Visionaries

Una Street, Redfern on Saturday, 19 September 2020

I’m looking for Una Street. It doesn’t seem to exist. Even though my phone map is trying to get me there with its pulsating dot. I’m at the corner of Regent Place and Lawson Square where a blue building stood empty for decades, now finally demolished. An apartment block nearby has been here for at least twenty years as far as I remember. Behind is a path with no name, maybe that was Una Street once? When I walk around the block, I see a wig shop. It is closed, maybe forever. This small area is like a peninsular between two major roads with roaring traffic. Doesn’t seem to be a good spot for a speciality store. The window display is stacked with mannequin heads wearing wigs of different hairstyles and colours. They all stare into the distance, or into the future, mouths set defiantly. It doesn’t seem good what they are seeing.

Welcome to Redfern

Caroline Street and Lane, Redfern on Sunday, 26 April 2020

Reko Rennie Community Project

This is one of the streets on ‘The Block’, the colloquial name of the precinct near Redfern Station owned by the Aboriginal Housing Company. The area was the first urban land rights claim in Australia, so I learned from the internet. It was set up by Aboriginal activists in 1972 and backed by the Whitlam Government. Funding for the project dried out, and the area fell into disrepair. When I moved to Redfern in 2001, it was a no-go zone. Even the rest of Redfern was like that in the eyes of people who didn’t live here. In those days, you could go or drive to the corner of Lawson and Eveleigh and find someone standing at the wall who would sell you small quantities of weed. I called it ‘supporting the local community’. One night I went to the street after dark to take photos by letting the camera hang around my neck and take shots blindly. It was in October 2003. Most of them didn’t work out, but one just emerged recently from my pile of old photos.

In February 2004 the so-called Redfern riots took place, sparked by the death of TJ Hickey. I arrived towards the end of it. Only a handful of people were left near a smouldering fire, encircled by police. Residents in Lawson Street sat peacefully on their front porches with glasses of wine and watched.

Caroline Street, Redfern in 2003

Redfern “Riot”, February 2004

At the end of Caroline Street towards Eveleigh Street was a large expanse of land, covered with grass. This was left over from demolished houses long before I knew ‘The Block’. At the end was the painting of the Aboriginal flag on the back wall of Tony Mundine’s boxing studio. Seeing it from the bridge at Redfern Station the building looked tiny against the high-rises of the CBD looming over it, the painting itself like a symbol of survival.

In May 2006, this precinct emerged from its dark ages by throwing a 'Block Party' on the grassland. They had a truck serving as a stage in front of the flag painting. Various music groups played while the audience sat leisurely in the grass.

In 2014 and 2015, the 'Tent Embassy' set up camp on that land to protest against the Aboriginal Housing Company’s development plan. They claimed it did not include enough affordable housing for Aboriginal families. After they were evicted, a fence was put around the field to prevent further occupation, so it could not even be used for leisure and play. This is all gone now, as the construction project named 'Pemulwuy' has finally gone ahead. It promises to provide housing for 600 students and 62 affordable dwellings for Aboriginal families, a gym, a childcare centre, a gallery and shops. The unfinished building now towers over the small terraces with their cute balconies on Caroline Street.

Another feature is the ‘Welcome to Redfern’ mural, painted onto the remains of a Victorian terrace. It was part of the City of Sydney's 'Eora Journey' project. Executed by the Aboriginal artist Reko Rennie together with young people from the area and curated by Hetti Perkins. Nearby is the Redfern Community Centre where they occasionally held the ‘Blak Market’.

Back to the day of my visit: It’s cloudy but warm. People sit on the steps at their open front doors or somewhere near the entrance inside. It’s quiet, nobody is working on the construction site because it’s Sunday. Otherwise, construction is one of the few businesses still happening these days.

Block Party, May 2006

Caroline Lane is a very narrow alley between Caroline and Lawson Street. I am surprised it even has a name. Two boys about 10 years old are constructing ramps from discarded boards and planks and trying their skateboards on them. The ramps are not high enough and there is no space to get a movement going. As I walk past they explain, “We are building a skateboard ramp.” I say, “I can see that and does it work?” “We are trying to make it work”. The end of the lane is blocked by a part of the construction site, so I have to turn back. The boys have given up and are sitting opposite each other. One has red hair, the other a green top. I think the one with the red hair should have to green top.  

One lonely balloon

Elizabeth Lane, Redfern on Saturday, 11 April 2020

It’s Easter Saturday. Restrictions are reinforced over this long weekend. No travel too far from your own suburb. Not sure what too far is, but definitely nowhere outside of Sydney. They have roadblocks. You are only allowed to go out shopping, exercise, and whatever else the ‘absolutely necessary’ activities may be. Yesterday afternoon I drove to Pyrmont with Dimitri to walk at the waterfront. I imagined there would be random checks at the side of the road to ask where we were going. There were none. Even though I was behind a police car at a traffic light which then stopped at the side of the road around the corner as they do when they want to wave you down. But nothing happened. Otherwise I haven’t seen any police patrolling these inner suburbs. 

Apart from a few exceptions, I was so far going through the letter M. Out of necessity in these times, I have changed my system a bit and now try to find any street with a female name in my neighbourhood as it would be unwise to travel to a faraway suburb to take photos.

Today I went to ‘Breadfern’, the local organic bakery, to buy hot cross buns and a loaf of bread. Elizabeth Lane is nearby. It’s only a small stretch at the backside of Elizabeth Street, bordered by Redfern Lane and James Street. 

It’s a sparkling, sunny day, it almost feels happy. When I turn around the corner from Redfern Lane, I hear music coming from an open garage door. It sounds familiar. I know the song well from listening to ‘Triple J’ some years ago. They played it often, so I am able to decipher the words “I’ve got a strange disease”. How appropriate. I couldn’t remember who it was by. When I looked it up later, I realised that I never took notice of the name. It was a Canadian pop music duo named Prozzäk. 

Inside the small courtyard from where the music comes, I see a young couple. He is doing sit-ups. Otherwise, there is nobody in this lane. The wind plays with a yellow balloon on the ground, blowing it back and forth. 

At the other end of Elizabeth Lane is the backside of the warehouse where Damien Minton lives and where he occasionally holds his Sunday arvo art salons. He just recently posted on Instagram of his little adventures in the back lane, observed in isolation from his window. The old, broken piano, he had posted a photo of, is still there. I think he made the comment that art is a victim of the Coronavirus. There is more music coming from inside another place.