Imperial digs in its heels

City of Sydney Council’s decision to deny the Imperial Hotel's latest development applications sends a negative message to the area’s gay community and could have ramifications for patrons’ safety according to the hotel’s owner.

The iconic gay pub in Erskineville was to erect a giant replica stiletto from the film The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert and increase its patron capacity as part of ongoing renovations.

Imperial Hotel owner Shadd Danesi said he was concerned about patrons’ safety whilst waiting in queues outside the hotel.  “Not increasing the capacity to 788 could leave hundreds of people queuing on Erskineville Road exposed to dangers of traffic and abuse," he said.

With the sudden closure of the Newtown Hotel last year following a licensing dispute, Mr Danesi expects increased crowds when the Imperial Hotel reopens. 

Mr Danesi had also lodged a request to place a giant stiletto on the roof of the hotel.  Council denied the development application, stating it would not be appropriate to the heritage and culture of the art-deco heritage-listed building.

Social networking site Facebook has a 2700-strong group dedicated to saving The Imperial Hotel, with many members agreeing the stiletto would be a unique artwork signifying the large gay community in the area.

Mr Danesi has appealed both decisions and resubmitted amended development applications for both proposals.

The Imperial Hotel is famous for its drag shows and was featured in the films The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert and Erskineville Kings with Hugh Jackman.

The Imperial Hotel is due to reopen its doors in October.

If you are missing the drag fun of Mitzi Macintosh during the Imperial’s renovation rescue, you can catch her on Tuesday’s at the Sly Fox in Enmore for the hilarious Bingay, or attend ‘Sunday School’ on Sunday nights at ARQ.

(Image by J Bar, Wkipedia - used under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation license)

Action follows 'Sorry'

Celebrating International Day of the World's Indigenous People this month, Newtown Neighbourhood Centre is hosting an evening of community, hope, food and culture as a further step towards reconciliation following the Government’s apology to Australia’s Indigenous people earlier this year.

Reconciliation After the Apology is an event for all the senses with food, seminars, storytelling, stalls and entertainment to engage Hub residents with the Aboriginal culture.

In February this year Prime Minister Kevin Rudd said sorry in Parliament to the ‘stolen generations’, their families and communities, for laws and policies which had inflicted profound grief, suffering and loss.

Newtown Neighbourhood Centre event coordinator Lisa Parish said it was important that community events bring everyone together to work further for the foundations the apology had laid.  “We have said sorry, but it means little if we don’t keep the promises and actions going for reconciliation," she said.

Highlight of the Newtown event will be the screening of the documentary Kanyini. 

Kanyini tells the story of Uncle Bob Randall, a member of the Yankunytjatjara people and one of the listed traditional owners of Uluru.  The film documents his life as one of the stolen generation, taken from his mother under government policy and institutionalised in the 1930s. His story tells why Indigenous people are now struggling in a modern world and what needs to be done for them to move forward.

Guest speakers at the event include Aunty Euphemia Bostock and prominent Aboriginal leader Ray Minniecon from Redfern.  Graduates from the Young Mob Leaders Program will also address the event about their experiences within the Redfern and La Perouse Aborginal communities.

Reconciliation After the Apology will be held at Newtown Neighbourhood Centre on Wednesday August 27 from 6pm.

If you cannot make it to the event, the documentary Kanyini can be purchased online.   

Kanyini is a Pitjantjatjara word meaning interconnectedness, to care for, to support, to nurture and protect - An appropriate call to action following, ‘Sorry’.

100 years of the Jets

Australia’s oldest rugby league football team may be struggling to retain their top four position in this year’s NSW Cup, but nothing could dampen the Newtown Jets year long centenary celebrations.

Originally christened the “Bluebags”, the Newtown Jets celebrated the centenary of their foundation in exactly the same room at Newtown Town Hall where the inaugural meeting of the club had taken place back on January 8, 1908.

In attendance were political leaders, former players and officials, and a crowd of Jets supporters, to toast the 100th anniversary of the foundation of this remarkably enduring Sydney sporting institution.

The Official Centenary program also included a presence at the National Rugby League's Fan Day, the Bumper 2008 Season Launch, participation in the Official Australian Rugby League Centenary Plaques Program and the Jets’ Official Centenary Dinner in July.

Sports historian and writer Terry Williams launched a pictorial history of the Jets last month to celebrate the club’s 100 years. Through Blue Eyes recounts the hardships, triumphs and gritty spirit of this definitive battlers’ team.

In their history the Newtown Jets won two first grade premierships in the NSW Rugby League competition until they were suspended in October 1983 following financial difficulties.  Since re-entering the NSW Cup league in 1991 they have won four premierships and were twice preliminary finalists.

Most recently the Newtown Jets have signed a five-year deal as a feeder club to the NRL Sydney Roosters.

Centenary celebrations will culminate at the annual Reunion Players and Supporters Day at the Jets' final home game of the year at Henson Park on September 6 against the Balmain Ryde Tigers.

For more information about the Newtown Jets’ history, membership and playing schedule visit the Newtown Jets website.

Through Blue Eyes and other official Jets merchandise can be purchased at Newtown Jets Clothing Online.

And make sure you fire up the Newtown Jets theme song before you head to Henson Park to cheer on the boys!  

(Image by Gary Sutherland)

Go green this Sunday

Are aerosol cans recyclable? Not sure?....then the Live Green environmental festival at Victoria Park is the place for you this Sunday.

Now in its second year, Live Green is an initiative of the City of Sydney Council’s Sustainable Sydney 2030 vision.

The one-day event will promote innovative and simple practical actions you can take to reduce your environmental impact.

In addition to produce and lifestyle stalls, the festival will host free seminars and workshops on topics such as “green washing”, green careers, composting and renewable energy.

Live Green Ambassador Kylie Kwong will be joined by fellow celebrity chef Jared Ingersoll, and TV presenter Joanna Savill to cook a range of organic delights and host discussions about ethical eating and sustainable produce.

The Sustainable Sydney 2030 plan aims to transform Sydney’s transport, city centre, parks and urban design to make all of the council’s suburbs more liveable and environmentally sound. Australia's first carbon neutral government, the City of Sydney Council has adopted this ambitious vision to make its “city of villages” more sustainable, vibrant and successful.

As part of the council’s carbon neutral commitment, Live Green will have a zero emissions balance. Live Green’s carbon footprint will be audited and its impact removed through the use of green power and the purchase of carbon credits.

Live Green is an event for the entire family with entertainment, food stalls and a children’s area.

Live Green takes place this Sunday August 17 at Victoria Park in Camperdown, 10am – 4pm.

….And those aerosol cans? YES, they are recyclable!  Aluminium and steel aerosols are sorted, melted down and reprocessed to make new products like cans and appliances.  You can test your recycling know-how at Live Green's website.

Man on a mission

After a seven-year labour of love in his garage Newtown artist Kon Parris is ready to rinse his brushes and deliver his 300 square metre biblical masterpiece to the Newtown Mission chapel this month.

The giant mural depicting scenes from the Bible’s Book of Revelation will be attached to the ceiling of the chapel in a series of twenty square panels. 

Each of the panels of “The Revelation Ceiling” covers a scene from the Book of Revelation and are united by a giant circular rainbow.

Newtown Mission Artistic Events Coordinator Amanda Wharton said the mural was one of the largest ceiling murals in the southern hemisphere and possibly the biggest oil on canvas artwork ever created.

Kon Parris volunteered his time to paint the mural and three years ago gave up fulltime employment to devote himself to the artwork.

Newtown Mission and generous public donations covered the cost for materials, but $15,000 is still needed to complete the installation.

Ms Wharton said the mural would be open for public viewing from September 1 and guided tours could be arranged by appointment.

Newtown Mission is a congregation of the Uniting Church in Australia and offers welfare and fellowship services to the Inner West community. 

The Mission runs a daily Drop-In Centre providing meals and counselling to the homeless and disadvantaged.  Last year the ministry extended to a pro bono legal service staffed once a week by volunteer lawyers from Phillips Fox.

If you would like to financially assist with the installation of the mural then you can make a donation to the Revelation Ceiling project.  The Mission also welcomes volunteers to help with the services provided by the Drop-In Centre. (Image courtesy of Newtown Mission).

New life for the Trocadero

With over a century of colourful history and a fascinating list of tenants, another new era is about to begin for the grand dame of King Street - the Trocadero.

Newtown-based Fuel International has its sights set on making the famous landmark home to its award winning visual effects magic.  The new offices will be leased from Trocadero’s owners, Moore Theological College and refurbished to house 60 staff.

Fuel's Dave Kelly told The Glebe that work was needed to make the heritage-listed Trocadero comfortable for staff, but their intention was to retain as many of the original features as possible.

Built in 1888, the then extravagantly named Trocadero and Academie de Musique was one of the first purpose built indoor rolling skating rinks in Sydney and one of the first buildings to be lit by electricity.

Following its roller skating heyday, the Trocadero underwent a series of different uses including a ballroom, picture palace, vaudeville and music hall, boxing ring and a centre for soldiers’ wives and mothers attached to the University of Sydney.

In 1974 Moore Theological College bought the Trocadero from Probert Motor Body Company who had operated in the Victorian Flemish-style building for over 40 years.

In 2006 a dramatic facelift of the King Street façade reclaimed it as a striking feature of the Newtown streetscape. 

Fuel’s relocation will be the Trocadero’s first occupancy in over a decade.

The Fuel International team is currently under contract to provide visual effects for Baz Luhrmann’s epic film Australia due for theatrical release in November.

History buffs can learn more and see some snapshots of one of the Hub’s most famous “residents” at Sydney Architecture.

Greening the Hub's shoppers

Seventy seven percent of shoppers in Newtown’s King Street indicated they would favour businesses that were actively reducing plastic bag usage, according to a survey by The Watershed Sustainability Resource Centre in Newtown.

The Watershed’s Bagbusters project is a joint initiative of Marrickville and City of Sydney Councils to reduce the number of plastic carry bags used.

Newtown Business Precinct Association spokesperson Adam Hill said Bagbusters was working with local businesses and shoppers, to embrace sustainable changes that would eliminate plastic bags in Newtown.

“The survey revealed each Newtown shopper used about 200 plastic bags annually and many of these bags enter King Street’s stormwater system and end up in Botany Bay and Sydney Harbour,” he said.

Mr Hill said this caused major pollution and local flooding problems in addition to threatening marine life.  “We are encouraging Newtown businesses to consider practical measures when it comes to plastic bags so we can clean up the Newtown environment,” he said.

Local business owner Stephanie Malloy said all local businesses had a responsibility to the community to implement a plastic bag reduction strategy.

Ms Malloy said business owners needed to understand the environmental impact of plastic bags and the positive effects plastic bag reduction would have on their companies.

“Plastic bag free businesses can also save themselves money and as the Bagbusters survey has shown, the decision will hold them in favour with shoppers,” she said.

Bagbusters provides local businesses with free staff training and signage to promote their commitment to a sustainable environment. 

The initiative is one of a range of projects undertaken by The Watershed Sustainability Resource Centre. The centre also provides a shopfront advisory service, a public resource library and free workshops.

Do your bit to help the Hub go green - join the Bagbusters project or sign up for one of The Watershed’s Urban Sustainability Workshops.