The Glebe News Blog

Popular cafe 'totally destroyed' by fire

2010-01-20T10:58:00.001+11:00

AAP report, in the Sydney Morning Herald:

"A popular cafe in the inner-west Sydney suburb of Glebe has been gutted by fire.
A nearby resident called emergency services after waking to the smell of smoke about 3.30am today, firefighters said.
They arrived at Cafe Otto, on Glebe Point Road, near the intersection with Parramatta Road, to find the brick and iron building engulfed in flames.
They tried to gain entry, but were beaten back by heat, flames and smoke.
It took 20 minutes for 20 firefighters to control the fire, but they stopped it from spreading to shops on either side of the cafe.
It took a further two hours to fully extinguish the blaze, a spokesman said.
"The tin roof collapsed into the building making it unsafe for firefighters to enter," the NSW Fire Brigades spokesman said.
"The cafe is totally destroyed."
No one was inside the cafe and no one was injured, he said.
No residents were evacuated, but the road has been closed and could remain so "for some time" as the clean-up begins.
At this stage the fire is not considered suspicious, but police and firefighters will investigate, the spokesman said."

Read the full article from the Sydney Morning Herald here.

2009-10-27T19:16:00.000+11:00

Blog Review:
Wireless House, on the blog High Riser

2009-10-20T14:22:00.000+11:00

Blog Review:
Loving the Glebe Noodle House, on the blog Life in Chippendale

2009-10-19T19:28:00.000+11:00

Blog Review:
Opening: The Egg and Soldier Milk Bar, on the blog rabbitears.cc

2009-10-16T21:02:00.000+11:00

Blog Review:
Astor Espresso - An Ode to My Local Cafe, on the blog About the Food

Harold Park community brainstorm

2009-10-15T17:52:00.000+11:00

by Marie Sansom, Sydney Central

"About 250 people gathered at St Scholastica’s College, Glebe, last Tuesday to discuss the future of the Harold Park site, one of the largest in the Inner West.

Their responses will flow back to Sydney Council and the Central Sydney Planning Committee, which will decide the site’s future.

Harness Racing NSW plans to move to Menangle and the club has put Harold Park up for sale, expecting it to raise at least $150 million.

When locals were asked to come up with a grand plan for the site, certain themes were raised repeatedly including: maximising public open space; making the site accessible; keeping building heights and densities to an acceptable level; and rejuvenating the tram sheds. There was little enthusiasm for any retail, above what would serve those living there.

While there was broad support for housing, many people highlighted the need to consider traffic, parking and public transport links. The site is near a light rail station but there is a steep hill leading up to Glebe Point Rd.

There was also enthusiasm for any homes to be sustainable, and for the site to become a hub for creative industries and artists. Other suggestions included community gardens, a city farm and bird habitat.

There will be more consultation later this year."

Read the full article from Sydney Central here.

Dirty eateries escaping shame

2009-10-13T07:23:00.000+11:00

by Rhys Haynes, The Daily Telegraph:

"THEY are some of Sydney's filthiest kitchens and they remain a secret to the city's diners.
Thanks to a loophole in the State Government's name and shame list, the "worst of the worst" restaurants that are shut down immediately rarely make it to the Food Authority's official list.
Instead, they are either re-opened after passing further examinations by inspectors or added to a separate "prosecutions" list, if they are convicted and fined in court.
The Daily Telegraph today lists those restaurants that have eventually made the prosecutions list - most of which never made it to the name and shame list since it came into law in July 2008.
There have been more than $500,000 worth of fines handed down since January 2008, with most recording a shocking list of infringements including filthy equipment, live rodents or pests in kitchens and one even serving a bread roll with a cockroach embedded in it. ...
Lavera Pizza and Pasta in Glebe was fined $50,000 and prosecuted for a string of nine food safety offences including serving a salad containing a cockroach. ...
Sources have told The Daily Telegraph the current system allowed inspectors to issue a prohibition order, for example, when a restaurant was not deemed fit to remain open. They could then allow the restaurant to be re-opened after a further inspection, with the name of the establishment never made public.
Councils said they had no authority to publish the information and would hand it to the Food Authority if asked.
The Government's Food Authority said it was considering "enhanced publication of inspection information" but further legislation might be required.
"The majority of prohibition orders lead to further enforcement action such as penalty notices or court prosecution," a spokesman said. "As in all legal proceedings there is a presumption of innocence until proven guilty.
"Businesses alleged to have broken the law can challenge fines." "

Read the full article from Sydney Central here.

2009-10-05T13:50:00.000+11:00

Blog Review:
The Egg and Soldier, on the blog peoplefood

2009-10-02T20:10:00.000+10:00

Blog Review:
Well Connected, on the blog "What I Like About Sydney"

2009-09-30T12:44:00.000+10:00

Blog Review:
Mano Espresso, on the blog cafedave.net

2009-09-28T18:40:00.000+10:00

Blog Review:
Colourful Glebe - Glebe Markets, on the blog Je Te Souhaite

2009-09-28T13:13:00.000+10:00

Blog Review:
Digi.Kaf, on the blog Eye Eat

No "mindless grass" for Harold Park

2009-09-24T13:25:00.000+10:00

by Gemma Battenbough, Architecture & Design

The highly sensitive Harold Park raceway site in Sydney’s suburb of Glebe is being sold and yesterday marked the start of public consultation for the development of planning controls.

There will be “enormous pressure” on the developers to include some public space, councillor Meridith Burgmann said, and that space needs to be “more thoughtful”.

“The public space can’t be more mindless grass with big trees,” Burgmann told Architecture & Design. “There is a lot of that down on the point and residents really need something a bit more interesting.”

One suggestion gaining momentum is to create a city farm similar to those in Perth and Yarra that could act as a tourist attraction for school children and utilize the existing light rail infrastructure.

The old tram sheds could be turned into pig pens and cow sheds and also house composting facilities, Burgmann said.

The site will be earmarked for high-density residential development, she said.

“It seems to me that the Harold Park site is so big that you could get quite a lot of urban consolidation without it being too offensive.”

Allowing dense development would give the City of Sydney licence to be “quite forceful” in its demands for public space. “I’m trying to make sure it is more thoughtful public space, rather than just yet another park,” Burgmann said.

Lord Mayor Clover Moore MP said the first consultation meeting will give interested residents the opportunity to find out more about the site, the City's role and the planning process.

"The Harold Park site is of significant value to the community and includes important heritage items and links to surrounding parks," Moore said.

"The challenge ahead of us is to develop planning controls that balance opportunities for public benefit with the site owner's expectations of financial returns."

Planning principles including housing diversity, open space, sustainable transport, and heritage will be considered in preparing the controls."

Read the full article from Architecture & Design here.

2009-09-02T18:45:00.000+10:00

Blog Review:
Chocolateria San Churro, on the blog Lost in Sydney

2009-09-02T13:00:00.000+10:00

Blog Review:
Glebe Point Diner, on the blog Foodmiles

2009-08-28T18:56:00.000+10:00

Blog Review:
Chariot - FBI Fashion Store, on the blog Diary of a Fashion Muse

2009-08-14T12:29:00.000+10:00

Blog Review:
Brunch at Roxanne’s in Glebe, on the blog Chimera

2009-08-07T19:27:00.000+10:00

Blog Review:
Restaurant Atelier - A French Affair, on the blog Sydney Yummy

2009-08-07T12:28:00.000+10:00

Blog Review:
Sonoma Bread Cafe @ Glebe, on the blog Eve Loves

2009-08-06T20:17:00.000+10:00

Blog Review:
Glebe Street Deli, on the blog Glebe Village Blog

Glebe time capsule to help celebrate150 years

2009-08-06T17:55:00.000+10:00

by Sydney Central

"Jan Wilson of the Glebe Sesquicentenary Committee praised the work of City of Sydney Council in improving Glebe since the handover from Leichhardt Council in 2003.
...

Ms Wilson hoped that the heritage values of Glebe would be preserved into the future and that the suburb would continue on the path of being pedestrian friendly.

Ms Wilson was instrumental in coordinating the time capsule that was buried last Sunday at Jubilee Fountain at the end of Glebe Pt Rd on the corner of Parramatta Rd.

She said it was possible that a five-year-old child who witnessed the burial of the capsule would be alive in 100 years time to see its unearthing.

“We went to everyone in Glebe - businesses, schools, government agencies and community groups to find material for the time capsule,’’ Ms Wilson said.

“We included letters, stories, stamps, a passport, doggie racing vest, charge sheet from the police station, photos, class lists and menus. It would be interesting to know if in 100 years time people are still eating out in Glebe.’’

Read the full article from Sydney Central here.

2009-08-04T19:35:00.000+10:00

Blog Review:
Clipper Cafe, on the blog Coeur de La

2009-08-03T19:39:00.000+10:00

Blog Review:
Clipper Cafe, on the blog Here Comes The Food

Glebe turns 150, still keeping out pigs and goats

2009-08-01T18:10:00.000+10:00

by Dugald Jellie, The Sydney Morning Herald

"IN A city of whims and social butterflies, Iris Brennan could well be its most steadfast local.

"I was born in Forsyth Street in Glebe in 1923," she says, tucking a crocheted blanket over her knees.

And 86 years on she has never left, now living a few blocks away in an old terrace on a street that dips to the dog track.

"After school we’d get a penny’s worth of chips up on Glebe Road," she says. "It’s changed over the years. But I still love Glebe. Only way I’ll ever leave is in a box."

It is an old story from one of Sydney’s oldest suburbs. The Glebe, as it is known formally, is a peninsula that was bequeathed in 1789 to the Church of England and is thick with suburban loyalties and rising damp. It has a blue-collar reputation as "one of those places where if you can’t see a pub by looking both ways down the street then you must be standing outside one" – as hard-bitten private eye Cliff Hardy says in Peter Corris’s The Dying Trade.

And it is a place that today turns 150 – proclaimed a municipality on August 1, 1859, the third in Sydney, after Randwick and Waverley. The civic milestone is to be marked by Sydney’s Lord Mayor, Clover Moore, burying a time capsule on Glebe Point Road, and the launch on Wednesday of an oral history project called Glebe Bytes.

‘‘All the boys worked at the wool stores in Ultimo," said Mrs Brennan, a public-housing tenant interviewed for the history project. "Back in them days we had about six butcher shops. Now we’ve got one."

The stories of Glebe, said Julia Burns, a co-ordinator of Glebe Bytes, were rich in local colour.

"We’ve been told tales of illegal bookmakers, the six o’clock swill, housing squats, timber yards on Blackwattle Bay, and the Saturday matinee at the Astor,’’ she said. ‘‘It’s a community patchwork that knits together the suburb’s history."

Not that Glebe has a shared narrative. When 64 locals first signed a petition requesting municipal status, a counter-petition was signed by 265 householders.

"Glebe’s character has always been marked by a diverse social mix with divergent views," says a City of Sydney historian, Lisa Murray.

Nine Glebe councillors were duly elected in late August 1859, on a ticket of installing kerbs and signs, and keeping pigs, goats and other animals off its streets – to mixed results.

"What’s unique about Glebe is that it’s still a stratified society," said Max Solling, a local historian and author of Grandeur and Grit – A History of Glebe.

"It has a well-defined mosaic of the middle-classes living on the elevated Glebe Point, and the working classes settled on the lowlands near Grace Brothers in the Glebe Estate."

It is in these stooped streets that Mrs Brennan calls home. When asked if she has ever moved from Glebe, there is a pause and a confession.

"We did go to Newtown once," she said. ‘‘It was shocking. We were there two months.’’ "

Read the full article from the SMH here.

Glebe oral history builds community

2009-07-30T18:03:00.000+10:00

by Robert Burton-Bradley, Sydney Central

"AN oral history project is breathing fresh life into the stories of one of Sydney’s oldest suburbs.
Glebe Bytes invites inner-city residents to come and hear the stories of Glebe at the launch its oral history project on Wednesday, August 5.
Glebe Bytes is a community group who have recorded and edited the oral histories of ordinary residents telling extraordinary stories, in a project funded by the City of Sydney to help celebrate the sesquicentenary of the inner-city suburb.
“They’re remarkable stories of a remarkable neighbourhood,” project co-ordinator and resident, Dugald Jellie said.
The oral histories collected by Glebe Bytes will be uploaded to the soon-to-be launched City of Sydney’s Wireless House website to be freely accessible for all to hear. Content is also available at http://www.pool.org.au/users/glebebytes. Glebe Bytes launch is at Glebe Youth Service, 84 Glebe Point Road, at 12.30pm. All are welcome.

Read the full article from Sydney Central here.

2009-07-26T20:21:00.000+10:00

Blog Review:
L'ermitage, on the blog Hello Sandwich

Art Show beats the gloom

2009-07-24T16:20:00.000+10:00

by Shant Fabricatorian, City News

"Despite the economic downturn, the 2009 Glebe Art Show defied expectations by posting the highest number of sales in its 12-year history. Attendance, too, increased over previous years during the Show’s nine-day run at Benledi and Glebe Library. Founder Robin Lawrence said the support of sponsors, including the City of Sydney and the Toxteth Hotel, as well as other local businesses, had meant the Show could continue to exhibit artists from all over the inner west, at no increased cost to competitors.

This year, all categories, judged by artist and teacher Deborah Beck, were hotly contested, with two divisions, the Open Prize and the Photography Prize, enjoying joint winners. As part of the celebrations for the suburb’s 150th anniversary this year, the Glebe Society also sponsored the Glebe Sesquicentennial Painting Prize.

Mrs Lawrence, who also works as an artist, said she was extremely grateful for the support of volunteers, particularly treasurer Gloria Smith and secretary Fiona Verge.

“A very big thank you to them,” she said.

The Open Prize was won jointly by Leonora Howlett and Raquel Mazzina, while the Photography Prize was likewise awarded to two competitors, Richard Glover and Julia Hush. Ross Skinner, meanwhile, took home the Glebe Sesquicentennial Prize."

Read the full article from City News here.

2009-07-20T13:10:00.000+10:00

Blog Review:
Spanish Tapas Restaurant, Glebe, on the blog Orsum places to eat

Harold Park Paceway goes back to council

2009-07-12T16:34:00.000+10:00

by Paul Bibby, Urban Affairs Reporter, The Sydney Morning Herald

"IS IT a resident-friendly planning decision, or a cynical ploy to shore up votes in the inner west? That is what is being asked in the cafes of Glebe and Annandale after a decision by the Planning Minister, Kristina Keneally to hand significant planning powers over the Harold Park Paceway to the community.

Harold Park is in the seat held shakily by the Education Minister, Verity Firth, and had been at the centre of a row ever since its owners attempted to push through a rezoning proposal in pursuit of fast cash earlier this year.

Residents saw red when the NSW Harness Club tried to bypass the City of Sydney council by asking Ms Keneally, to use her Part 3A powers to make decisions over its 10.5-hectare site. They say a decision to call in the development would have had serious electoral consequences.

But their anger turned to joy this week when Ms Keneally rejected the Harness Club's application and handed responsibility to the council and the Central Sydney Planning Committee. Ms Keneally said her decision was based solely on the council's promise it could complete the planning process in a timely manner.

The Mayor of Leichhardt, Jamie Parker, said: "The only reason the Government has turned around and decided to engage with the community on this is the political risk to their local member of parliament in the next election."

The Government's decision last October to transfer Callan Park to Leichhardt Council was widely interpreted as an attempt to save Ms Firth from defeat. Meanwhile, Glebe residents and the City of Sydney are enjoying the spoils of victory.

The council has begun the rezoning process, and while the government-dominated Central Sydney Planning Committee and Ms Keneally will have the final say, the council is talking about providing employment opportunities, public space, and housing to meet targets for its Sustainable Sydney 2030 vision.

"Harold Park is an important site to the community," the Lord Mayor of Sydney, Clover Moore, said yesterday."

Read the full article from the SMH here.

2009-07-08T19:42:00.000+10:00

Blog Review:
Restaurant Atelier - Wedding Lunch, on the blog put it in your mouth

2009-07-02T19:53:00.000+10:00

Blog Review:
Badde Manors, on the blog Melbourne Cafe Reviews

2009-07-02T19:50:00.000+10:00

Blog Review:
Glebe Point Diner, on the blog Doublecooked

2009-06-13T20:29:00.000+10:00

Blog Review:
Well Connected, on the blog by Ian Faith

2009-06-09T19:57:00.000+10:00

Blog Review:
Clipper Cafe, on the blog Hello Sandwich

2009-06-04T13:02:00.000+10:00

Blog Review:
Badde Manors, on the blog The Hungry Girl

2009-06-01T19:58:00.000+10:00

Blog Review:
Clipper Cafe, on the blog The Unbearable Lightness of Being Hungry

2009-04-15T20:30:00.000+10:00

Blog Review:
Baja Cantina, on the blog Mocha and Darjeeling

2009-04-14T20:33:00.000+10:00

Blog Review:
Spicy Sichuan, on the blog Chinese Eats

2009-04-08T12:16:00.000+10:00

Blog Review:
Glebe Point Diner, on the blog by Vicky Lalwani

2009-03-03T15:51:00.000+11:00

Blog Review:
Stella & Sophie's Gourmet Cafe & Deli, on the blog Cheap Eats Food Trek

Note: This restaurant has closed.

2009-01-24T15:17:00.000+11:00

Blog Review:
Glebe Point Diner, on the blog Trish's Food Adventures

2008-12-20T14:32:00.000+11:00

Blog Review:
Baja Cantina, on the blog Not Quite Nigella

Locals want police HQ to stay in Glebe

2008-12-17T18:41:00.000+11:00

by Marie Sansom, The Glebe

"GLEBE locals are opposing plans to move Leichhardt police command’s headquarters out of their suburb, one of the district’s worst crime trouble spots. NSW Police has made several offers to buy land from Leichhardt Council to build a larger, modern local command centre with more parking space. ... Police aim to move by 2010 and are still searching for sites."

Read the full article from The Glebe here.

2008-12-16T14:55:00.000+11:00

Blog Review:
Flying Fajita Sistas - 2, on the blog Here Comes the Food

Now it’s over, let’s get back to business

2008-12-05T18:33:00.000+11:00

by Marie Sansom, The Glebe

"GLEBE Point Rd business owners are pinning their hopes on Christmas trading to claw back some of the money they’ve lost from the roadworks. The $15 million upgrade, which is now largely finished, started in November last year and many businesses have suffered a 50-to-80 per cent drop in trade because of it. Road closures stopped deliveries and made the suburb a no-go area with taxi drivers.
Some shopkeepers suggested Sydney Council pay them a Christmas bonus to compensate.
Beverleigh Greentree, from Mags of Glebe has festooned her shop with tinsel, mirror balls and colour.
“I’ve tried to make the shop bright and happy,” Ms Greentree said.
She hopes the upgrade will be worth it in the long run.
“But we’ve lost a lot of money. Some days I didn’t take anything,” she said. “It’s going to take a lot to get Glebe back on the map because the road has been blocked totally for six months.”
Newsagent Miki Liu hopes things will improve now the roadworks are almost finished.
“Probably business will come back, hopefully things will get back to normal,” Ms Liu said."Maybe it will get better by Christmas.”
British Sweet Shop owner Andy Adams leased a Camperdown storage unit to get his stock during the roadworks.
“You just couldn’t park. Suppliers refused to come here,” Mr Adams said.
His trade plummeted by 50 per cent and he had to cut opening hours, but he’s hopeful Glebe has turned a corner.
“The street fair was good for business and letting people know that Glebe has reopened again. It was just the pain and suffering each of us had to go through.
“It seemed to go on and on. I don’t think they put enough men on the job.”
A Sydney Council spokesman said there was only minor work left: removing overhead power lines, footpath repair, tree planting and parking signs. It was finished ahead of schedule with the official date being April next year. “It will create a strong and clear identity for Glebe Point Rd, reinforcing its role as the local high street ... an environment in which local businesses can flourish,” he said."

Read the full article from The Glebe here.

Sydney planning to become “fresh food city”

2008-11-25T19:59:00.000+11:00

by Isobel Drake, Australian Food News

Sydney could be transformed into a fresh food city under a City of Sydney plan to increase the number of community gardens, employ a dedicated garden officer and expand the successful Friday Farmers Market at Cook + Phillip Park.The proposal was discussed at a meeting of Council last night, Monday 24 November.
Lord Mayor Clover Moore MP said the idea is part of the City’s Sustainable Sydney 2030 vision to develop local village hubs focusing community, business, retail and cultural assets in a cluster connected with the local community. “Producing food locally and consuming local produce is an essential part of sustainability,” she suggested. “People are increasingly recognising that locally and ethically produced food is good for the environment, has a reduced carbon footprint, and has social and educational benefits.”
The plan includes:
* Expanding the existing 10 community gardens in the City of Sydney to 13 with new gardens to be designed and developed in Glebe/Forest Lodge, Ultimo/Pyrmont and a Kid’s Community Garden.
* Employing a dedicated Community Gardens and Volunteer Coordinator to develop the community gardens program, including web-based resources and a volunteering program.
* Investigating expanding the successful Friday Farmers Market in Cook + Phillip Park to other areas to encourage sustainability in the production and sale of food by reducing “food miles”.
* Developing a new ‘fair trade’ award category as part of the City of Sydney Business Awards to recognise those premises which source products from ethical and fair labour.
* Allocating grants for new community garden partnerships as part of the City’s annual $4.5M grants and sponsorship program.
“Community gardens are not just about the production of food. There are environmental benefits and also important social benefits for participants to bring members of the community together for a common purpose,” Ms Moore concluded.

From Australian Food News

You can take a street upmarket …

2008-11-25T19:40:00.000+11:00

by Joseph Palmer for The Heckler Column,
The Sydney Morning Herald

"THE upgrade and makeover of Glebe Point Road in Glebe has been a slow work-in-progress, that has dragged on for more than 15 months, despite claims the project is now three months ahead of schedule.
The grandiose vision to transform the battered old road into something like Oxford Street in Paddington - after decades of neglect - will soon be a reality.
The barriers and fences recently came down, but strolling along the road I wondered if it had all been worthwhile.
Some time ago I recall that the good burghers of Glebe were told that there were too many tacky shops on the road peddling inexpensive wares and merchandise, shops such as the discount store, which were competing with big retailers at the nearby Broadway mall.
A makeover to revitalise the road was urgently needed to attract the kind of upmarket boutiques and concept stores that line Oxford Street, and no cost would be spared.
The visionary project has involved the removal of old power poles and "once in a century" drainage improvements. Even the old tram lines were dug out. But now the character of the old road has gone and many empty shops display "for lease" signs. It is sad to see.
Using the road during the upgrade was a nightmare - like tackling an obstacle course, and to be avoided at all costs.
Many owners complained about losing trade, just as shops in the city had been affected by street upgrades before the Olympics. But they were told they should be grateful as their revenue would increase dramatically when everything was finished. Many could not wait that long and closed.
Gone are long established businesses such as one of Sydney's first and largest health food supermarkets. It had been there for more than 35 years.
Other businesses took advantage of the upgrade and moved in, including a fast-food chicken outlet, although somehow I don't think it was part of the vision for an upmarket shopping strip. Maccas might be next.
The flower pots hanging from the new poles are nice, and hopefully the council will one day install CCTVs, something that shop owners have wanted for years to deter the street crime that infests the road at night.
But for all the losses, at least the discount store continues to peddle its wares."

Read the full article from The Sydney Morning Herald here.

A tradition lost on Sydney Harbour

2008-11-16T18:48:00.000+11:00

by Dugald Jellie, The Sydney Morning Herald

"AT NOON today a pilot launch will ease from the grey-weathered wharf at Watsons Bay and round the Heads for the last time, to bring in the final blunt-bowed car carrier to Sydney. It will be the end of a nautical history that is as old as the city itself.
Harbour pilots are stopping operations at Watsons Bay, ending an association they have had, in fair weather or foul, since before even 1813, when this little nook was named after one of their own. Robert Watson was the Watson of Watsons Bay, appointed by Governor Macquarie as the colony's first harbourmaster and pilot.
"It's a sad day," says Ross Janssen, a cutter-master, as he ferries a pilot from the jetty, five nautical miles out to sea to board an incoming vessel.
"It's a tradition lost. We've had pilotage running out of here since when they rowed them off the beach in whale boats. But with the downturn in shipping, it's no longer viable."
Sydney Ports said the service would move to Millers Point, and probably next year to a new centre at Botany Bay. The last car ship is to leave Glebe Island tonight. ..."

Read the full article from The Sydney Morning Herald here.

Glebe Street Fair

2008-11-15T18:02:00.000+11:00

"The fair on Glebe's main drag has grown but stayed bohemian.

JUDY McCUMSTIE speaks highly of the Spruikers' Box. "It's an opportunity to come along and argue or read a poem. This seems very Glebe," says the organiser of the Glebe Street Fair.
The first Glebe Street Fair was held in 1983. It was the Glebe Food Fair then - a series of stalls from local restaurants between Parramatta and St Johns roads.
"At that point Glebe Point Road was a vibrant, bustling, multicultural area that had established itself as an eat street," McCumstie says. "Every end of the world was represented in a cafe or restaurant somewhere on Glebe Point Road."
At some point during the next seven years, the name changed and the road closed. Performers were given stages. Stalls extended beyond the restaurants. "It has reflected the stylistic changes you see over the inner city in terms of culture," McCumstie says.
"[In] 1990, that was the gothic stage. Everyone was dressed in black. It was like a spin-off in bohemian thinking from Sydney University, spreading down Glebe Point Road."
Stallholders were pallid, in McCumstie's memory - they sold Dr Martens and reflected the crowd. Then the colour came and things changed again. "Everyone was doing their hair with different colours and . . . mohawks any Roman centurion would be jealous of."
This year, the fair's 25th anniversary, things change once more. There is a circus theme, with performances by Circus Solarus and Mojo JuJu and the Snake Oil Merchants, stalls from country NSW and as far as Queensland, a Santa Claus and a dog parade. "We've got some absolutely fabulous variety in the stalls coming this year," McCumstie says. "My concept of this is that it's a whole kilometre of Christmas presents end-to-end.
"And food as well - that's one thing that has continued from the past."
GLEBE STREET FAIR Sunday, 10am-5pm, Glebe Point Road, Glebe, glebestreetfair.com, free."

Read the full article from The Sydney Morning Herald here.

New Glebe artwork commemorates school’s 150th anniversary

2008-11-01T17:55:00.000+11:00

"Lord Mayor Clover Moore MP will unveil a new public artwork on the fence of Glebe Public School on Monday 3 November as part of the school's 150th anniversary.
The artwork, Skippedy Skip by renowned public artist Nuha Saad, is a colourful and inspiring work of art and a centerpiece of the City's upgrade of Glebe Point Road.
"The colours of the fence symbolise the diversity of the residents of Glebe and add a vibrancy and vitality to the street," Ms Moore said.
"The artist has made the school fence as colourful and eclectic as Glebe itself, a true tribute to the area's rich and diverse heritage.
"Glebe has changed over 150 years, but Glebe Public School has always focused on what we all want from our education system - to give children the best chance to discover their talents and interests and realise their full promise in life," Ms Moore said.
Artist Nuha Saad said her artwork is based on wooden picket fences found throughout the Glebe area.
"The school fence acts as a link to Glebe's vibrant contemporary culture and its architectural and social history and combines aspects of Glebe's Victorian architectural past with a contemporary art aesthetic," Ms Saad said.
The Glebe Point Road upgrade also includes a new civic space at the corner of Glebe Point Road and Parramatta Road and restoration of the historic Jubilee Fountain. Drinking water will be restored to the fountain which was installed in 1909 to mark the 50th anniversary of the Glebe Municipality.
The City is also helping mark the school's 150th anniversary with banners on Glebe Point Road's new Smart poles."

From City of Sydney Press Release.

Revealed: Sydney's Open secret

2008-10-12T17:37:00.000+11:00

by Cameron Houston, Jason Dowling and Sherrill Nixon, The Sydney Morning Herald

"SYDNEY has launched a secret bid to pinch the jewel in Melbourne's major events calendar - the Australian Open.
Its audacious pitch for the Grand Slam tennis tournament includes a plan to build a multi-million-dollar stadium at Glebe Island when the harbour site - now filled with cars - is closed to stevedores.
But it will be up against stiff competition from overseas, with Shanghai, Dubai and Abu Dhabi all mounting campaigns to host a Grand Slam event when Melbourne's contract expires in 2016.
The Australian Open is one of several major events NSW hopes to steal as it reinvigorates its focus on tourism, after a series of damning reports found it was losing visitors and attractions to other states.
The State Government has poured millions of dollars into rebuilding "Brand Sydney" - including the formation of the $85 million Events NSW body - after it was blasted for becoming complacent after the Olympics.
Events NSW's chief executive, Geoff Parmenter, confirmed Sydney's interest in the event, which is worth more than $100 million to Victoria's economy. ..."

Read the full article from The Sydney Morning Herald here.

2008-09-07T12:51:00.000+10:00

Blog Review:
Flying Fajita Sistas, on the blog Here Comes the Food

Chris Rock turns Roxbury Hotel pub air blue with F-word

2008-08-05T06:13:00.000+10:00

From The Daily Telegraph
"IN A REACTION worthy of Gordon Ramsay, stunned crowds at a Sydney pub were "rocked" by the random arrival of comedian Chris Rock on Friday night, dropping more than a few expletives in their excitement over the surprise gig.
Arriving at the Roxbury Hotel, Glebe stage unannounced, sans fanfare, the visiting US superstar had jaws dropping, then sides splitting during the random stand-up act. According to Confidential spies, the 25-minute routine featured the "f" word more times than a Ramsay cooking episode - playing fun with everything from Barack Obama to Australia's origins as a convict country. Ahead of his first tour of Australia, Rock, known for his no-limits, confrontational style, was accompanied by an entourage of seven and the star was dressed smartly in a black trench coat.
Roxbury Hotel staffer Chris Strickland said he thought the venue was being "punked" when Aussie promoter Artie Lang called on the night to arrange the secret slot. The Saturday Night Live star did not explain his motives for the impromptu, preview gig, but it proved a cheap thrill for the lucky 100 in the pub on the night. With tickets to his State Theatre shows, which opened last night, costing fans $120 per person, the Roxbury show had set the unwitting pub punters back just their measly $15 entry fee. He plays to another sell-out Sydney audience again tonight, before flying south to Melbourne for two gigs starting on Sunday."

Read the full article from The Daily Telegraph on News.com.au here.

2008-07-11T18:58:00.000+10:00

Blog Review:
A'Mews, on the blog Does My Bomb Look Big In This?

2008-07-05T12:24:00.000+10:00

Blog Review:
The E Lounge, on the blog The Cake + The Knife, a Love Story

2008-07-03T13:38:00.000+10:00

Blog Review:
Sonoma Bakery Cafe, on the blog Beansprout's Cafe

2008-06-29T18:43:00.000+10:00

Blog Review:
Na Zdrowie, Glebe, on the blog Grab Your Fork

2008-06-26T13:20:00.000+10:00

Blog Review:
Glebe Cafes: Naggy's Cafe and Fair Trade Coffee Co., on the blog A Wife's Charmed Life

2008-05-26T13:23:00.000+10:00

Blog Review:
Sappho Books & Cafe, on the blog Beansprout's Cafe

Demand on CBD fringe strong

2008-05-18T16:08:00.000+10:00

By Carolyn Cummins, The Sydney Morning Herald

"WITH the redevelopment of the southern end of the central business district, fringe areas such as Glebe are benefiting from new infrastructure and expanded commercial offerings such as the Broadway shopping centre and the planned $2 billion Fraser Property project.
The accelerated development of residential buildings in the area has led to a rise in commercial values of about 30 per cent over the past two years to $6000 per square metre, while leasing rates have grown 25 per cent to $550 sqm. The vacancy rate is about 5 per cent.
Property developers say that, with many of the historic buildings in the suburb transformed to residential apartments and spare land becoming scarce, commercial property is proving to be in strong demand, especially on Glebe Point Road.
One such site is the former Valhalla cinema and another is the Glebe Post Office.
Portfolio Realty is offering 252 sqm of office space in the Glebe Post Office for rental at $280 a square metre, while the former Valhalla complex has been transformed into a commercial office complex, with 42 work studios, while retaining the existing shops and lobby.
The Valhalla studios have been developed by W Property.
David Brown, principal of the selling agent DB Property, said there has been strong demand from small service companies keen to buy and lease space in these types of buildings. ..."

Read the full article from The Sydney Morning Herald here.

Greyhound trainer guilty of cruelty

2008-05-15T14:48:00.000+10:00

"The trainer of a greyhound that died after being left in a car has pleaded guilty to four charges, including animal cruelty.
Terry Darragh left his $10,000 greyhound in his station wagon in January after failing to stop when he collided with a bus at Glebe in Sydney's inner west.
He falsely reported the car missing the next day.
The dog died from organ failure three days after being left in the car.
The 37-year-old later admitted lying to police.
Solicitor Ben Goh asked the magistrate to dismiss the charges against Terry Darragh because he suffers from a mental illness.
The magistrate told the court he was satisfied the accused was mentally ill, but said the charges were too serious to be dismissed.
He will be sentenced in July."

Read the article from ABC News here.

Ladettes? No these girls are thugs

2008-05-13T13:58:00.000+10:00

By Lauren Williams, Daily Telegraph
"IT'S Friday, 11.30pm on Glebe Point Rd. As university students sip coffees at outside tables after late classes, a steady stream of rowdy young girls begins to pass by. Heading from Broadway, they gather at the corner of Cowper St and Glebe Point Rd.
First there's three. Aged somewhere between 12 and 16, they're dressed in hoodies, tight jeans and flashing Nikes.
Then there's the whistle, and during the next 15 minutes three more groups of three or four join them.
Somewhere ahead there's the sound of an altercation and one of the girls shouts out behind her: "Shut the f . . . up before you get shot, you dumb slut".
Residents and business owners say assaults, robberies and vandalism are out of control in Glebe, claiming an underage group of delinquents - known to locals as "The Glebe Gang" are terrorising the area.
They say a hardcore group of girls is now trumping the boys, with police admitting they have concerns about a group of young female repeat offenders.
The problem is so bad, Domino's Pizza in Glebe has declared six streets as a "no-go zone." ..."

Read the full article from the Daily Telegraph here.

Death of Harold Park looms

2008-05-05T17:56:00.000+10:00

"IT has been Sydney's home of harness racing since 1902 but Harold Park could be up for sale as soon as August.
More than 100 years of tradition is likely to end after the NSW Harness Racing Club yesterday confirmed that an independent report supported the sale of Harold Park.
The sport is struggling to compete in the gambling market and must sell Harold Park - reported to be worth upwards of $150 million - and relocate to new facilities at Menangle Park to survive.
"The independent report, sanctioned by the NSWHRC and Harness Racing NSW, has come back with overwhelming support to sell Harold Park," NSWHRC chairman Rex Horne said.
"The future prosperity of harness racing in NSW rests largely on the decision to sell Harold Park." ... "

Read the full article from the Daily Telegraph here.

New inner-city housing project for Glebe

2008-04-30T14:22:00.000+10:00

"The New South Wales Government and the City of Sydney Council have announced they will jointly develop 700 new homes in the inner Sydney suburb of Glebe.
NSW Housing Minister Matt Brown says the houses will be a mixture of public and private home units covering a 3.6-hectare site.
He says some of the units will be set aside for essential workers.
"We really are wanting to have a mix that is public housing, social housing where we have key workers, nurses, police, and the like, so they don't have to travel long distances from the suburbs to work in the city," he said.
The Sydney Chamber of Commerce has welcomed the $260 million project, saying Sydney businesses cannot afford low-income workers to be priced out of Sydney.
The chamber's executive director, Patricia Forsythe, said in a statement that future housing needs will be increasingly meet by brownfield developments.
"It's pleasing to see a commitment from [State] Government and city council to rejuvenating key sites in close proximity to the CBD," she said."

Read the article from ABC News here.

Also see the article in the Sydney Morning Herald here.

Glebe Morgue buys forklift to move obese

2008-04-20T16:24:00.000+10:00

"Sydney's Glebe Morgue has been forced to buy a forklift truck to cope with obese corpses.
The proportion of obese patients requiring coronial autopsies has doubled from 15 per cent in 1986 to 30 per cent, according to a study by forensic pathologist Professor Roger Byard.
The proportion of morbidly obese corpses has increased from one to five per cent.
Glebe Morgue forensic pathologist Matthew Orde said the larger bodies were putting workers at risk of injury because they were difficult to lift, move and store.
He told The Sun-Herald that putrefaction - the degradation of soft tissue - was speeded up in morbidly obese patients, making handling difficult.
"A fat person will go off more quickly than a skinny person," Dr Orde said. ..."

Read the full review from the Sun-Herald here.

Comrades in arms to stand together

2008-04-17T16:14:00.000+10:00

by Suzanne McFadden, The New Zealand Herald

"A Kiwi digger - tall, bronzed and standing at arms - is about to stand shoulder to shoulder with his fellow Anzac comrade once again. Dressed in the lemon squeezer hat and woolen puttees of a First World War Anzac soldier, the 4.2m-high statue stands in a Sydney foundry, waiting to be placed at the foot of Sydney's Anzac Bridge next to the Aussie Digger, who's been on guard since 2000. The two effigies of men at war will be an enduring testimony to the shared sacrifice of the Anzac soldiers. New Zealand Prime Minister Helen Clark will unveil the Kiwi Digger in a ceremony at the western end of the bridge on April 27.
The iconic New Zealand soldier has been sculpted by Alan Somerville, a distinguished New Zealand artist now living in Sydney, who also made the Australian statue.
Neither statue was based on any particular soldier - Somerville teaches life drawing so he created each soldier's face from his memory. They share a similar stance, but there a few differences between the two men.
"The Aussie Digger has a slouch hat, and the Kiwi has a lemon squeezer. And I tease the Aussies and say the Kiwi Digger is 2 inches taller," Somerville says. "You've got to stand on our own two feet as a Kiwi over here."
Somerville says he has had "amazing responses" to the Aussie Digger statue, whose feet stand in sand from the beaches of Gallipoli where the Anzacs first landed on April 25, 1915.
"People who don't know anything about sculpture say they can see the emotion in him. It was a very straight up and down stance, but I wanted to get something in the attitude. I guess the face has a feeling of remembrance, of contemplation," he says.
Creating the Kiwi Digger was a nine-month mission, from creating the full armature around which the sculpture was built, to four months in the foundry where it was cast into bronze. Somerville was kicking himself for throwing away the original frame of the Australian version, and having to start again from scratch.
Somerville has his own connection to Anzac Day. As a young man who loved to draw, he worked on a farm in the Maniototo in partnership with a WW2 returned serviceman, Nigel McGregor.
"We never missed an Anzac Day commemoration. He fought through the Middle East and Italy, and it was there he fell in love with art. He was a wonderful man, and he gave me a great start," says Somerville, who moved to Australia 20 years ago.
"In a way, now that I have both passports I feel like a true Anzac."
Last year, Somerville made a life-size bronze of the famous Kiwi stallion Sir Tristram that stands in Sir Patrick Hogan's Cambridge Stud; his next project is an AFL player for the Sydney Cricket Ground.
The Kiwi Digger was a joint project commissioned in June last year by Helen Clark and New South Wales Premier Morris Iemma. The New Zealand Government contributed $386,000 towards the statue, which will be unveiled in front of Anzac veterans in the Sunday ceremony.
"The twin soldier statues in the heart of Australia's largest city remind us of our close relationship and of the proud traditions we share. It will be a fitting tribute to the sacrifices made by ANZAC servicemen and women over more than 100 years," Helen Clark says.

Read the full article from The New Zealand Herald here.

2008-04-08T13:15:00.000+10:00

Blog Review:
Badde Manors Cafe - Glebe, Sydney, on the blog Eat Like a Cow

A funny quest

2008-04-03T18:46:00.000+11:00

The comedy competition with the biggest prize haul - the Roxbury Hotel's Quest for the Best series - is on right now.

By Sarah Norris
"It’s a gruelling process to be the funniest comedian in Sydney. First there’s months of intense competition, a series of heats and then finally the grand final – the big daddy – an event the organisers predict will this year attract around 600 people who will be on the edge of their seat waiting on the jokes and puns of the ten finalists.
But the payoff and rewards are big. Snagging first prize in the Quest For the Best competition sees you handed a massive wad of sweaty cash, $5,000, which in comparison to the usual comedy prize on a usual weekly comedy event, is like winning first prize in Monday night Lotto.
“Most comedy competitions offer cash, though nothing comes even close to getting five grand,” exclaims last year’s winner, 24-year-old Liverpool comic Oliver Phommavanh. “Plus I got to hold a giant novelty cheque – that’s pretty impressive.”
What’s also remarkable is the rise and rise of Quest for the Best in such a short time. The brainchild of Kathryn Benball (she’s also organiser of the Glebe Roxbury Hotel comedy nights, a major supporter of local and up-and-coming comedians) and now in its third year, the event seems to have outgrown its home. “Last year we could have sold at least 600 tickets to the grand final so the pub has agreed that the final night will be held in an external venue. We just can’t hold enough people. It’s been a fantastic success and obviously the pub is through the roof about the whole thing. The first two years we did 400 people.”
So, what does she see as the attraction? “It’s new talent coming through – a lot of people turn up because they are curious to see who will be the next crop of comedians. It’s true a lot of people don’t come until the heats because they don’t want to sit through the bad ones, but some people really love it.”

Read the full article from Time Out here.

Kovco death irresponsible and self-inflicted: jury

2008-04-03T17:44:00.000+11:00

"The jury at the inquest into the death of Private Jake Kovco in Iraq two years ago has found the soldier died of an irresponsibly self-inflicted gunshot wound.
The six member jury has taken a day to reach its verdict. The jury was unable to say whether or not the soldier was aware of the possibility his pistol was ready to discharge.
The three men and three women of the jury heard more than seven weeks of evidence.
They were asked to consider six possible verdicts, ranging from the finding that Pte Kovco committed suicide to an open verdict.
Lawyers for three other soldiers, the Commonwealth and the counsel assisting the coroner all recommended the jury find Pte Kovco accidentally shot himself after forgetting that his gun was loaded.
At Glebe Coroners Court in Sydney, Private Kovco's mother Judy shook her head as the verdict was read out. Her lawyer had asked for an open verdict.
Outside the court, Judy Kovco said the jury had returned the wrong verdict, but refused to say any more to reporters. ..."

Read the full article from ABC News here.

2008-03-28T13:33:00.001+11:00

Blog Review:
Flying Fajita Sistas, on the blog Not Quite Nigella

2008-03-09T15:48:00.000+11:00

Blog Review:
Mu Kung Hwa, on the blog Susan Eats

Note: This restaurant has closed.

It's party time for Wolverine

2008-03-03T08:03:00.000+11:00

"Action ... Hugh Jackman on the Wolverine spin-off set / Simon Bullard
THE streets of Glebe, in Sydney's inner west, were transformed into a carnival for the filming of Hugh Jackman's Hollywood blockbuster, X-Men Origins: Wolverine.
During the one-night shoot on Friday, Jackman and his wife, Deborra-Lee Furness, were seen laughing and chatting with extras and crew as they inspected the purpose-built set.
The scenes, shot at Glebe's Federal Park, appeared to be a flashback sequence with extras wearing flares, Afros and long sideburns as they rode the Ferris wheel.
Dressed casually but sporting the Wolverine mutton-chops and beard, Jackman disappointed bystanders by not getting his metal claws out.
There was also no sign of his co-stars Ryan Reynolds, the Black Eyed Peas' Will.I.Am and Naomi Watt's partner, Liev Schreiber."

Read the full article from the Daily Telegraph here.

Nobs and yobs: in Glebe, crime bridges the gulf

2008-02-02T19:30:00.000+11:00

"Trouble can follow when rich and poor find themselves living cheek by jowl, writes Jordan Baker.
THE woman stands by the gate of a tiny St Johns Road Housing Department terrace, her breathing laboured but her voice angry as she describes how seven-year-old girls tore apart her dying neighbour's yard.
The families moved there 30 years ago, when she was in her 40s, the house was owned by the church and there were no millionaires across the road. There was petty crime then too, but now young people were running wild.
Most recently, there has been sharp rise in car break-ins. Last week the windows of every car on a nearby street were smashed. The woman would not give her name. "Not here in Glebe, darling; the kids are liable to get me."
St Johns Road embodies the contradiction Glebe has become. On one side there's housing worth millions for the wealthy, who park their expensive cars out the front, send their children to private schools and have weekly cleaners.
On the other is a Department of Housing estate, a mix of elderly people, immigrants and young families. They come from different parts of the world, have different family backgrounds, and often struggle to make ends meet.
Car break-ins are the most common crime. They are on the rise throughout NSW, but have climbed 66 per cent in Glebe since 2004. Last September there were at least 99. One man had his car broken into 17 times in two years. ...
The problem is not unique to Glebe. As gentrification and wealth spread through areas once considered working class, so does the resentment of struggling families who have lived in those suburbs for generations. ..."

Read the full article from the Sydney Morning Herald here.

Sydney temple fire deliberate: police

2008-02-02T18:01:00.000+11:00

"Police have confirmed a fire at a heritage-listed Chinese temple in Sydney's inner-west yesterday was suspicious.
Firefighters were called to the Sze Yup temple at Glebe about 1:00am (AEDT) yesterday.
Crew managed to contain the blaze to one room but the damage is estimated at $100,000.
Police also say a quantity of money was stolen from the donation box inside the temple.
The temple, which is more than 100-years-old, is a focal point for next Thursday's Chinese New Year celebrations.
Festival organisers says the celebrations will go ahead as planned."

Read the article from ABC News here.

Temple fire won't ruin Chinese NY: organisers

2008-02-01T18:33:00.000+11:00

"Organisers of Sydney's Chinese New Year festival say the celebrations will not be affected by a fire at a temple in Sydney's inner-west this morning.
Police believe arsonists are behind the fire at the heritage-listed Sze Yup temple at Glebe.
Firefighters were called to the temple on Edward Street about 1:00am (AEDT) after receiving reports of smoke coming from the building.
The blaze damaged one room but crews managed to stop the fire from spreading to other parts of the temple.
The temple is supposed to be the focal point of next Thursday's Chinese New Year festivities.
The festival's creative director, Gill Minervini, says the celebrations will go ahead as planned."

Read the full article from ABC News here.

2008-01-09T14:36:00.000+11:00

Blog Review:
Spicy Sichuan, on the blog Yum. Tum. Bum

2007-12-08T15:04:00.000+11:00

Blog Review:
Spicy Sichuan Restaurant - Glebe, on the blog Steph & Eva - Eating our way through Sydney

2007-11-09T14:05:00.001+11:00

Blog Review:
Glebe Point Diner, on the blog The Unbearable Lightness of Being Hungry

Boarding house sacrificed to apartments development

2007-11-01T16:27:00.000+11:00

By Sunanda Creagh, The Sydney Morning Herald
"A GLEBE boarding house will be turned into multimillion-dollar waterfront apartments after the State Government lifted a ban on redeveloping the site.
The eight-room Mary Street house, which fronts Blackwattle Bay, was previously covered by State Environmental Planning Policy 10, a law that prohibits redevelopment of low-cost housing.
But the Planning Department recently granted the owner an exemption. The owner has permission to build a car park and three apartments. The house's two tenants will be evicted in less than 60 days.
A City of Sydney Greens councillor, Chris Harris, is furious that the exemption was granted. "The place is in reasonable condition. It's rentable. But the end result is we will lose eight pieces of cheap accommodation close to the city because of a decision by the Planning Minister. Affordable housing is meant to be protected by SEPP 10 and clearly it's really easy to get out of."
A spokesman for the Department of Planning said the exemption was granted because the boarding house was regarded as not financially viable according to specific guidelines. ..."

Read the full article from The Sydney Morning Herald here.

2007-10-30T14:06:00.000+11:00

Blog Review:
Chocolateria San Churro, Glebe, on the blog Grab Your Fork

2007-10-24T20:06:00.000+10:00

Blog Review:
Glebe Point Diner, on the blog Travel & Food Blogue

Jobs boost tipped as car imports move from Sydney

2007-10-06T16:37:00.000+10:00

"New South Wales Premier Morris Iemma has unveiled the new car handling terminal at Port Kembla, beginning a new era in the state's shipping industry.
Giant car carriers have been a regular sight in Sydney Harbour but they will today start unloading the bulk of their cargo at Port Kembla's inner harbour instead.
The new terminal, south of Sydney, will handle all car imports from next year, when the city's terminals at Glebe Island and White Bay close. ..."

Read the full article from ABC News here.

2007-09-27T12:14:00.000+10:00

Blog Review:
San Churro: Churros 'n' Chocolate 'n' Glebe, on the blog Gosstronomy

One corporate gulp and those old treats are gone

2007-09-14T16:57:00.000+10:00

by Lisa Pryor, The Sydney Morning Herald

"It is about to become harder to find butterfly cakes, chocolate eclairs and cream puffs in the city, with a cherished cake shop forced out of the Strand Arcade by rising rents.

And Glebe may soon lose the popular Badde Manors Cafe, which is due to be auctioned off this month, after 23 years.

At the Strand Arcade, the owner of Boronia Patisserie, Sue-Ellen Lawson, is concerned that more small operators will be forced out of the Pitt Street retail area as it is swallowed up by two big landlords, Ipoh and Westfield.

The city is awash with espresso, muffins and friands but as shops like the Boronia Patisserie close it is becoming harder for city workers to find treats that were once Australian staples, such as iced cupcakes and Anzac biscuits.

"We offered more the home-baked or the old-fashioned kind of products, and people like to have that every day, not the glamorous-looking or the more sophisticated expensive items," Ms Lawson said.

The staff of the Boronia Patisserie spent Friday farewelling customers who have been visiting the shop for the past decade.

"It was very busy. A lot of regulars came in. A lot of them brought presents and flowers for the girls."

In Glebe, Badde Manors Cafe has been a gathering place for locals and Sydney University students for more than 20 years but that could soon change. The building and business is due to be auctioned off on September 23.

The owner, Robert Sebes, estimated that the cafe had served more than 3 million coffees since it opened in 1982. Some prospective buyers had shown an interest in continuing the cafe business, but there was a real risk of closure, he said."

Read the full article from The SMH here.

From shower to showtime - singing is cool again

2007-07-29T16:45:00.000+10:00

by Malcolm Brown, The Sydney Morning Herald:

"EVEN their names have a melodious ring: the Sweet Adelines, the Bright Star Singers, A Choired Taste and, most fittingly in Sydney, the Leichhardt Espresso and the Circular Keys Chorus.

Community choirs, says the director of the Espressos, Michelle Leonard, have struck a perfect chord. Singing was "almost trendy", she said.

"People used to look at you as though you had some sort of disease," Ms Leonard said. "Now you can out yourself. The level of public awareness in the past 12 months has boomed."

Community choirs bring people together, start social relationships and quickly demonstrate how people care for each other, said Ms Leonard, whose youngest choir member is 15 and her oldest in his 70s.

Australian Idol, ABC radio's choirs competition and more lately the national broadcaster's television hit Choir of Hard Knocks have all contributed to the growing delight that people feel when they sing in public. ..."

Read the full article from the SMH here.

Come to the cabaret, says mum

2007-07-25T16:51:00.000+10:00

By Lucy Barbour, Inner West Courier
"Monica Trapaga may be most known for her role on Play School, but this queen of children's entertainment is leading a whole other life and it's got more to do with sex appeal, jazz and devilish wit than teddy bears or rocket clocks. ...
Now Trapaga is providing a closer glimpse into her more adult side with a series of musical tributes to legendary diva and cabaret star Pearl Bailey, being performed at the AB Hotel in Glebe.
"It's not just jazz," she said.
"It's old style cabaret, verging on vaudeville."
In the show, Trapaga incorporates a touch of the "naughty", testing out the laps of audience members in true cabaret style, but the thing she wants to achieve most is to make people "feel sexy and good about themselves and to enjoy it".
That is one of Trapaga's great joys in life. ..."

Read the article from Village Voice here.

Coming soon, Valhalla remade as office space

2007-03-24T17:57:00.000+11:00

By Sunanda Creagh , The Sydney Morning Herald
"THE old Valhalla cinema in Glebe is likely to be turned into office space, despite objections to the proposal.
The City of Sydney's acting director of city planning, Giovanni Cirillo, has recommended the council approve the conversion of the cinema, which closed down in August 2005.
Under the plan, the exterior of the 1938 building would be retained, and a mezzanine and 38 commercial office suites installed.
The application will be decided at Monday's planning committee and several councillors say it is likely to go ahead.
"There's a fair chance it will be supported by the committee," John McInerney said yesterday.
Cr McInerney said he did not want to see the building remain vacant. "I think it's acceptable," he said. "We are advised that the main parts of the building - the cinema itself - will be subdivided and will be able to be turned back into a cinema if someone decided in the future to do that."

Read the full article from The Sydney Morning Herald here.

Inquest begins into Balibo Five death

2007-02-06T18:14:00.000+11:00

"A coronial inquest has begun in Sydney into the death of one of five Australian journalists killed in East Timor in 1975.
Brian Peters, 26, was one of five men working for Australian television networks who was killed at Balibo while covering the Indonesian invasion of East Timor.
The counsel assisting the coroner has told the inquest that eye witness evidence will be called to show that the men were attempting to surrender to Indonesian forces when they were either shot or stabbed.
The inquest, at Glebe Coroner's Court, is expected to hear from a significant number of Timorese witnesses but no Indonesian witness has been made available."

Read the article from ABC News here.

Defamation action against Roberts dismissed

2006-12-12T18:59:00.000+11:00

"The New South Wales Supreme Court has dismissed defamation action brought by a Sydney man against former rugby league international Ian Roberts.
Mr Roberts told Sydney's Glebe Coroner's Court in May that Frederick George Rix had sexually assaulted him when he was 15-years-old.
Mr Rix lodged a statement of claim with the Supreme Court asking for $10 million in damages for defamation.
Last month the court struck out his claim but gave Mr Rix liberty to file an amended statement of claim.
Mr Rix has today told the court he had not done that and the court dismissed the action."

Read the article from ABC News here.

2006-07-14T12:10:00.000+10:00

Blog Review:
Spanish Tapas, on the blog Jenius

Valhalla sells for office space

2006-04-02T06:48:00.000+10:00

by Garry Maddox, Sydney Morning Herald

"A SYDNEY film icon, the Valhalla cinema in Glebe, has screened its last movie after being sold to a property developer. It had been passed in at auction late last year, but the arthouse operation has sold for $2.95 million to W Property for conversion into offices.
The cinema closed last August with its long-time owner and manager, Chris Kiely, blaming the popularity of DVDs and the poor quality of recent releases. Mr Kiely said he was relieved to finally sell. "The sadness was last year when the realisation hit that it could never be a goer again," he said. The new owners plan to retain the exterior and foyer in an office development aimed at the "creative sector" including architects and the film industry.
Built in 1937 and used at times for theatre and music, the Valhalla thrived as an avant-garde cinema for film buffs in the 1980s. "In those days, we were getting 300 people for a double feature," Mr Kiely said.

Read the full article from The Sydney Morning Herald here.

Road rage attacker cleared of manslaughter

2005-10-13T16:10:00.000+10:00

"A Sydney man whose actions led to the death of another motorist has been found not guilty of manslaughter but guilty of a lesser offence.
Benny Sarkis, 60, died in December of last year, after he suffered fatal head injuries during an altercation with another motorist on Glebe Point Road, in Sydney's inner west.
He struck his head on the ground as a result of being punched once by 36-year-old Maka Afu. The two men were arguing after their cars almost collided.
Afu, from Marrickville, was standing trial in the Sydney District Court charged with manslaughter.
The jury has found him not guilty of that charge, but guilty of the alternative offence of maliciously inflicting grievous bodily harm.
Afu's bail was revoked and he will next be in court for a sentencing hearing in November."

Read the article from ABC News here.

Iemma relocates car imports to Port Kembla

2005-10-11T16:36:00.000+10:00

"New South Wales Premier Morris Iemma has announced details of a plan to relocate car imports from Glebe Island in Sydney to Port Kembla by 2008.
The move will generate jobs and economic opportunities for the Illawarra.
Mr Iemma says Glebe Island has 5,000 car spaces while opening a new birth at Port Kembla will provide 14,000 car spaces, securing future expansion for the next 40 years.
"Glebe Island just simply doesn't have the space and it makes good economic sense to invest in the future of the Illawarra by transferring that service and that facility to the Illawarra," he said. The move is expected to generate 1,000 direct and indirect jobs in Wollongong, with the Government investing $140 million to upgrade the port. ..."

Read the full article from ABC News here.

Historic Sydney cinema wins protection

2005-09-10T16:50:00.000+10:00

"The art-house Valhalla Cinema at Glebe in Sydney's inner-west has been placed on the National Trust Register.
The piece of cinematic history was passed in at auction last week and is still without a buyer.
The trust's deputy conservation director, Graham Quint, says the listing recognises the site's architectural significance and its social significance as a venue for alternative cinema and for film-makers to view their craft.
"It's ironic there are quite a lot of 1930's cinemas surviving in country New South Wales and we are down really to the last few in the city of Sydney, and particularly the cinemas that are so vital to providing alternative movies and other cities have them and we really do need to retain them in the city of Sydney," he said."

Read the article from ABC News here.

Curtains close on Glebe's Valhalla Cinema

2005-08-02T14:34:00.000+10:00

"The Valhalla Cinema in the inner Sydney suburb of Glebe has been screening art house films since 1979, with many famed directors showing their first films there.But this week the Valhalla will screen its final offering, and its closure appears to be the start of a trend for those Australian cinemas which have been willing to spurn high revenue pictures and instead screen non-mainstream movies. From the Valhalla in Sydney, Brendan Trembath reports. ..."

Read the transcript from the ABC's "The World Today" here.

'Nowadays it's much harder to get noticed'

2005-04-18T14:19:00.000+10:00

The Sydney Morning Herald's first website was designed in a Glebe boatshed, home to pesky pigeons and the office of Thomas Ashelford, who explains all to Des Devlin.
In 1995 the Herald launched its first internet site, the weekly Computers section. How did you become involved?
Ingrid Spielman and I had started a web design company called Ether which ran a music website called Wood and Wire. We were getting a lot of traffic, particularly from the US and, for some bizarre reason which I've never understood, Finland. We had received quite a bit of coverage in the Herald, where we were described as "Australia's first popular website" - so that created a lot of local interest in our site. ...
Back then your company would have been one of a handful working locally. Describe your operations.
We had a space in the old Blackwattle Studios - a massive boatshed at the end of Glebe Point Road which had been converted into artists' studios. It was actually very badly suited for anything involving computers, as the power was always blacking out, and there were pigeons that insisted on pooping on our computers.
Each desk had one of those huge super-soaker water pistols on it so you could shoot the pigeons to discourage them. It did have fantastic harbour views however."

Read the full article in the Sydney Morning Herald here.

Carr flags end of Sydney Harbour as port

2003-10-05T17:02:00.000+10:00

"Sydney Harbour will no longer operate as a container terminal, under a major overhaul of the New South Wales State port system.
Premier Bob Carr used his address to the state Labor Party conference to announce that stevedoring leases at Darling Harbour East, Glebe Island and White Bay, would not be renewed when they expire over the coming years.
But he says the plan is good news for Newcastle and Port Kembla, with both regions expected to pick up a greater share of trade.
Mr Carr says the decision to stop using Sydney Harbour as a container terminal would free up 33 hectares of unbroken foreshore.
"[It's] land for open space, housing employment and waterside entertainment," he said.
He says there will also be an expansion of Port Botany, but says a commission of inquiry will be set to examine the plans before any approval is given."

Read the article from ABC News here.

Redevlopment steals piece of Sydney's culture

2001-03-14T18:18:00.000+11:00

"Australia's urban landscape is changing dramatically. As our cities grow, new developments are springing up, replacing heritage buildings. And when the old buildings go, a piece of our culture goes with them.An old-fashioned boxing gym in inner-city Sydney will soon be gutted and redeveloped as units. It's no shining steel and mirrors affair, the Glebe Estate Community Centre is one of the last old-style boxing gyms left in Sydney. But as David Mark reports, boxing champions, rugby league and union players, Pat Rafter, and even the international media mogul Rupert Murdoch have trained there. ..."

Read the full transcript from the ABC's "The World Today" here.