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New Italian Restaurant From the ‘Don Peppino’ Team Opens at Redfern

The team behind Don Peppino has found their “sweet spot” at the former home of Ron’s Upstairs on Redfern Street. True enough, this new restaurant on Redfern Street is the perfect place to “de-stress” with their Italian-inspired fare.

After closing down their pop-up restaurant Don Peppino, Daniel Johnston, Ivey Wawn and Harry Levy decided to open a permanent venue. Club Fontana is their latest venture taking residence at the former Ron’s where the crew will serve a slew of seasonal produce-driven regional dishes.

Choosing the Redfern location is something that did not just happen on a whim. The team, in fact, had always had the place on top of his mind since discovering it years ago. And so when the opportunity came, they didn’t have second thoughts about taking over the space.

Oko Olo took care of the venue’s interiors with the space also utilising some upcycled chairs from Arthur and tables courtesy of Vini. The walls, ceiling and staircase are made more appealing thanks to the artwork of Claudia Wawn.

Insalata di mare | Photo Credit: Club Fontana / Instagram

Food-wise, options include sardine meatballs, housemade focaccia, fried artichokes, ‘Nudja croquettes and balsamic bread rolls. Then enjoy their pasta selection including their signature Ceci e tria, which was a crowd favourite at Don Peppino, paccheri and fettuccine verde.

Cotoletta Milanese | Photo Credit: Club Fontana / Instagram

The mains include lamb and fish along with radicchio salad, insalata di mare and broccoli gratin. There is a small specially curated wine list where you can choose the perfect sip to cap off that perfect meal.

Here is some of what they have to say about their Club Fonta experience:

“Love this place! We visited on their second night and it was already pumping. Service was fun and personable, food was amazing and the wines were great. Definitely recommend this new gem.” – N. Redfrern

“The best meal I’ve had in ages! Fontana transports you to a tiny Italian trattoria in atmosphere and flavours. The fried artichoke was out of this world delicious. As was the house made focaccia and daily house made ricotta. We’ll be back!” – F. Robinson

I lived the retro vibe to the restaurant. The unmarked entrance, staircase and the music was great. Food was amazing and the staff were very knowledgeable Hats off to the team!!” F. Bernard

Club Fontana is located at 133A Redfern Street, Redfern. Check their website here for their hours of operation and to make reservations.

These Popular Fritters Are Now In Redfern

From their humble beginnings selling takeaway fritters in a tiny space in the CBD, Flyover Fritterie has opened a flagship store in Redfern, delighting fans of their signature pakoras also known as fritters.

Read: Lightning Strikes Twice For Redfern Family

This Indian restaurant is a haven for healthy eaters, with lots of vegan and vegetarian options on the menu. Think toastie with spiced tofu, aloo tikki burger, and dosa potato jaffle (toastie with bomb peanut chutney, dosa potatoes, coconut crunch, and cashews.

Photo credit: Flyover Fritterie/Facebook

Here, pakoras or snacky fritters are made with seasonal vegetables in chickpea flour batter and served with fresh tamarind and mint chutneys.

Even the desserts are guilt-free, with choices such as rice pudding with saffron and cardamom, and warm carrot halwa (tart) with house-made khoya (dried milk solids commonly used in Indian desserts).

There are bowls to fill your soul, such as the buttery black dal khichri, a rice recipe served with extra creamy urad lentil, kidney beans and topped with crunchy cauliflower pickles, fritters and fenugreek butter.

If you’re wondering where their name came from, it’s an ode to the no-name food stands under the overpasses or flyovers of bustling Indian cities.

“Each cart sold only one kind of street food that they made best. Conversations with friends were so often about which flyover had the best food and just how delicious the food was,” the owners of the restaurant said.

“Memories were made over repeat visits and bonds were formed with people whose names we still don’t know! We set out to recreate that magic here in the heart of Redfern,” they shared.

Flyover Fritterie Redfern is open for lunch and dinner, from Tuesday to Sunday.

Developer Buys Erskineville Site for $315 Million, Aims to Deliver Over 1,000 Apartments

A massive 50,000-sqm Erskineville site has sold for $315 million and will be turned into a major inner-city development, delivering over 1,000 apartments alongside 5,000 square metres of retail space.

Coronation Property secured 56 Ashmore Street and 165-175 Mitchell Road in Erskineville, where a build-to-sell and build-to-rent housing complex will be built in the future. The site will also have a mixed-use development comprising specialty boutique stores, supermarkets, cafes and restaurants, green spaces, and pedestrian pathways.

The properties, located four kilometres from Sydney CBD, is currently an industrial site but it will become part of the future stages of the masterplanned Park Sydney project with Greenland Golden Horse, transforming precincts in Alexandria, Waterloo and Sydney Park. The location is also 650 metres away from Erskineville Station, roughly a 12-minute journey from the CBD.

Coronation Property Managing Director Joseph Nahas said they will focus on providing quality design and premium amenities for this development to “elevate the living experience” of future residents.

Nahas added that they are looking forward to becoming the “neighbourhood connecter” in the urban renewal of Erskineville.

The company’s growing portfolio consists of major mixed-use projects in Sydney, including Ashbury Terraces in Ashbury, Charlie Parker in Harris Park, and Mason & Main in Merrylands. Coronation Property has also recently acquired a mixed-use residential site in Chatswood.

Its purchase of the Erskineville location is part of its goal to secure established high-performing markets.

Plans To Redevelop Redfern’s Paint Shop Precinct Revealed

Photo Credit: NSW Government / caportal.com.au/tfnsw/redfern-north-eveleigh/virtual

The Redfern North Eveleigh Precinct is set to be transformed into a vibrant mixed-use space including some 450 new homes to be built across 16 new and refurbished buildings of up to 28 storeys high at the 6,000sqm Paint Shop precinct.

The Paint Shop, named after the 135-year-old red brick workshop where trains were used to be overhauled up until 1988, is one of the three sub-precincts of Redfern North Eveleigh Precinct (the Clothing Store and the Carriageworks being the other two sub-precincts).

More than a century of being off-limits to the general public, the 10ha Redfern-North Eveleigh will see its disused rail yard turned into a mixed-use precinct. Under the proposal, the site’s heritage buildings including the 6,000sqm former workshop will undergo restoration and adaptive reuse providing diverse housing and commercial spaces across buildings ranging from three to 28 storeys in height along with a new 14,000sqm public space.

There will be about 30 per cent diverse housing planned for the site, of which half will be made available as affordable housing. Whilst the planned public space will include a new public square fronting Wilson Street and another near Carriageworks and the Paint Shop, and a public parkland near Chief Mechanical Engineer’s building.

Illustrative concept of a view from Wilson Street into Precinct / Photo Credit: NSW Government / caportal.com.au/tfnsw/redfern-north-eveleigh/virtual

“Just as we’ve seen at Carriageworks, this plan will celebrate Redfern’s deep indigenous connection and industrial past while creating a new precinct that accommodates people to live and work in the inner city,” Minister for Cities Rob Stokes said.

Illustrative concept of the retail arcade leading into new open space at the Paint Shop — *Illustrative concept of* the retail arcade leading into new open space | Photo Credit: NSW Government / caportal.com.au/tfnsw/redfern-north-eveleigh/virtual

“We’ve set a historic target of 30 per cent diverse housing, half of which must be social and affordable housing, which is triple the Greater Cities Commission’s baseline target.

“The Paint Shop building provides an incredible canvas to re-imagine Redfern-North Eveleigh into a thriving place in the heart of the inner city.”

Illustrative concept of the new open space fronting Wilson Street at the Paint Shop — *Illustrative concept of the new open space fronting Wilson Street | Photo Credit: NSW Government / caportal.com.au/tfnsw/redfern-north-eveleigh/virtual*

The Paint Shop sub-precinct is envisioned to be a gateway to Sydney’s Tech Central precinct which stretches from Central Station to Haymarket. The project will support more than 8,000 jobs during its construction and more than 16,000 direct and indirect jobs once completed and activated.

Illustrative concept of the new events and open space at the Paint Shop — *Illustrative concept of the* new events and open space | Photo Credit: NSW Government / caportal.com.au/tfnsw/redfern-north-eveleigh/virtual

“The revitalisation of the area around Redfern Station will be complemented by the upcoming plans to redevelop the area around Central Station, bookending Tech Central with two world-class precincts and transport hubs,” Mr Stokes added.

“There will be dedicated spaces for startup businesses and better active transport connections between Redfern Station, North Eveleigh and to the bike network.

The State Government will work with the site owner, Transport Asset Holding Entity (TAHE), to deliver the project. The rezoning proposal is now on exhibition for public comment until 25 August 2022.

To view the reports and master plan and make a submission, visit the Virtual Engagement Room.

The Evolution of Fitzroy Terrace on Pitt St, Redfern

Fitzroy Terrace is a colonial Georgian terrace with seven two-storey homes that stand on a lot owned by Dr. William Redfern. These iconic buildings on Pitt St are culturally and socially significant to the evolution of this Sydney suburb.

Before the good doctor bought the property, this area was once known as Roberts Farm, after Williams Roberts, who was granted the land in the 1790s by Lieutenant Governor Francis Grose after Mr Roberts’ sentence expired.

Mr Roberts was tasked to cultivate and improve the land. By 1800, Roberts Farm was sold at least four more times to different owners, including Dr Redfern.

Who was Dr William Redfern?

Dr Redfern was a British-born surgeon who was transported as a convict to Australia in 1801 for his involvement in the Mutiny of the Nore in the Royal Navy. He was originally sentenced to death but was granted mercy due to his profession.

After spending years in a British prison, the doctor requested transportation to New South Wales, where he was tasked to help with the establishment of a new colony and given a conditional pardon.

Dr Redfern served as the assistant surgeon on Norfolk Island until 1808. Following his full pardon, he moved to Sydney and was appointed the assistant surgeon of a new Sydney Hospital.

Dr William Redfern — Photo Credit: City of Sydney

In 1811, he married Sarah Spencer Wills, proceeded with his private practice and then co-founded the Bank of New South Wales. Although he was regarded as an emancipist, Dr Redfern established the largest private practice in Sydney and became the first person to gain an Australian medical qualification and the first teacher of Australian medical students.

Upon the arrival of Governor Lachlan Macquarie, Dr Redfern’s status further amplified as a premier medical worker for his work with emancipated convicts. The governor wanted their rehabilitation and chose four distinguished men for this task, including Dr Redfern.

The doctor’s report on the sanitary problems of the ships that transported convicts to New South Wales ushered in major reforms. He resigned from government work in 1819 when he was not appointed to succeed D’Arcy Wentworth as the new principal surgeon.

After receiving a grant from Gov Macquarie, Dr Redfern, who already owned 70 acres of land, consolidated his property with the 30 acres owned by his wife’s family. Today, these properties are believed to be bordered by Cleveland, Regent, Redfern, and Elizabeth Streets.

Photo Credit: National Library of Australia

Why was it called Fitzroy Terrace?

Dr Redfern’s properties were subdivided in the 1840s, two decades after his death. Mr John Alexander developed Lots 10 and 12 to what is now known as Fitzroy Terrace, with 6 to 18 Pitt St as its present-day address.

The property was believed to be named after Gov Charles Augustus Fitzroy, who arrived in Sydney just after the terrace finished construction.

Fitzroy Terrace was designed by Mr James Hume, a famous Sydney architect credited for the St. Andrew’s Cathedral and the Great Synagogue. The terrace was built to address the growing need to produce housing for the burgeoning suburb of Redfern.

Fitzroy Terrace Plan — Photo Credit: Heritage Listing NSW Department of Environment

The very first occupants of Fitzroy Terrace were middle-class professionals who worked as barristers, accountants, clerks, or civil engineers. Fitzroy Terrace has a beautiful front garden with old frangipani and elm trees that were added by its new owners.

The houses are characterized by their gable roof and attic, their verandah with corrugated iron or terracotta tile, and semi-circular fanlights over French doors. The houses were set back from Pitt St, with cast iron picket fences and stone retaining walls.

Over the years, Fitzroy Terrace has had alterations and experienced degradation due to its separate ownerships. The front of the terrace remains well-preserved, whilst the rear side has had several additions and extensions that have impacted the appearance and order of the properties.

Some of the buildings on Fitzroy Terrace, particularly 16 and 18 were completely restored and enhanced by its owners in the early 2000s whilst some of the elm trees were uprooted due to poor health.

Fitzroy Terrace was entered into the NSW Heritage Listing in April 1999.

National Centre of Indigenous Excellence in Redfern Handed Over to NSWALC

Did you know that ownership of the National Centre of Indigenous Excellence economic hub on George St, has now been handed over to the NSW Aboriginal Land Council?

NSWALC Chairman Danny Chapman welcomed the development of the transfer after ironing out the acquisition’s many “complex layers.” With the arrangement finalised, following discussions with the Indigenous Land and Sea Corporation (ILSC), Chapman said they could look forward to working with the community.

Mr Chapman added that the site is “synonymous with the uplift of our people.” With NSWALC’s ownership, the full potential of National Centre of Indigenous Excellence will be fully achieved.

The Redfern property was once the former Redfern Public School but was bought in 2010 by the ILSC for the Federal Government. ILSC Group chief executive Joe Morrison said the handover aligned with its thrust to return assets entitled to the First Nations people.

The ILSC is shifting its objectives and plans to provide more support and means to allow Indigenous Australians to manage their own assets.

The decision comes after ILSC’s controversy in 2021 when several of its board directors and executives resigned amidst the negotiations of the National Centre of Indigenous Excellence turnover.

The NCIE is regarded as the “beating heart of urban Aboriginal Australia,” according to a former executive. Its heritage-listed buildings as office spaces, accommodation, conference rooms, a purpose-built gym and aquatics centre, and a sports field.

Lightning Strikes Twice For Redfern Family

Luck must run in the family of this Redfern man who recently gained an unexpected $100,000 windfall, two decades after another family member received a similarly unexpected blessing!

Twenty years ago, the Redfern man watched with joy as another family member also gained a surprise windfall. He said it’s been mind-blowing to think that it has happened in their family again.

“I’m lost for words!” the winner said. “I had to check my ticket five times before I accepted the fact that I’d won $100,000.”

The Redfern man played the Lucky Lotteries Super Jackpot and his numbers were drawn on Friday 8 July 2022. He bought his winning entry from the Redfern Newsagency at 130 Redfern St.

The staff at Redfern Newsagency has been over the moon after learning that their outlet sold a major prize-winning ticket. They wished the winner all the best for the future.

That future will likely involve a home renovation, as the winner said he has thought of where the money should go. He’s been saving for the upgrade for some time but now he has the extra funds to finally get his renovation plans off the ground.

He’s also planning to take his family on a holiday in Italy.

“I love playing, but this time I went away from my usual strategy,” he said.

“If I hadn’t done that, who knows, you might be calling someone else with this incredible news.

“Thank you so much! This just goes to show anyone can win.”

Per The Lott, the current Mega Jackpot prize is now at $12.05 million and the Super Mega Jackpot prize is at $17.96 million.

Some 127 first prize winners have won since 2021 across Australia. Winners draw numbers unique to them so there is no chance of sharing prizes.

New Facility For Space Industry Start-ups Opens In Waterloo

Waterloo is now home to the Wolfpack Space Hub, a new facility which will provide incubation, training, and support for space industry start-ups.

Read: Inside Waterloo’s ‘Mastery,’ Australia’s First Japanese-themed Residential Community

The specialist hub at Wellington Street is for those building space tech manufacturing companies in the space industry focused on incubation, training, and support.

Created by space services provider Saber Aeronautics in collaboration with start-up developer TCG Group, the facility has a manufacturing laboratory for space startups to rapidly prototype and experiment with flight hardware products, allowing them to quickly and safely iterate new designs for spacecraft, robotics, and satellite components, according to an announcement.

According to Saber Astronautics, Australia has been a breeding ground for new startups since 2016. Since then, the country has been producing around 30 new ventures every year, often outpacing nations overseas.

Saber Astronautics CEO Dr Jason Held said Australia used to import $4 billion each year on overseas space tech.

Wolfgang Space Hub’s official opening in June 2022 (Photo credit: saberastro.com)

“Now with such strong local growth the nation saw a tremendous opportunity to build locally. This was a major contributing factor in the birth of the nation’s Space Agency,” Dr Held said.

The company’s mission is the democratisation of space, reducing barriers to space flight, and making space as easy as driving a car.

“We wanted an incubator that was by space companies for space companies, and that means a higher risk profile and familiarity with how people buy and sell in space,” explains Dr Held.

“Being a space startup in a sea of fintech and web can be a lonely experience, and having mentors that value the space industry is vital. The good news is, if we can show success, traditional investors will take notice, and there is plenty of validation to help them along the way.”

The new facility in Waterloo was made possible through commercial investors in 2021 and a $500,000 incubators grant from Entrepreneurs Australia.

At present, startup companies in the first Wolfpack Space Hub cohort include Spiral Blue, Sperospace, and Dandelion.

Inside Waterloo’s ‘Mastery,’ Australia’s First Japanese-themed Residential Community

From a former industrial precinct, Waterloo will soon transform into a vibrant culinary and cultural destination through new developments, including a highly anticipated $500 million precinct, which is set to become Australia’s first Japanese-themed residential community.

Read: Proposal To Privatise Public Housing At Waterloo South Draws Ire Of Locals

Dubbed as ‘Mastery’ by the Crown Group, the project incorporates 368 luxury apartments and penthouses across five buildings, ranging from six to 20 storeys.

modern apartments — Photo credit: masterybycrowngroup.com.au

With an emphasis on modern and sophisticated urban lifestyle, the new luxury community includes a cantilevered infinity-edge rooftop pool, gym and community room.

Each of the buildings boast generous green spaces, and are bound by a highly considered offering of restaurants, retailers and refined amenities.

One of its unique features is the ‘vertical urban forest’ designed by renowned Japanese architect Kengo Kuma, who’s also the brains behind the designs of the 2020 Olympic Stadium Tokyo and the V&A museum in Dundee, Scotland.

japanese themed — Photo credit: masterybycrowngroup.com.au

Kuma said the plant-filled, green exterior is designed to emulate a stacked forest. He added the element to give a warm and a natural atmosphere to the community.

Aside from Kuma, Koichi Takada Architects and Sydney-based Silvester Fuller also helped in conceptualising plans for the Waterloo precinct.

mastery tower — Photo credit: masterybycrowngroup.com.au

Crown Group is looking forward to turn O’Dea Avenue in Waterloo as Sydney’s first Japanese eat street by offering an authentic dining experience, inspired by the sprawling streets of Tokyo’s Shibuya and Shinjuku special wards, replete with bustling Izakaya, sushi trains and ramen restaurants, to the more formal and reverential tea house that serve Cha-kaiseki.

“At Crown Group, we do not just sell a luxury residence, but the opportunity to enjoy an appealing lifestyle, with luxurious apartments, vibrant dining and shopping experiences, at your doorstep,” Prisca Edwards, project director for Mastery.

The developers revealed they have a wide range of buyers who are looking to secure an affordable home but not miss out on the luxury and convenience of residing in a well-serviced community.

“From what we’ve seen of Mastery by Crown Group, we have reason to believe that this trend will continue over the next few years and buying into off-the-plan as a wise and viable option for first-home-buyers, upsizers, downsizers and investors alike,” says Ms Edwards.

Construction for Mastery is anticipated to be complete by 2022.

Proposal To Privatise Public Housing At Waterloo South Draws Ire Of Locals

Over two thousand locals in Sydney’s inner-city have signed a petition against plans to privatise huge areas of public housing land for Waterloo South Estate’s redevelopment.

Read: Your Next Spicy-Hot Chicken Adventure Should Be at Super Nash Brothers in Waterloo

Leading the campaign, Action For Public Housing managed to submit over 2,700 objections to the privatisation of Waterloo South during the statutory public exhibition for the project in April 2022.

“This development would evict hundreds of public housing tenants from their homes for little to no public benefit – fewer than 100 hundred additional social housing units in a state with more than 50,000 households on the waiting list,” Action For Public Housing stated.

Based on NSW Land and Housing Corporation’s plans, the redevelopment would entail the privatisation of around 70 percent of public housing at Waterloo South Estate, with an aim to “help deliver new social housing, affordable housing, and private homes with access to improved community facilities, shops and transport.”

According to Action for Public Housing, the 847 social housing units proposed for Waterloo South is far too low for a site of this size and development of this scale.

“This is an addition of only 98 social homes, while there are more than 1000 households on the waiting list for public housing in the inner city allocation zone,”

“These are the people who need public housing right now; by the time the development is complete, there will be many more. Any development of public land should prioritise public housing.”

The group believes the NSW Government and Commonwealth Government should instead fund the construction and acquisition of new public housing and the proper repair, maintenance and refurbishment of existing public housing.

The proposed redevelopment of Waterloo Estate has been around since 2015, with earlier plans stating that only 30 percent of new housing would be social housing, which is 57 fewer than promised.

Residents who signed the petition agreed it was a “cunning attempt to sneak in an extra several hundred units for private sale and is a further betrayal of the promised 30 percent social housing.”

With regard to the issue, Lord Mayor Clover Moore said during a Council meeting that they will write to Minister for Planning and Homes Anthony John Roberts reaffirming the City’s call for significant increases in social and affordable housing in Waterloo, and for the state government to establish clear targets for social and affordable housing in the City.