The group met at St Peters station before heading off to explore a section of inner Sydney. Highlights included:
Sydney Park – once a brick bit (with the same shale as that at Homebush), the extensive area has been transformed to one of the largest parks in Sydney. Several of the buildings related to the making of bricks have been left at a corner of the park while additions include ponds, walking tracks, children’s play areas, a community garden, a sports oval and a section allowing students to learn road rules as a cyclist. The view south from the two hills was far reaching.
Technology Park – this section of the old rail yards at Redfern has been restored and renovated. Many high tech companies have moved into buildings which retain elements of the former yards. Huge pieces of equipment have been placed throughout the area.
Erskineville / Newtown – an eclectic mix of old terraces and shops abound in the area. Many of the terraces, varying from big three story Georgian houses to narrow buildings or single story homes, have been renovated into magnificent dwellings. Shops sell a wide variety of clothing and merchandise.
Camperdown Cemetery – operating from 1849 to 1942 the cemetery in the grounds of St Stephens Anglican church contains the remains of those who famously made history and as well as those who helped to keep the community going at grass roots levels. It is an interesting place to spend an hour or two exploring.
Carriage works –this is another of the restored and renovated old rail yard buildings. Part of the building is now an auditorium. An art exhibition called ‘Song Dong’ – Waste Not, showed a collection of around 10,000 objects that had been collected by a Chinese woman as she struggled to deal with difficult episodes of her life. Her artist son turned her ‘collection’ into art in an attempt to help her move on.