Louisa Road, Birchgrove on Thursday, 8 October 2020

Louisa Road is on a very thin peninsula reaching into Sydney Harbour. You can see the water on both sides between the houses. At the beginning is Birchgrove Park and at the tip is Yurulbin Park and the Birchgrove ferry wharf. Cockatoo Island is on the left and across are Greenwich and Waverton. I can see the omnipresent ugly finger of the yet unfinished Crown Casino at Barangaroo, the Sydney Harbour Bridge, and even glimpses of the Anzac Bridge.

Two young women are in Yurulbin Park with their little sons who have a great time playing with each other. A group of young men have gathered at the waterfront to go fishing. All of a sudden an unexpected downpour chases everyone away. A traffic officer still manages to register a car, parked illegally on the footpath. The rain stops soon after and I walk along the street.

There is a mix of houses, grand and modest, old and new. Each one has a view of the harbour. A lot of traders are around: builders, gardeners, and cleaners to keep this street in top shape. Yet, some places look a bit neglected. I like that. There is beauty in the imperfect.