World Youth Day ’08 Chris Gentle Exhibition Events and issues – Pages 5 & 13 Review – Page 9 VOLUME ONE NUMBER SIXTY-THREE AUGUST ’08 CIRCULATION 22,000 ALEXANDRIA BEACONSFIELD CHIPPENDALE DARLINGTON ERSKINEVILLE KINGS CROSS NEWTOWN PADDINGTON REDFERN SURRY HILLS WATERLOO WOOLLOOMOOLOO ZETLAND The magic of a blacksmith Photo: Ali Blogg Future is bleak for blacksmiths at ATP Nicholas McCallum A campaign has been launched to save agreements are history,” the CEO said. maintains that the workshop is operating operation in this historic workshop,” the self-funded Wrought Artworks which The proprietors and caretakers of the at the site without paying any rent, or the letter stated. Approval of the Redfern Waterloo is hailed by the Smithsonian Museum facilities, Guido Gouverneur and Wendie having any legal lease of bays one and Sydney Lord Mayor Clover Moore Authority’s re-development in the in Washington DC for maintaining its McCaffley, have built-up their business two at the ATP. He stated that several has also expressed her concern over the Australian Technology Park and North collection and keeping alive the skills and maintained the Victorian blacksmith- attempts to resolve the issue had not impending eviction of the blacksmiths. Eveleigh will provide 1,260 new homes of a dying trade. Their work is highly ing equipment. They are now considered been successful and that legal advice She wrote to Planning Minister Frank for the South Sydney area, but already sought after for restorations of some of top of their shrinking field in greater was being sought. “The ATP needs to Sartor in June requesting his intervention it has forced some of the existing resi- Sydney’s Victorian heritage iron works, Sydney. Currently they employ three resolve these issues and has accordingly to find an alternative arrangement that dents out of their places of business. including the Queen Elizabeth II gates young people from the next generation instructed its solicitors to commence legal would see the workshop maintained at The historic blacksmith’s shop at the at the Opera House and the Dawes Point of blacksmiths and run Australia’s only action so that they may be appropriately its current location. ATP, Wrought Artworks, is feeling the balusters that line Sydney Harbour. In trade course in blacksmithing through resolved,” Mr Domm said. Mrs McCaffley is hopeful that the force of gentrification. It’s out with the 2002 the National Trust awarded the Ultimo TAFE. In 2001 Mr Gouverneur There is a contradiction in the efforts RWA will not be able to force them out very old and in with the new, as the blacksmiths with a commendation for was awarded Citizen of the Year for his of the RWA to have the blacksmiths but concedes that the entire saga stems technologies of yesteryear make way the reproduction of a gate and railings efforts in conservation and maintaining removed as it goes against its Employ- from an opinion that maintaining the for those of the digital age. at Centennial Park Reservoir. the collection at the site. ment Enterprise Plan, designed to create workshop will be too much effort for Early discussions of the sites re- Ms McCaffley expressed her dismay work in the Redfern/Waterloo area. If the the Authority. Over $460 million of investment development with the then Planning at the RWA’s desire to have the shop workshop is closed, then four apprentices “I don’t think they’ll get us out,” she in the area will provide new sites for Minister Craig Knowles suggested that removed. It is her belief that the eviction currently employed at Wrought Artworks said. “We’re the last man standing.” the Seven Network, Pacific Magazines the blacksmith’s shop would remain notice was only issued because it was the will be forced out of work. If Wrought Artworks is evicted from and other research facilities. However operational in its two half-bays within easiest option in the Authority’s future A letter from the Conservation Director its current location, then its upcoming the world’s largest collection of steam- the park, and leases maintained. Even plans for the site. of the National Trust, Graham Quint, to open day to be held on Sunday August powered smithing equipment and the after the construction of a $600,000 wall “[The blacksmith shop] is a tangible the Department of Planning declared the 17 could be the last. To see unique fully operational shop may be forced to dampen the noise produced from the link to the site’s past,” she said. “And it’s historical significance of the blacksmith machines of the Victorian era, head out of the ATP, possibly breaching the functioning museum, Wrought Artworks’ a concession of the site’s heritage that it shop and how important it was that it to bays one and two of the Eveleigh heritage arrangements of the RWA future looks bleak in light of comments remain operational.” be retained in its current location. “It is Locomotive Workshop south, Australian Planning Policy. by RWA CEO Robert Domm. “All prior However, RWA CEO Robert Domm difficult to imagine any more appropriate Technology Park. 2 The South Sydney Herald – August 2008 PUBLISHER South Sydney Uniting Church Raglan Street, Waterloo News Telephone 0400 008 338 Phone/fax 02 9698 8949 The views expressed in this newspaper are those of the author and the article and are not necessarily the views of the Uniting Church. Hotel’s plans for giant stiletto stymied by Council ADVERTISING [email protected] 0400 139 710 Ellice Mol MAILING ADDRESS: A Facebook group may provide PO Box 2360 Strawberry Hills NSW 2012 the impetus needed by the Impe- rial Hotel in Erskineville to erect a LETTERS giant replica of a stiletto from the Please send letters and emails to: The South Sydney Herald. movie Priscilla Queen of the Desert. Email: [email protected] The group named Save the Imperial Supply sender name and suburb. has an online membership in excess Size: 150 words or less. We may edit for legal or other reasons. of 2,500, and supports the plans for the giant stiletto that were refused by Council last month. According to the Imperial's owner, Shadd Danesi, the stiletto, to sit on the rooftop with toe EDITORIAL COMMITTEE pointing to Erskineville Road, would be an unobtrusive piece of art. Councillor John McInerney says the stiletto was not seen as adding anything to the heritage and culture of the Impe- rial a heritage-listed building. "It was built well before it was used as a gay hotel," says Cr McInerney. Additional reasons for refusal were based on the impact it would have upon the area. It Managing Editor The Imperial Hotel in Erskineville Photo: Ali Blogg Andrew Collis is also regarded as an advertisement and the reflection would be a disturbance to the local residents, Cr McInerney says. cauliflower seen above the Cauliflower basement area and they allowed an people queuing up outside, it is far Owner, Shadd Danesi, has since made Hotel in Waterloo, the stiletto would increase from 306 to 440. Even though more detrimental to the good order adjustments to the stiletto's design, be of great significance to the gay and the original increase asked for 788," says of a neighbourhood," he says. "Three saying it's now more streamlined lesbian community. Mr Danesi. Cr McInerney says the reason hundred people outside bedrooms of and will no longer be rotating. As for Mr Danesi had also lodged a request the numbers were reduced related to the residences, littering, and exposed to advertising, Mr Danesi says there will be in his development application to capacity of the floor space. potential homophobic violence from no signage on the stiletto. Similar to the increase crowd limits inside the hotel. Mr Danesi is concerned about the people coming from Newtown". The giant white horse atop the White Horse Council responded to this request with impact of turning patrons away due Imperial will lodge a new DA and plans Hotel in Surry Hills, and the iconic giant a compromise. "They approved the to the crowd limits. "If I have 360 to re-open for trading in October. CO-Editor Dorothy McRae-McMahon Hillsong Buses on a road to nowhere withdraws DA Peter Whitehead You may have seen a pamphlet listing proposed changes to a dozen for Rosebery bus routes in the eastern suburbs. The State Transit Authority has had its thinking cap on and come up with site some changes that promise to move people more efficiently. But changes Photography to the 311 Route that serves residents Ali Blogg Nicholas McCallum of Woolloomooloo, Potts Point, Kings Cross and Darlinghurst have Hillsong Church has withdrawn its distressed many. $72 million development application for the former RTA site in Rosebery The STA announces: “Route 311 after Sydney City Council commis- will run from Gresham Street [off sioned an independent assessment Bridge Street opposite Macquarie Place Concerned residents sign petition in support of 311 at Fitzroy Gardens bus stop Photo: Ali Blogg of the plan that found the proposed Park, 200m from Circular Quay] to St mega-church and adjacent office block Vincent’s Hospital in Darlinghurst, and Railway Square,” says Jo Holder, those would be the services that have exceeded the height and scale allowed. and will no longer continue to Railway secretary of the Darlinghurst Resident served my neighbourhood. The study also established that the Square. In Elizabeth Bay, due to frequent Action Group and an ALP candidate for The survey [which closed on July 25] proposed entertainment-centre-sized blockages of narrow streets, the loop via City of Sydney Council. is a series of statements.