News May/June 2021 InnerGulgadya precinct, West14-23 May Fest The second Inner West Fest takes over the Gulgadya (Leichhardt) precinct with comedy, youth theatre, dance, historical costumes, geocaching adventures, food and so much more. Gulgadya is the second in the series of five events and activations across the Inner West in 2021, brought to you by the community for the community, supported by Inner West Council. For the full program, go to innerwest.nsw.gov.au/InnerWestFest Council grants Citizen awards Marrickville Council has a range of grants to Council's Citizens of the Year enable the community to develop and Amy Large volunteers of Library wins projects and programs to address the year will be announced at a Marrickville Library has added local needs. The next round opens joint ceremony during National another two significant wins to an in September. Volunteers Week 17-23 May 2021. already impressive tally, taking out the Public Libraries and Members’ To find out more, go to Find out more at innerwest.nsw. Choice categories at the 2021 innerwest.nsw.gov.au/grants gov.au/AmyLargeAwards Australian Library Design Awards. Radar speed displays Council’s new digital radar speed displays are not enforcement devices. They assist in reducing speeds on roads by showing Get ready for the new Haberfield vehicles speeds to motorists – a way to alert drivers they are Centre and Library exceeding the speed limit. The historic Haberfield Centre • The building is fully accessible Driving too fast is the single and Library reopens in May after to wheelchairs and prams biggest contributor to death major renovations. • Improvements in energy use and injury on NSW roads. The upgrade gives the local and water management have community a modern, bright been built into the design space to work, study and meet: As well as the library’s normal • Four community rooms with programming there are a number A/V available for hire of free activities and programs for the first month to celebrate the • Refreshed collection including new space. bilingual picture books, school resources, junior graphic novels Bring friends and family to an and readers, robots and new event or just come by and say Italian fiction hello to the library team who are looking forward to welcoming you. • Plenty of space to work and study with wifi, laptop benches, Book an event and see more about computers, scanning and Haberfield Centre and Library at printing facilities innerwest.nsw.gov.au/HCL 2 $24 million to save live music and performance venues Following the announcement that iconic Newtown live music venue Council asks The Old 505 Theatre would close at the end of March, I held a crisis government to summit to discuss ways to help Town hall upgrades the ailing industry. speed up ‘exempt Petersham Town Hall Attendees of the summit Petersham Town Hall portico now developments’ unanimously called for immediate has an integrated access ramp. Council has written to the NSW action from the NSW Government to save venues across Sydney, The Crystal and Frederick Street Planning Minister requesting the while also discussing other ways to entrance fully accessible ramp/ urgent approval of the Extended resuscitate the industry. walkway provides equitable and Trading Hours and Cultural inclusive access. Activities planning proposal. Three days later, our community’s grassroots campaign was Tactile indicators and handrails The proposal would speed up have been installed, along planning rules so musicians, actors successful. This saw the NSW with new pavers and tiles. and visual artists could use vacant Government finally agree to a $24 The landscaping includes spaces in industrial zones and main million stimulus package to save some seating and bike rails. streets for small scale artistic and live music and performance cultural events. venues impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. “The finalised policy has been submitted to the State Government. I extend my sincere thanks to Save We are waiting for them to gazette Our Stages and Music NSW, who led the policy so that these new, the campaign over many months. commonsense rules can be rolled Without this funding, dozens of iconic out in 2021,” Inner West Mayor Darcy Byrne said. venues across Sydney were set to close their doors within weeks. The situation is still dire for live music in this city, but this win means we live to fight another day. Leichhardt Town Hall The much-loved and iconic Leichhardt Town Hall’s interior Chief Executive Officer of Newtown Jets Stuart McCarthy has had a heritage makeover, checked out the Henson Park upgrade in early April in line with the dramatic exterior facelift undertaken two-and-a- Henson Park half years ago. upgrade Marrickville Town Hall The $2.558m upgrade of Henson The upgrade of Marrickville Town Park will be completed in late May. Hall façade is expected to be Works included: completed in June. • Upgrade the turf and underlay soil to suit elite standard sport • Install a stormwater harvesting and treatment system to reduce the use of town water for irrigation • Install new field drainage system, including recycling of water • Upgrade irrigation system Mayor, Darcy Byrne • Renew wiring to sports light poles Inner West Council 3 Person who would rather not be in Marrickville by Emmanuel Angelicas, 1985. Heritage Festival The 2021 Heritage Festival celebrates the local Greek Spider Swing by Gabrielle Bates – Artist in Residence, EDGE GreenWay community in this year of the 200th anniversary of Greek You’re invited to Art Camp on the Independence. GreenWay – EDGE 2021 Everyone’s invited to a book launch, photography exhibition and a talk Iron Cove Bay (Hawthorne Canal - Lilyfield Road to Café Bones) until 9 May on Greek life in Sydney in the 1950s: • Book launch, Little Athens by Art Camp on the GreenWay - EDGE or are hosted by community Vasilis Vasilikis, Marrickville 2021, is a 24-day onsite artist in groups like The Wanderers, Café Town Hall, Sunday 9 May residence project. Bones and Canal Road Film Centre. • Photography exhibition, Over 20 new projects have been Everyone’s invited to experience Marrickville Eikons by local developed across diverse forms this hive of inspiration and involving hundreds of local creativity - wander the site, photographer Emmanuel creatives and community. meet creatives and interact with Angelicas, Marrickville Library, artworks in development. May 1-30 Temporary residency spaces have popped up in shipping containers, For more information, go to • Lecture: Shopping, the cinema under bridges, in nooks - innerwest.nsw.gov.au/EDGE and neighbourhood: Greek Life in Sydney in the 1950s at Marrickville Library Pavillion, Thursday 20 May Other activities include an architect presentation and discussion on reimaging the recently updated Haberfield Library and a talk on the little known history of the factory buildings in the vicinity of Chapel Street and Victoria Road, Marrickville. For more information, go to innerwest.nsw.gov.au/ World renowned street artist Fintan Magee has commenced his Marrickville Metro work which will celebrate local HeritageFestival female artists Wendy Sharpe and Rachael Lafferty. Bold contemporary public artworks feature at the redeveloped Marrickville Metro. The large-scale and hidden pockets of art were commissioned from local artists through Metro’s partnership with Inner West Council and the EDGE Inner West public arts program. Inner West Council will host free art tours on opening day, Thursday 10 June. For more information, go to innerwest.nsw.gov.au/LivingArts 4 Shaping the Inner West Vietnamese precinct Council will recognise the Tell us: significant contribution of the • Where the precinct should start Vietnamese community by and finish along Illawarra Road naming a Vietnamese precinct Pedestrian Access along Illawarra Road. • If you support the name Little Vietnam and Mobility Plan You are invited to share your experiences and have your say Final day for comments is Monday Jump onto Your Say Inner West on the new precinct. 17 May 2021. to give feedback on these new ten-year plans: For more information, go to yoursay.innerwest.nsw.gov.au Draft Pedestrian Access and Mobility Plan - improving safety and access for people moving around the Inner West Draft Cultural Strategy - shaping arts and culture Draft Healthy Ageing Strategy - supporting people to live active, healthy, and fulfilling lives at any age. For more information, go to yoursay.innerwest.nsw.gov.au Councillor Pauline Lockie, who brought the idea to Council, with one of the street signs #RacismNotWelcome in the Inner West Inner West Council, along with The initiative is designed to the Inner West Multicultural start conversations, encourage Network, has installed 40 collective action and make it clear #RacismNotWelcome signs that racism, injustice and bigotry throughout the local are not tolerated the Inner West. government area. 5 2020 winners Kiet Phan (far left) and Oliver Whitehouse (far right) are pictured with judge Ursula Dubosarsky and Kiet's English teacher Maruti Lyons Young Creatives Awards 2021 The Young Creatives Awards are magazines, DVDs, audiobooks now open to young people aged and digital books and the local between 12 – 24, who study, work or history online archives or the physical collection. live in the Inner West Council area. Michael reunited with his animal companion Buster • Young Writers Award First prize for each age group in each category is $500. • Young Artists Award Reuniting Buster Runner-up receives $250. Each award has three categories: Submissions close Saturday and Michael (12–15 years), (16-18 years) and 31 July 2021. Reuniting lost pets with worried (19-24 years). owners is all in day’s work for For more information, go to The inspiration can come from Council’s Companion Animal team. innerwest.nsw.gov.au/YCA any item in the Inner West Library Buster went missing for two days collections including newspapers, before being left at a local vet.