ten days in chippendale » newtown

day eight

admin — Wed, 10 Nov 2010 01:44:29 +0000

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Zena Sachs was born in 1913 in Darlinghurst and moved to Newtown when she was 4 years old. One of Zena’s earliest memories of Newtown is the end of the First World War. I think it’s amazing how little kids have these very specific memories. An event of global significance such as the end of the Great War and Zena’s memory is of a little boy stealing her treasured peace medal!

day six

admin — Mon, 08 Nov 2010 05:40:11 +0000

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Leo Hannon was born in 1923 and grew up in Newtown. His earliest memory of the suburb is of poverty. Leo talks about how poverty breeds competitiveness. He remembers racing with his billy cart after school to beat his friends Tippy Hanshaw and Whopper Wessel to the Stewart Brothers woodyard on English Street, Camperdown, where he would collect wood scraps to sell.

day five

admin — Sun, 07 Nov 2010 02:46:39 +0000

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Les Cross was born in 1916 in Newtown. When the Sydney Harbour Bridge opened in 1932, Les would have been 16 years old. He recalls the thrill of walking across the bridge just “for the sight of it” and because it was “brand new”.

day four

admin — Sat, 06 Nov 2010 00:40:39 +0000

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Compared to Ted McDermott’s excitement at the fights that used to break out around 6 o’Clock in many South Sydney pubs, as a child Grace Schwebel was horrified at the sight of men brawling as she walked home from the Hub Picture Theatre in Newtown on a Saturday afternoon in the 1920s.

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Grace worked at the IXL jam factory in North Newtown/Darlington around the age of 16. She remembers women coming to work after having a ‘backyard’ abortion performed by a Mrs Hunter who worked from a house at the junction of King Street and City Road in Newtown. Even though she describes this process as “brutal butchery”, in the interview she goes on to admit that women were grateful that Mrs Hunter existed because there were not many people around willing to perform abortions.