mascarpone.

30-34 Chalmers Street, Surry Hills (02) 9281 9300 havenspecialtycoffee.com.au Café $-$$

of a knock to the face, or a succulent hock of pork.This sandwich bar lies amongst factories in the industrial fashion precinct of Alexandria.Their Veal Schnitzel Ciabatta Roll ($12) made fresh to order with lemon aioli, rocket and Parmesan demonstrates it’s seriously the only decent place to get a sanga on McEvoy Street. However don’t neglect the burgers! The popular Cheeseburger ($10) has a golden sesame milk bun that reminds me of the old school milk bars.

Speaking of which, you must order a side of Hand Cut Chips ($3.50) and the Belgian Chocolate Milkshake ($6.50) to wash it down.

88 McEvoy Street,Alexandria (0403) 821 117 knucklessandwichbar.com.au Café – $-$$ Pitt St Diner

FOOD NEWS

Every neighbourhood should have a little Parisian bistro.A block from Redfern Park, Pitt St Diner has been building a solid local customer base using classic French cookery and friendly service.The young French chefs from the south-west of France play to their seaside strengths and offer up a clattering mound of Moules Marinières ($25) in white wine and cream sauce. Steak and Frites ($31) here is a blushing, charred, rib-eye with shoestring fries.Whole Fish of the Day ($25) is a crisp skinned, tender baked ocean trout.

Owner Gary Prebble matches Chocolate Fondant ($12) against the spicy and fruity Storm Ridge Pinot Noir ($45/bottle); it’s a knockout combination.

96 Pitt Street, Redfern (02) 8668 5936 pittstdiner.com.au Modern French $$$

By Jackie McMillan May was a big month for Batlow Cider. Not only did they host their annual Ciderfest in the small country town of Batlow, nestled in the foothills of the Snowy Mountains, they also launched their mulled cider into Sydney venues.And who doesn’t like mulled cider? This week I sampled their Cloudy Cider and their Premium Cider.The former is an unfiltered, sweet cider that is lovely to drink, while the latter is crisp, with a more sophisticated dryness and complexity, more akin to a wine.As a result the Premium Cider is a better food match (think roast pork with crackling) while the Cloudy Cider is perfect for quaffing alone.And rest assured, when you’re drinking Batlow Cider, you’re drinking local.The company is completely Australian owned, and the product is made here, from three-and-a-half Batlow apples per bottle, which are also grown here.And they don’t add sugar or concentrates either.You can pick up your own four-pack of Batlow Cloudy Cider [RRP $15.99] at Corkscrew Cellars in Darlinghurst, or head into The Royal Hotel in Leichhardt or the Quarryman’s Hotel in Pyrmont to wrap your mitt around a mug of hot mulled cider. It’s almost enough to make you like winter... www.batlowcider.com.au

bar fly

By Amie Barbeler

SocialLaneway: Espresso.

Wine. Dine.

You’ll have trouble finding a bar in Sydney with a more welcoming vibe than this cosy wedge of community spirit. Day to day, Redfern Village’s SocialLaneway, located fifty metres from the train station, operates as a busy cafe/ espresso bar; but come Thursday and Friday nights, the bar is transformed into a lively (but still intimate) hive of music, performance, artists, food and drink.

You won’t find an extensive wine or cocktail list here, just the option of a few reds, whites, beers or ciders. However, my date and I found that the Spy River Estate Sav. Blanc ($9.50) was the nicest

wine we’d ever tasted.The bar has partnered with neighbouring restaurants, meaning that if you’re hungry, you have the option of ordering elsewhere and having it delivered directly to you at Social-Laneway. Alternatively, the bar

does offer some food in-house, like the light but filling creamy chicken pie with garden salad ($11).Yum. Shop 5/157-161 Redfern Street, Redfern (0457) 775 000 social-laneway.com

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT Little Diana And The Big Fuzz

Re:Memory The Old 505 Theatre in Surry Hills will be the host to an eight-week program of experimental performances by the name of Freshworks.

Every week various companies showcase work that would otherwise not be seen by the general public.

Re: Memory is one of the performances presented by Suitcase Civilians. It focuses on memory and what we have to gain by looking at the past.

This piece includes audience interaction where only 10 people are permitted per performance.

Director Sepi Baghaei said it started as a solo theatre performance through the inspiration of people re-telling their memories.

“I began interviewing friends on the topic of their ‚best and worst memories’. I recorded their responses, and used those recordings to devise a solo show.”

He hopes audience members get surprised by what they experience on the night.

“Re: Memory is a very sensory experience - it won’t be like your usual theatre experience, where you sit back and simply use your eyes

and ears. I love the potential of one-to-one theatre to leave a lasting impression on its audiences.”

This year the Freshworks program has extended an extra three weeks due to its popularity in 2014, it will continue until July 5.

(AMal) Re: Memory: June 16 - 21. Old 505 Theatre, 505/342 Elizabeth Street, Surry Hills. $22-$33.

Tickets & info on this and other Freshworks performances: http://www.venue505.com/ theatre

Inspired by the history and passion of the Motown music and era, Bree Langridge fronts Little Diana And The Big Fuzz.

In the title role (a character inspired by the likes of Diana Ross and Tina Turner) Langridge takes us on a tumultuous personal journey that gets down to the roots of Motown.

This isn’t your average tribute show, this is a passion project. Langridge has tirelessly researched the music and the era and sourced a band she describes as “living versions of Motown”, with esteemed musicians Kevin Mendoza and Darryl Beaton on board.

“The way it was done back then was so much more about the lyrics, the storytelling and the vibe rather than that huge belt-out [singing] that we all know those songs for,” explained Langridge. Audiences can expect the singing to be impressive too, with roles in productions of Wicked and Into The Woods to her credit.

“We will do some fresh takes on some songs,

some we’ve broken down a little bit, others we will amp up in certain areas.”

With an original blend of music and theatre, this cabaret is an educated tribute to a musical genre that was started from nothing and forged from blood, sweat and tears. In the words of the lady who’ll be taking centre stage, “You get the songs you want to hear, but with real heart and understanding.”

Langridge is most looking forward to belting out Marvin Gaye’s Ain’t No Mountain High Enough and Ease On Down The Road from The Wiz. (AM) June 9 and 10. Hayes Theatre Co, 19 Greenknowe Avenue Potts Point, $35-$40, available as part of the 3 and 5 show package deals for The Hayes Theatre Co Cabaret Season.

More info: http://www.hayestheatre.com.au/ cabaret-season-2015/little-diana-and-thebig-fuzz.html

Godface

Godface is an experimental and physical work brought to us by Matriark Theatre. Playing at The Old 505 Theatre in Surry Hills as a part of Freshworks, a program designed to bring unconventional works to the stage, the performance has been described as The Mighty Boosh meets Adventure Time.

“The story is about a young girl who goes to a city called Godface, a place populated by gods in all strata – there are gods that live on the street, gods that are chefs and gods that own businesses.The girl enters Godface with the purpose of challenging for the role of leading god in the annual god elections,” told member of Matriark, Scott Parker.

With an ensemble of roughly fifteen puppets and five performers, it may appear modest on the outside. However with an extensive behind-thescenes production crew and ambitious script, Godface is sure to impress.

Starting work on the performance in 2014, Scott and the team have been hard at it for over a year to get it ready for the big stage and is now in its final steps - be sure to check it out! (MB) June 9-14,The Old 505 Theatre, 505/342 Elizabeth Street, Surry Hills, $22 concession $25 adult, http://www.trybooking.com/ Booking/BookingEventSummary.aspx?eid=130210

a&e

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Arts Editors: Jamie Apps - Alannah Maher Sub-Editor: Charlotte Foster For more A&E stories go to www.altmedia.net.au and don’t forget to join the conversation on Twitter at @AltMediaSydney

Contributors: Brendan Modini, Carmen Cita, Craig Coventry, Greg Webster, Hannah Chapman, Jacob Harrison, James Harkness, Lauren Bell, Leann Richards, Lisa Seltzer, Mark Morellini, Matthew Bernard, Mel Somerville, Michael Muir, Olgar Azar, Rocio Belinda Mendez, Sarah Pritchard, Sinead McLaughlin, Siri Williams, Athina Mallis, Leigh Livingstone.

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The Pyrmont Festival is a Wrap

Pyrmont was alive with wine, food, and art last month, as crowds flocked to the neighbourhood for the fifth annual Pyrmont Festival. This year’s 10-day program was a star-studded affair, complete with celebrity chefs, eminent corporate partners, and the who’s who of Sydney’s fine dining elite. But now that the plates are cleared, the wine glasses are empty, and the art has left its impression, it’s time to acknowledge the unsung heroes of the Pyrmont Festival: the team of volunteers and interns who powered the surveys and art sales for the Pyrmont Art Prize.

Festival Producer Margot Natoli says “Managing an event of this scale is no mean feat - our programming was very ambitious this year. My event assistant Lise Lecerf was an absolute star, together with my two interns, Dawn Yung and Dianne Nguyen, who delivered on a range of pre production goals.”

Both final year students at Sydney TAFE, Dawn and Dianne helped recruit over twenty volunteers to man the Festival’s twoday headline event in Pirrama Park. The enthusiastic volunteer team consisted of Ann-Marie Nguyen, Elmer Jose, Stephanie Menogue, Maddison Davet, Brianna Cunneen, Kasey Hilderson, Erin Burrell, Michael Letheby, Andy Ly, Selina Tang, John Ho, Kaite Crawford-Smith, Nazmul Haque, Janice Sumarna, Nathaniel Vaughan-Brown, Narmine Akettab, Miriam Erica Purea, Malek Marian, Sophia Leader, Marion Wait, Kayoko Shimoda, and Emily Louise. These volunteers, conducted over 300 surveys with event attendees, which the City of Sydney will use for valuable post-event analysis.

The Pyrmont Festival was presented by the Pyrmont Ultimo Chamber of Commerce with support from the City of Sydney, in partnership with the Mudgee Wine Region.

festivalgoers with a seasonal recipe - Wagyu Meatballs with Creamy Polenta - made with delectable organic wagyu beef, kindly donated by Rob Lennon from Gundooee Organics. Rob drove all the way from the farm in Dunedoo to Pirrama Park to deliver the prized wagyu by hand.

Gundooee Organics produce premium, certified organic Wagyu, raised on deeprooted, native perennial grasses. Rob and his family incorporate ethical and ecologically regenerative farming techniques to produce great flavour and texture in their beef, along with all the health benefits that organics and pasture-fed Wagyu can deliver.

or softdrink, for just $29 per person. Or, why not stop by for Happy Hour at Cyren Bar from Monday to Sunday 3 to 6pm, where you can sit by the water and enjoy the view.

Cyren Bar Grill Seafood evokes nostalgia for those who knew Cyren back in the late 1970’s. Replicating his previous successes, Nick Manettas has re-invented this popular restaurant on the waterfront to create Harbourside’s most talked-about venue.

Cyren has everything the discerning diner looks for in a restaurant: culinary brilliance, the freshest seafood, mouth-watering meats, and exciting cocktails.

For more information, visit www.cyrenrestaurant.com.au

9th Pyrmont Art Prize

Free sustainability workshops

The winners of the ninth annual Pyrmont Art Prize were announced at Pyrmont Festival on Sunday 17th May. Curated by Lesley Dimmick OAM from the TAP Gallery, the contest features more than 300 artworks, in various mediums and themes, with all works on sale in Pirrama Park on May 16-17. Pyrmont’s Community Bank, the Bendigo Bank, donates $1,650 to the Pyrmont Art Prize Judges Awards, boosting the total prize pool to over $3,000.

The 2015 Pyrmont Art Prize winners are: Judges Choice Awards: 1st Prize - Robert Sheperd 2nd Prize - Emel Jurd 3rd Prize - Isabella Anteineivich People’s Choice Awards: 1st Prize - Angie K 2nd Prize - Cliff Penny 3rd Prize - Vittorio Oriana

Cyren Bar Grill Seafood

Only the best wagyu for West

Hothouse LABs return to the Powerhouse Museum in August, offering small and medium-sized organisations in the Ultimo - Pyrmont precinct practical advice on how to tackle sustainability challenges.

After a year of sellout sessions, the series is back with a new workshop format designed to help organisations find their green advantage. Produced in partnership with the Total Environment Centre and City of Sydney, the free events are grounded in practical relevance to your organisation.

Whether you’re a business owner, a building manager, a property owner, or you just work locally and are curious, these events are for you. Participants gain resources, ideas and contacts for making real, immediate changes in their organisations.

LAB #1 on Wednesday 5th August looks at the BUILDINGS we work in.

Can you make your building more energy efficient and reduce bills? How to go solar?

What’s a green lease and why might you want one?

LAB #2 on Wednesday 12th August looks at the NEIGHBOURHOOD we work in.

Can your organisation reduce waste?

How to create more green space in your area? Can you support staff to choose sustainable transport options?

Book today - spaces are limited.

Priority to local organisations. For more information, visit www.hothouse.org.au

New NSWBC Member Benefits

The team from River Cottage Australia (RCA) has hit the road with Subaru to tour Australian growers’ markets. Last month they appeared at Pyrmont Festival, where guests savoured cooking demonstrations by Paul West, the star of the popular Foxtel LifeStyle Food show.

The celebrity chef-turned-farmer tantalized

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Perched at the water’s edge, Cyren Bar Grill Seafood at Harbourside is an idyllic location to take in magnificent views, refreshing drinks and a relaxing meal.

The crew at Cyren is now offering a tasty 2-Course Lunch Special, featuring fresh seafood, premium meats, delectable desserts, and a choice of beer, house wine

NSW Business Chamber (NSWBC) has announced a landmark partnership with NRMA Business Motoring (NRMABM), to provide Members with an unprecedented level of resources, expertise and support at no extra cost.

NSWBC CEO Stephen Cartwright and NRMA Group Chief Executive Officer Tony Stuart convened at a launch event on May 25 to announce the partnership. This new arrangement allows NSWBC Members, including opted in Members of the Pyrmont-Ultimo Chamber of Commerce, to access advice from NRMABM - at no additional charge.

“This alliance makes perfect sense - bringing together over 280 years of collective expertise to ensure members of both organisations are given every opportunity to maximise their business potential,” Mr Cartwright said.

NRMABM Affiliate Membership extends the existing Local Chamber Alliance Program, complementing existing NSWBC Membership with expert business advice covering vehicle purchases, ownership and maintenance.

Existing NSWBC members can opt in for this new comprehensive coverage at www.nswbusinesschamber.com.au/ Membership/NRMA or by calling 13 26 96. If you are not yet an NSWBC Member, join now at www.nswbusinesschamber. com.au/Login.

For a full list of NRMABM Affiliate benefits, visit http://bit.ly/1KAst8r.

Head online for more news & events

With so much happening in Pyrmont/ Ultimo, we can’t always fit everything in our print newsletter. For more news and events, head to pucc.com.au

Join us on Linkedin LIKE us on Facebook Submission guidelines The Pyrmont Ultimo Chamber of Commerce welcomes submissions for the newsletter from area businesses. These could be about sales, promotions, special offers, changes in the business and other developments. Ideally, each submission should come with an image, such as the company logo or company staff.

Please also provide contact information: website, e-mail, telephone and address (if applicable). Submissions should be sent to admin@pucc. com.au no later than the third Friday of the month for inclusion in the following month’s newsletter.

The newsletter is published monthly in AMG publications and on the PUCC website, www. pucc.com.au. The PUCC e-mail database has about 800 subscribers. Please note that inclusion is limited to space and timeliness.

For inclusion in the PUCC Business Directory please provide all relevant contacts, a short paragraph describing the business, and business logo, to admin@pucc.com.au.

To join the PUCC, go to www.pucc.com.au and download the application form.

For more information please e-mail admin@pucc.com.au or call 0410 338 331

Play[ground] As Vivid Sydney lights up the city, the museum is bringing to life a play[ground] for kids and families alike to experience.

This Queen’s Birthday weekend, the Hyde Park Barracks courtyard is going to be transformed into a giant green city playground. The weekend will include activities, creative fun and workshops.

The three main workshops include Parkour, where children can explore the city through running, jumping and skipping (if you have not seen a Parkour video I recommend you Google it immediately).

There is also the Junglefy Your City workshop, where kids can get involved in creating a giant vertical plant wall and finally, the 3D City Soundscapes workshop where children aged eight and up can learn about 3D printing and what can be created in the future. By turning the 19th century setting of the barracks into ideas of the future, Sydney Living Museums and Archkidz believe that the children can learn in an innovative and creative way. (LB) This amazing play[ground] can be found at Hyde Park Barracks located at Queens Square, Macquarie St, Sydney. On June 6 - 8 from 10am - 4pm.

Free sessions are now booked out but spaces in the paid workshops are still available and grant access to the entire site. http://sydneylivingmuseums.com.au/events/playground June 6 - 8, 10am - 4pm. Hyde Park Barracks, Queens Square, Macquarie St, Sydney.

Free sessions booked out, spaces in paid workshops still available. Bookings & info: http://sydneylivingmuseums.com. au/events/playground

Misterman The Irish playwriting tradition of presenting the world with the odd and wonderful continues with Misterman. Written by Enda Walsh, the play premiered in 1999 and after several permutations it will be making it’s Australian premiere at the Old Fitz.

Referencing the grand old men of Irish theatre, Misterman is ‚off-the-wall’. Directed by Kate Gaul and starring Thomas Campbell, it’s a one-man show about a small Irish town beset by sin and one man’s Christian attempt to redeem the people of the village.

Campbell, who plays all of the characters, including the evangelist Thomas Magill, also had a short stint on Downton Abbey, where he played a war veteran early in the show. The NIDA graduate is characteristically modest about that role, and focussed on the demands of Misterman. Playing a number of characters, Campbell approached it with Walsh’s stage instructions at the forefront. “It’s highly scripted,” he explains, allowing him to move within the characters and their boundaries, and also working with long-time collaborator Gaul.

Irish theatre has a “very sarcastic twist,” says Campbell. “There’s a sense of humour, which I love, that wants to rile and challenge people.” Misterman is sure to provide. (OA) June 9 - 27, the Old Fitz Theatre, 129 Dowling St, Woolloomooloo. $22 to $32 (Earlybird $20).

Tickets & info: http://www.oldfitztheatre.com/ misterman/ THEATRE & PERFORMANCE EDUCATING RITA The powerful and uplifting story of a working class hairdresser (Catherine McGraffin) looking to broaden her horizons through education, and Frank (Mark Kilmurry), a jaded academic looking for a means to support his drinking career.

Rita’s love for learning rekindles Frank’s passion for English Literature, but will she steer clear of the pretensions and trappings of bourgeois academia?

McGraffin comes to the role of Rita with a deep familiarity and love for the character after staring in the production by Anna Cottrell and Anna Crawford.“It has been immeasurably wonderful to play, learn and perform in

both the rehearsal room and the theatre,” says Catherine.“My only critique of the place is that the view can make it difficult to concentrate!”

This beloved modern tale of the liberating power of education and the erosive effects of lives half-lived is not to be missed. (JH) Until June 28, 2015. Ensemble Theatre, 78 McDougall Street, Kirribilli. $25 – $69, Bookings: 02 9929 0644 or www.ensemble.com. au.

BEYOND THE NECK This play by Tom Holloway is at its heart a tale of grief and how it ripples through people’s lives. It is set ten years after the devastating Port Arthur Massacre and through the eyes of four strangers, it shows how grief never truly leaves

you.This beautifully written play gets its title from the stretch of land you travel through to reach Port Arthur.

The cast is led by David Ritchie, well known stage and film actor, who leads a great cast of newcomers, as they play a combination of chorus and character roles to produce a powerful commentary on grief and death. David says it is unpredictable, brilliantly written and complexly thematic. He also states “it is totally engaging and unlike anything you have seen before”.

Whilst the play does deal with grief and death Beyond the Neck is also a story of hope. (LB) Until June 13,The King James Theatre, 644 King St (corner of Bray St Newtown), $27 – $33, $23 for groups of 10 or more. Bookings &

information: www.kingsttheatre. com.au FOUR SEASONS IN ONE NIGHT A backstage pass to Bobby Fox’s experience of getting and playing the role of Frankie Valli in Jersey Boys.

This show is for people who saw Jersey Boys and who loved the show, love the music of Frankie Valli, loved Bobby Fox in the show, and want to know how he and the boys got there.

“It’s told from my perspective,” Bobby Fox explains of his upcoming show.“In a nutshell it’s a telling of my journey, from beginning to end, from the very first time seeing Jersey Boys, my first audition, opening night in Melbourne, the meeting with Frankie Valli, to the curtain down on closing night.A telling of my journey through Jersey Boys

using all of the Four Season’s Music, using the biggest of hits from Jersey Boys and the Four Seasons to propel the show along. My story interwoven into their music.” (MS) Until June 7, 2015. Glen Street Theatre, corner Glen Street and Blackbutts Road, Belrose. $71 – $46.

Student Rush tickets $16. Bookings & information: www.glenstreet.com. au or 9975 1455 THE HOUSE OF RAMON IGLESIA Despite the fact that Jose River’s The House of Ramon Iglesia is set in 1980’s New York, for Stephen Multari (who plays Javier, the Americanised son of a pair of Puerto Rican immigrants) the play “is very important now”.The play grapples with the often complex relationship

between parents of immigrants and their children, as well as on the persistence of racism – even coming from those who have experienced it for themselves. Presented by MopHead Productions, this is the second play they have chosen to produce by Jose Rivera. Multari acknowledges there’s something inherent in MopHead’s choice of productions, saying,“…[W] e’re drawn to pieces that really make us feel. I’m aware of how cliché that can soud,” he laughs.“But I think at the end of the day, it’s got to be all about the story and whether it’s a piece that speaks to us.”

Until June 6, Old Fitz Theatre, 129 Dowling Street,Woolloomooloo.

Tickets $22 – $32, www. oldfitztheatre.com city hub 4 June 2015

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T H E N A K ED C ITY

SOMETHING IN THE WATER

By Coffin Ed and Miss Death and Jay Katz Back in February of 2013 a number of guests at the low budget Cecil Hotel in Los Angeles discovered a strange taste in the drinking water.

After the hotel finally investigated the source of numerous complaints the naked body of a 21 year-old Canadian student Elisa Lam was found in one of their rooftop water tanks. It had been there for approximately three weeks!

We recall this gruesome anecdote, straight out of the pages of a James Ellroy novel, after reading City Hub’s disclosure some weeks ago of conditions at a certain Woolloomooloo backpackers.“This is by far the most disgraceful accommodation I’ve ever witnessed,” was the comment of one user on the Trip Advisor site.

Maybe the water wasn’t quite as bad as the 600 room Cecil, but the experience just as freaky.

Well perhaps ‘freaky’ is only part of the story because anybody who has travelled extensively, on a shoestring budget, will more than likely have encountered these kind of hellholes – be they in Sydney, LA or Lima.

Whilst the initial reaction is usually one of outrage, the experience often becomes part of the rites of passage that many young travellers set out to experience.

There’s nothing like recalling the crack pipe you found under the semen stained bed in a San Francisco fleabag or the whorehouse vibe of the now defunct Astoria Hotel in Kings Cross.All valuable grist for the mill on your journey to maturity, especially if your career path is in crime fiction or pest and vermin control.

We readily admit this kind of accommodation nightmare is not for everybody – nor is bungy jumping, absailing or climbing K2 in Pakistan. But like the thrillseekers who search out the so called extreme sports, we know many who yearn for a similar charge of

exhibitions DEBBY DOESN’T DO IT FOR FREE June sees the arrival of a bold new exhibition at Darlinghurst’s TAP Gallery, revealing a rarely seen side of sex work. Debby Doesn’t Do It For Free comprises eye-opening works from an intergenerational collective of 26 sex worker artists, male and female, all telling their stories with art.The artists’ stories are told in a range of mediums, everything from photography to body 16

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adrenalin when it comes to budget accommodation. It’s a vicarious thrill indeed as you check into a dirty downtown dump, populated by hookers, junkies and itinerants anchored at the very bottom of their luck.

Hey, you’re only there for one night but the imminent danger of being mugged, murdered or eaten alive by bed bugs is omnipresent.You bash the crap out of the ancient TV to get it working and stomp on a cockroach that looks like it just escaped from William Burrough’s Naked Lunch.

This is life in the underbelly, five star grunge at its very best and the chance to wax lyrical on Trip Advisor in the grossest terms. Perhaps those Sydney hostels, shamed in the recent Hub article should cash in on the perverse desire of some travellers to embrace the horrendous and bill their accom accordingly. Naturally basic rules of hygiene would need to be observed and much of the dereliction would be simulation, but it’s still downright scary as you enter ‘Mephistopheles – the Backpackers From Hell’.

Don’t worry too much about the giant bed bugs – they’re only plastic and the skeleton lying in one of the bunks is fake – not a German backpacker who has overstayed their visit. Nevertheless the atmosphere is unnerving especially when the sound of chainsaws rings throughout the dorm.The TV in the guest lounge shows only a continuous screening of Motel Hell and the kitchen has been laced with all manner of creepy crawlies, including that giant cockroach from The Naked Lunch.At night the muzak broadcasts a constant mix of screams, groans and moans of sordid sexual fervour.You won’t get any sleep! In the morning the toaster is geared to turn your bread into charcoal and the coffee tastes like bilge water.You angrily depart, loudly proclaiming that you will never return, knowing only too well that the encounter was purely theatrical – or was it?

paint to embroidery and lino cuts.The centrepiece of the show is the HJ Hooker performance window, occupied by members of the collective.The provocative installation promises to attract some attention from Palmer street passers-by.The entire exhibition sets out to unravel some commonly held stereotypes. (CC) June 2 – 6,TAP Gallery, 278 Palmer Street, Darlinghurst, FREE entry, Details: http://www.tapgallery.org.au/ debby-doesnt-do-it-for-free/ MARK WHALEN: IMPROPER

FRACTION Los Angeles based artist Mark Whalen is back in Australia with his newest solo exhibition: Improper Fraction. Currently running at Sydney’s Chalk Horse Gallery in Darlinghurst, fans of Whalen’s unapologetically colourful and geometric art style are able to check it out between Thursdays and Sundays from now until June 6.

Encompassing themes of race and class within dystopian futures,Whalen’s works are rife with meaning and manage to strike a fine balance between visual aesthetics and personal significance –

Modern Aboriginal Art at The Gallery Potts Point Since opening its doors in Bronte in 2010,The Gallery Shop has been one of Sydney’s premiere galleries to showcase contemporary Aboriginal Art. Due to popular demand,The Gallery Shop is excited to announce the launch of its second space,The Gallery - Potts Point.

In a clever marriage between technology and gallery space, by utilizing your smart device with the QR codes displayed in the gallery window, passers-by can access information about the works and artists, day or night.

Aboriginal art dealer and owner Nichola Dare explains, “whether you are looking to buy or just want to browse, the design of the gallery makes it easy for customers to purchase or peruse the art at their leisure.”

Exhibitions at The Gallery - Potts Point will change monthly, showcasing Aboriginal artists from remote community art centres throughout Australia. Nicola’s close work with remote communities has given her access to curate and bring exceptional new works to the city.The current exhibition is Billy Benn and Conway Ginger’s My World, a contrast of pleasures, with Ginger’s whimsical etchings and watercolours playing with the bold complexities of Benn’s more established work.

My World will run till June 26, you can find The Gallery in the vibrant laneways of Potts Point, on the corner of Orwell Street and Llankelly Lane.

35 Orwell Street, Wednesday to Friday, 11am-6pm and Saturday, 10am-4pm.

Details: www.thegalleryshop.com.au.

HEIDI YARDLEYMEETING THE SHADOW Heidi Yardley will present her debut exhibition Meeting the Shadow at the Arthouse Gallery.

This exhibition has been inspired through printed material from the 60’s and 70’s, embedded with monochromatic tones and various textures. Her oil paintings and charcoal drawings are a personal interpretation of faded memory, reinvention and supernatural inference.

The exhibition title is a reference to Carl Jung’s psychoanalytic exploration of the ‘shadow self’ as the darker side of the human mind.This presentation of Yardley’s work is an intricate look into her interpretation of the ‘shadow self’ and the psychology behind it.

Graduating from Monash University in 1995 with a fine art degree, she has been a finalist for many revered prizes such as Archibald Prize, The Doug Moran National Portrait Prize and the Brett Whiteley Travelling Art Scholarship.

For those who are a fan of contemporary art or want to know a little bit more, this show is a great start for you. (AMal) June 4 to 20, Arthouse Gallery, 66 McLachlan Avenue, Rushcutters Bay. More info: http://www.arthousegallery.com.au/ often through the use of very bold colours and peculiar settings.With entry free of charge, people of all age groups and backgrounds are encouraged to come along.A testament to the universal perfection of mathematics and geometry, Improper Fraction is sure to leave a lasting impression, even if that impression is confusion for some. (MB) Thursdays-Sundays until June 6, Chalk Horse Gallery, 171 William Street, Darlinghurst, Free Entry, www. chalkhorse.com.au THE PANIC OFFICE As the days

grow progressively shorter and SydneySiders ease into another mild winter, hearts are warmed by the thought of another Vivid Festival fast approaching.As part of the Vivid and Semi-Permanent Festivals, Carriageworks is hosting Stanley Donwood’s interactive and retrospective exhibition,The Panic Office. Donwood’s work is at times playfully irreverent, while other works evoke dark and visceral emotions.A range of his paintings, prints and drawings spanning the past 25 years will be on display. Fans of the 90’s Alternative Rock

scene are invited to take an angst-ridden journey down memory lane; Stanley Donwood has worked with Radiohead since 1994, designing the group’s album covers and all associated artwork.The exhibition will display thousands of pieces of artwork from Radiohead albums, as well as original works, all bearing Donwood’s evocative and haunting imagery that has helped to create one of the world’s most distinctive brands. (JH) Until 6 June 2015,The Carriageworks, 245 Wilson Street, Eveleigh, FREE.

RIZ

Set in Sydney’s western suburbs in 2001, this film is inspired by the life of director Guido Gonzalez who came to Australia as a refugee from Chile. The story delves deeply into the culture of mateship, the high expectations placed upon teenagers and their need to succeed in life on limited resources.

Riz (Varun Fernando) is highly praised and regarded as “better than family” by his close circle of working-class mates he shares a house with.

He’s secretly dating a middle-class girl and when both worlds collide at his 18th birthday, a chain of events erupt which threaten all his relationships.

This low-budget feature is a study of life in the western suburbs and gives an insight into topical issues including racism, multi-culturalism and class division.

High production values are evident and a cast of predominantly inexperienced actors deliver intense performances which lead to a very poignant climax. (MMo) WWW1/2 June 6-8, showing at selected cinemas as part of the Sydney Film Festival, $19.50,Tickets & info: sff.org.au

Aloha Aloha has taken some flak ahead of its release, mainly due to the infamous Sony email hacking scandal which revealed the studio’s grim outlook for the film.

The romantic comedy written and directed by Cameron Crowe (Almost Famous, Jerry Maguire) feels at its heart like a love letter to Hawaii, wrapped in a rom-com, wearing a lei. It’s enjoyable on the surface, and doesn’t take itself too seriously, but a contrived narrative makes it difficult to invest in the central characters and their relationships.

The always delightful Emma Stone is pleasant to watch as the eager young fighter pilot tasked with babysitting Bradley Cooper’s disgraced military contractor.

He is a mess of a man who has returned to

Hawaii – the site of his previous career triumphs – looking for redemption.

With a cast as strong as Stone, Cooper, Bill Murray, Alec Baldwin, Rachel McAdams and John Krasinski, it’s hard to imagine Aloha wouldn’t be a hit. Unfortunately the depth lacking in the characters and the script is only momentarily found in beautiful snippets of Hawaiian culture and legends – all too briefly showcased in a subplot that is lost among many competing subplots.

Cameron Crowe is a romantic, adept at penning offbeat films that sweep the audience into his universe where love conquers all. If you have a fondness for the director and the actors’ involved it will help with the enjoyment of Aloha, but it’s Hawaii that audiences will fall in love with. (LL)

WWW

FAR FROM THE MADDING CROWD Set in Victorian England, this British romantic drama surrounds Bathsheba Everdene (Carey Mulligan), a headstrong and fiercely independent farm owner who attracts the affections of three very different men - a sheep farmer (Matthias Schoenaerts), a sergeant (Tom Sturridge) and a prosperous bachelor (Michael Sheen).

Adamant that she doesn’t need a husband, she impulsively marries and this sets off a chain of tragic events that changes all their lives.

Mulligan is perfectly cast as Bathsheba and works well with Schoenaerts who plays Gabriel, one of her love

INFINI This ambitious Australian sci-fi film is set in the 23rd Century.

When a catastrophic accident occurs on a mining station in outer space, a rescue team is deployed to save lone survivor Whit Carmichael (Daniel MacPherson), but a deadly alien force awaits.This respectable deep space disaster film is obviously filmed on a smaller budget than its Hollywood counterparts, but is equally as suspenseful and frightening. Immaculate sets, impressive CGI and good performances from a talented cast should allure and satisfy sci-fi enthusiasts.This film will be readily available digitally from May 8 on many platforms including iTunes, Google Play, Quickflix,Telstra, Foxtel On Demand and Dendy Direct.

(MMo) WWW BANKSY DOES NEW YORK Banksy is one of the most controversial artists in the world today, yet no one knows who he is.

interests.The sexual chemistry between them is exuberant.

Beautifully photographed with exhilarating panoramic views of picturesque landscapes, this film is slightly tarnished by unrealistic and over the top storylines of romantic entanglements seemingly borrowed from daytime soap operas.

Incurable romantics should be captivated by this sweeping romantic tale and especially by the very predicable but satisfying conclusion.(MMo) WWW1/2

In October 2013, Banksy covertly took to the streets of New York to create a series of public artworks, chased along the way by the NYPD who wanted to arrest him, and members of the public who wanted to know who he really was, and profit from stealing his art. Filmed without Banksy’s original knowledge, or his assistance, Banksy Does New York has brought the artist’s residency to a wider audience, and accesses the pulsating hub of the city itself. (LS) Playing exclusively at the Dendy Theatre Newtown from Apr 23 CLOUDS OF SILS MARIA This German-French-Swiss coproduction is a brilliantly written and intense drama which focuses on an actress’s emotional upheaval once she has signed on for the resurrection of a stage play. Many viewers will be exhausted by the depth in themes and perplexed by the complexities in characterizations

and storylines, but lovers of fine cinema should be absorbed and challenged by these intricacies.

Beautifully filmed in the stunning and remote regions of the Alps, this is a performance driven film with the talents of three exceptional actresses also including Kristen Stewart. (MMo) WWWW HUMPBACK WHALES 3D Audiences join the expedition as scientists traverse the oceans of the world in search of humpback whales and make new discoveries about their feeding and mating habits.

Narrated by Ewan McGregor, this documentary which is exclusively filmed in the 70mm IMAX format for giant screens is insightful and educational.

In all its grandeur, this production translates to an exhilarating and rewarding experience for the entire family. (MMo) IMAX, Darling Harbour, $17 – $23, imax.com.au WWWW

KUMIKO,THE TREASURE HUNTER This drama explores the ideal that obsession can lead to disillusionment and a slow path to self-destruction.

Kumiko (Rinko Kikuchi) is depressed and lives a lonely and mundane life in Tokyo. Upon viewing a discarded copy of the 1996 film Fargo, she obsesses over the illusion that the hidden fortune exists and embarks on a desperate search to America.

She loses touch with reality and ultimately fantasy leads to danger.

Comic elements are welcoming and stem from the delightful and quirky characters Kumiko meets on her journey.

Beautifully filmed, especially scenes in the frozen Minnesota wilderness, this film thrives from its originality.

(MMo) WWW½ SUNDAY Sunday opens on what appears to be a couple in a physical and emotional paradise. This atmosphere is soon completely

shattered; we have been watching a flashback. No longer a couple and separated by distance, Australian Charlie (Dustin Clare) arrives in Christchurch hoping to win back Eve (Camille Keenan) and contend with the arrival of what usually is considered a bundle of joy.

Throughout the film we are not treated to grandiose scenes of adventurous and comedic wooing but instead revel in the reality of the characters situation. It is easy to relate to them because the actors play them with such honesty, we often find ourselves siding with one but also understanding the motives of the other.

Shot in an earthquake ravaged Christchurch; the terrain also adds an element of either hope or impending disaster.You’ll just have to find out! (BM) WWW THE AGE Of ADALINE At the age of 29, Adaline Bowman (Blake Lively) is involved at near-fatal car

accident, after which she ceases to age. Constantly on the run from authorities who want to ‘study’ her and her fear of hurting others, she leads a relatively isolated existence, safe for her daughter from her preaccident marriage (Ellen Burstyn).

When she meets wealthy philanthropist Ellis Jones (Michiel Huisman), who also happens to be charming and good-looking, her resistance to his persistent attempts to engage with her predictably is challenged. Eventually, her passion to live and to love begin to be reawaken, but just when it seems she is letting go, a chance encounter threatens to expose her and spreads the seeds of panic. A ‘magical reality’ film in the tradition of The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button, this wellcrafted tale from director Lee Toland Krieger celebrates the underappreciated joy of growing old with someone. (CCov) WWW city hub 4 June 2015

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Sydney Live Music Guide LIVE WIRE

By Jamie Apps World Wild: If you’re looking for an ‘80s nostalgia hit with a new wave twist Adelaide’s Jarrad Lee Jackson has you covered with his synth-pop surf rock project World Wild. Formerly a punk rocker drummer, Jackson has taken a complete 180 with this new project, drawing influence from the likes of The Beastie Boys, Grandmaster Flash,The Beach Boys, Duran Duran and MGMT. Thu, Jun 4, Captain Cook Hotel

The Cherry Dolls: Hailing from Melbourne this ‘60s inspired five-piece are set to head out on their first ever east coast headline tour, having previously supported the likes of British India and DZ Deathrays.With a new EP Wasted Pearls due for a release later this year this is a good opportunity for fans to get a peek of what’s on the horizon for the band.

Sat, Jun 6,The Standard Bowl

Artefact: Following critical acclaim for their debut album No Safe Place this Sydney band is set to make their live gig debut with a spectacular multimedia stage show.The show will see the six multi-instrumentalists switch between electronics, keyboards, bass, piano, guitar and other percussion instruments whilst also incorporating custom designed digital projection mapping by Laura Turner, to highlight the music and historical features of the venue.

Fri, Jun 5, Leichhardt Town Hall

We All Want To: Having just dropped their third album The Haze this Brisbane band have been getting some fantastic reviews and comparisons to The New Pornographers and REM. In celebration of this they are touring nationally with a stop off in Sydney this weekend. Bringing a mixture of indie-surf-rock, chunky guitar riffs and pop hooks the band’s sound is familiar yet also new and fresh.

Sun, Jun 7,The Vanguard

Fox & Fowl: Notorious for a killer live show this Brisbane based indie-pop outfit are kicking off a run of three east coast shows in Sydney this week. Having almost sold out their debut EP tour last year and going on to support British India, the group has continued to soar after being handpicked by San Cisco & Paul Kelly’s producer Stephen Schram to record a new batch of songs.

Fri, Jun 5, Brighton Up Bar

She Who Rocks By jamie apps This weekend two of Australia’s pre-eminent front women of rock-and-roll, Suze De Marchi of Baby Animals and Sarah McLeod of The Superjesus, will join forces for the ultimate rock party on the She Who Rocks tour.

Over the two-decade spans of their respective careers both Baby Animals and The Superjesus rose to prominence and gave female rock a voice. More recently both bands have reunited with a reinvigorated energy and drive, De Marchi explained this more:“we were all missing it and had some great ideas we wanted to record…I think we’ve also grown in a such a way that we don’t stress the little things musically so it’s more freeing, and we don’t worry about whether something will work or not, we just do it.”

With both bands now back in the studio and touring a rather funny chance encounter led to

Bear Ops #4: With a background in classical piano before she embarked on her cosmic glitch-hop R&B path TOKiMONSTA has quickly risen to prominence within the genre, securing a coveted sunset set at this years Coachella festival. Sydney has a opportunity this weekend to check out her and an all-star cast of female performers including JOY., Zuri Akoko and GG Magree as part of the VIVID Festival.

Sun, Jun 7, Oxford Art Factory

the initial spark that would become the She Who Rocks tour.“We were both booked for one of the Day On The Green shows and got booted off for Billy Idol, so we started talking and thought it was rather funny actually and that maybe we could just do our own tour,” said De Marchi.

From there the ladies began to spend more time together as anticipation for the shows grew, with multiple dates selling out quickly requiring the addition of extra shows.“They’re beginning to rack up now as we’re adding extra

shows…it’s fantastic and heartwarming to know we’ve got a really loyal fan base that will come out and support us still,” said De Marchi.

As part of the She Who Rocks branding, a compilation album of tracks from women who shaped rock-and-roll was also put together, from which a dollar of every sale is going towards the Ovarian Cancer Foundation, which De Marchi describes as “a nice way for us to give back to the community through a great cause.”

Ahead of the tour De Marchi was clearly excited to be returning to the road and performing in front of fans again:“It’s really exciting to get back out there and see everyone on the road again. Obviously we’ll be doing some of the new stuff but we’ll also be playing lots of the stuff people know and love while giving it everything we’ve got.”

Given this mindset and the pairing of two of the genres most important bands and individuals, this show is bound to be a great night for anybody whether they be rock-androll fans or not.

Jun 6, Metro Theatre, 624 George St, Sydney, $46+b.f, metrotheatre.com.au

Young Guns Ones And Zeros

Penguin Prison Lost in New York

Straddling the divide between new-age synth-rock and more traditional rock will please both mainstream listeners and the more ardent purists. From the outset listeners are greeted with the electronic elements that rock purists generally shy away from but they are quickly reassured with a charging guitar riff. This approach is very reminiscent of bands such as Muse,The Killers and Birds of Tokyo and is likely a path that many pop-rock bands will explore in the future. (JA) WWW

Penguin Prison offers up a smorgasbord of pop.Vocally there are some snatches of Julian Casablancas, and a few squeaky clean boy band moments in there too.

This 11 track LP is an electro pop dedication to the flurry of life in New York City.

Unashamedly upbeat and sweet, Lost in New York offers a fizzy feeling and tight production for fans of electro pop. (HC) WW1/2

FREEWILLASTROLOGY

by Rob Brezsny

compromise?

a

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Nobel Prize-winning physicists Wolfgang Pauli and Niels Bohr were both amused at how counterintuitive their innovative theories seemed.

Once Pauli was lecturing a group of eminent scientists about a radical new hypothesis.

Bohr got out of his seat in the audience and walked up to the front to interrupt his colleague.

“We all agree that your theory is crazy,” Bohr told Pauli. “The question that divides us is whether it is crazy enough to have a chance of being correct.

My own feeling is that it is not crazy enough.” Pauli defended himself. “It is crazy enough!” he said. But Bohr was insistent.

“It’s not crazy enough!” he argued. I’m going to pose a comparable query to you, Gemini. Are your new ideas and possibilities crazy enough to be true? Make sure they are.

ARIES (March 21-April 19): The Persian scholar Avicenna was so well-rounded in his knowledge that he wrote two different encyclopedias.

Even as a teenager he was obsessed with learning all he could. He got especially consumed with trying to master Aristotle’s Metaphysics, which did not easily yield its secrets to him. He read it 40 times, memorizing every word. When he finally understood it, he was so excited he celebrated by giving out money and gifts to destitute strangers. I suspect you will soon be having an equivalent breakthrough, Aries. At last you will grasp a truth that has eluded you for a long time. Congratulations in advance!

b

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): When it’s rush hour in Tokyo, unwieldy crowds of commuters board the trains and subways. They often need help at squeezing in.

Railway workers known as oshiya, or pushers, provide the necessary force. Wearing crisp uniforms, white gloves, and neat hats, they cram the last stragglers into each car. I foresee the possibility of you being called on to perform a metaphorical version of the service these pushers provide.

Is there a polite and respectful way for you to be indelicate in a worthy cause? Could you bring light-hearted tact to bear as you seek an outcome that encourages everyone to 18

city hub 4 June 2015

C

CANCER (June 21-July 22): You’ve wandered into an awkward phase of your cycle.

Missed connections have aroused confusion. Disjointed events have led to weirdness.

I’ve got a suggestion for how you might be able to restore clarity and confidence: Make a foray into a borderland and risk imaginative acts of heroism.

Does that sound too cryptic or spooky? How about if I say it like this: Go on an unpredictable quest that will free your trapped vitality, or try a mysterious experiment that will awaken your sleeping magic. P.S. For best

d

results, ask for help every step of the way.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Gesamtkunstwerk is a German word that can be translated as “total art work” or “all-embracing art form.” It refers to a creative masterpiece that makes use of several genres. The 19th-century composer Richard Wagner had this in mind when he produced his opera cycle The Ring of the Nibelung, which included orchestral music, singing, theater, and literature.

I’m invoking the spirit of Gesamtkunstwerk for your use, Leo. The coming weeks will be an excellent time to synthesize and coordinate all the things you do best, and express them with a flourish.

e

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Defender was a popular video game that young people played in video arcades during the 1980s. Fifteen-year-old Steve Juraszek was profiled in Time magazine after he racked up a record-breaking 16 million points while playing the game for 16 hours straight. But when his high school principal found out that Juraszek had skipped classes to be at the arcade, he was suspended. I’m wondering if there may soon be a similar development in your own life, Virgo. Will you have to pay a small price for your success?

You should at least be prepared to risk an acceptable loss in order to accomplish an important goal.

f

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): People I meet are sometimes taken aback by the probing questions I ask them.

Recently an acquaintance said to me, “Why don’t you feel driven to talk about yourself all the time, like everyone else?”

I told him the truth: “Being curious is just the way I was made. Maybe it’s because of my Mercury in Gemini, or my seventh-house sun, or my three planets in Libra.” I suspect that you are due to go through a phase similar to the mode I’m so familiar with. If it doesn’t happen naturally, I suggest you coax it out. You need to be extra inquisitive. You’ll benefit from digging as deeply as you dare. The more information you uncover, the better your decisions will be.

g

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): I love to watch an evolved Scorpio get his or her needs met by helping other people get their needs met. It’s thrilling to behold the paradoxical Scorpio assets in action: the combination of manipulativeness and generosity; the animal magnetism working in service to the greater good; the resourceful willpower that carries out hidden agendas and complex strategies designed to make the world a better place.

I expect to see a lot of this idiosyncratic wisdom from you in the coming weeks.

h

i

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): “Would that life were

like the shadow cast by a wall or a tree,” says the Talmud.

“But it is like the shadow of a bird in flight.” That’s a lyrical sentiment, but I don’t agree with it. I’ve come to prefer the shimmering dance over the static stance. The ever-shifting play of light and dark is more interesting to me than the illusion of stability. I feel more at home in the unpredictable flow than in the stagnant trance of certainty. What about you, Sagittarius? I suggest that in the immediate future you cultivate an appreciation for the joys and challenges of the shimmering dance.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): The core of your horoscope comes from the poem “A Color of the Sky” by Tony Hoagland. Imagine that you are the “I” who is saying the following: “What I thought was an end turned out to be a middle. What I thought was a brick wall turned out to be a tunnel. What I thought was an injustice turned out to be a color of the sky.” Please understand, Capricorn, that speaking these words might not make total sense to you yet. You may have to take them on faith until you gather further evidence. But I urge you to speak them anyway.

Doing so will help generate the transformations you need in order to make them come true.

j

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Lessons in luck are coming your way. Will they help you attract more luck?

k

Maybe. Will they show you how to make better use of your luck? Maybe. A lot depends on your ability to understand and love the paradox of luck.

I’ve assembled a few enigmatic teachings to prepare you. 1.

“Luck is believing you’re lucky.”

- Tennessee Williams. 2. “It is a great piece of skill to know how to guide your luck even while waiting for it.” - Baltasar Gracián. 3. “Sometimes not getting what you want is a brilliant stroke of luck.” - Lorii Myers. 4. “The harder I work, the luckier I get.” - Samuel Goldwyn. 5. “You’ve got to try your luck at least once a day, because you could be going around lucky all day and not even know it.” - Jimmy Dean. 6.

“Go and wake up your luck.” Persian proverb.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): The word “boudoir” means a woman’s bedroom.

But hundreds of years ago, it had a more specific definition.

It was a room where a wellbred girl was sent when she was pouting. “Boudoir” is derived from the French verb bouder, which means “to sulk.” If it were in my power, Pisces, I would send you to the sulking room right now. In fact, I would encourage you to sulk. In my opinion, a good long sulk would be just the right prescription for you. It would trigger brainstorms about how to change the soggy, foggy conditions that warranted your sulking in the first place.

l

Kings Court Massage Kings Court is the only place to have twenty two massage rooms and eleven hot tubs, spas, and bubble baths.

Wall to wall beautiful ladies, pool tables and luxurious leather lounges. You can have a coffee and enjoy the friendly atmosphere.

Approachable managers help you choose a lady for your massage.

There is a fair queing system and no hidden charges or credit card fees. We are just along from Central Railway at 261 Broadway Street Glebe, Sydney NSW 2037 Phone 02 9660 0666 Its a $10.00 Taxi Ride from the CBD Visit our web site at

www.kingscourt.com.au We are open 9 am to 1 am and 24 hours on Weekends. There is a 20% discount from 9 am to 12 noon & FREE ENTRY before 9 pm each day.

After 9pm there is a $20 entry fee.

Parking is available in the Broadway Shopping Centre near our discreet rear entrance at 18 Grose St Glebe.

Check out the website for information, funny stuff and pictures of pretty women. There are no photos of the regular girls as they are too shy. We don’t provide full service.

Also check out Big John’s Facebook to see a mixture of really funny pics, photos, stories and links to the best pages of our website. This is updated regularly:

www.facebook.com/KingsBigJohn

Kings Court Massage: Where the first time customer can meet the first time massage girl!

VACANCIES Kings Court is the best place to learn adult massage. You can work with us part time or casual and you are paid cash daily. Work times can suit students or young mothers. When you start we get one of the regular girls to show you how to do your first massage.We have off street parking for ladies with cars and for your interview you can park in the Broadway Shopping Centre near our discreet rear entry with two hours free parking. The 18 Grose Street Glebe NSW 2037 address is the best way to find us using GPS plotting. Ring us on 02 9660 0666. Some ladies from out of town stay over when they visit. We have the bestest and sweetest customers of any place. The website is www.kingscourt.com.au On the home page have a look at, “Is this your first time” and see the ten tips that help customers to understand how we do business and how they must behave towards our girls.

Hi, this is Big John the owner of Kings Court Massage.

This week we have the last advertisment for a while. We have been running the St James recurring story. It is about how St James tries to figure out where Jack, Tom and their friends go to have fun. Things don’t work out for him due to his personality of being not nice and he has been getting a lot of bad luck but after some months he finally manages to get the information from Tom because Tom thinks that even St James should be able to have a nice time. The boys are surprised to find that he really likes Kings Court Massage and of course he is behaving very well.

nice, normal “girl-next-door” types here and because they don’t have their privacy invaded they remain as sweet young things.

It really is a very nice experience and you really can sit naked in the spa with a pretty girl and have champagne at no extra charge. We have very

The best new thing we have at the moment is all the really funny stuff on our Facebook page: www.facebook.com/KingsBigJohn

We think that Kings Court is the last real “massage only” place that provides a happy ending (only.) I hope you have enjoyed this series of big colour ads. We will have more to come. Why not reward yourself and have a nice spa followed by a hot oil massage sometime during the cold weather. We have quite a few new ladies at the moment.

city hub 4 June 2015

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