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Redfern Advocate The RAB Movement Sources Fresh Produce Supplies through Innovative App

The RAB Movement, a newly-launched Redfern advocacy group, has discovered a more convenient way to source fresh produce supplies to donate to families in need across Sydney during the lockdown.

Founder Lisa Mundine, a Wiradjuri/Bundjalung woman born in Redfern, has been using Bright Sparge’s Share And Share Alike app to ensure the deliveries of food hampers to 300 families every week so they won’t have to worry about their next meal.

Ms Mundine said that the Share And Share Alike app, developed by Charbel Yamouni in 2020 due to the long lockdown in Melbourne, has been a promising tool as it allowed The RAB Movement to provide for more people despite the extended restrictions in NSW.

Her advocacy, which was established in June 2021 or weeks before Sydney entered into a lockdown, relieves families of the pressures of thriving in this challenging period.

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Ms Mundine acknowledges that their work is not the whole solution to the problem of food security but extending support is their small way of keeping vulnerable communities optimistic. In the last two decades, she has also help network Indigenous Australian people and businesses for employment opportunities, projects, or supplies.

On the other hand, Yamouni, who also distributes food supplies and basic items like clothes and toiletries, was motivated to come up with the app to reduce the problems of distributing perishable goods. He said that many establishments are willing to donate or support but do not have the logistics for distribution and collection.

The app partners with both donors and charity groups to take care of the logistics across the country. To date, the initiative has matched over 2,000 donations for 160 charities, providing another solution to curbing food waste.

To learn about the app or support their advocacies, follow Bright Sparge’s updates on Facebook and keep tabs of The RAB Movement’s activities on Instagram.

5 Remarkable Things About Jess Fox, Tokyo Olympics C1 Canoe Slalom Gold Medalist

After years of hard work, Jess Fox, a student in the Elite Athletes program at the University of Sydney in Camperdown, has clinched her first Olympic gold medal for the inaugural C1 canoe slalom category at the Tokyo Olympics.

The powerful paddler has been chasing the gold since her debut at the 2012 London Olympics but her tough grind started back in 2000 when her father moved the family from Marseille in France to Sydney.

Here are five interesting things to know about Jess Fox:

1. Canoeing is in her blood.

Born in Marseilles in 1994, Jess comes from a family of paddlers. Her parents, Richard Fox and Myriam Fox-Jerusalmi, both competed in the Olympics as canoeists. Her dad represented Team Great Britain in 1992 and her mother was in the 1996 Games for Team France, where she won a bronze medal.

Jess’s sister, Noemie, and aunt, Rachel Crosbee, are both slalom canoeists as well and have won medals at the ICF Canoe Slalom World Championships. Rachel was in the 1992 Olympics with Richard.

At 11, Jess didn’t want to become a canoeist but an accident left her with a broken arm. Her doctor advised that paddling will help with her body’s rehabilitation. From there, she was hooked.

To achieve her goal for the gold, Jess trained with her mother in Penrith, where the family is based.

2. Jess Fox has been raking medals in local and international competitions since 2010.

At 16, Jess was named the Junior Canoeist of the Year by the Australian canoeing sports governing body. Two years later, she was the 2012 Australian Canoeing Athlete of the Year and was awarded the AIS Sport Performance Award Female Athlete of the Year in 2018.

Jess nabbed the gold at the ICF Canoe Slalom World Championships C1 class five times — 2013, 2015, 2017, 2018, 2019 — and twice for the K1 class in 2018 and 2019.

She is the first woman in the history of canoeing sports to win at two classes (C1 and K1) in one year at the U23 World Championship in Penrith and at the World Championships in the USA in 2014.

The gutsy athlete also made history as the first woman to win back-to-back Olympic medals for canoeing. Just days before her C1 win in Tokyo, she won bronze at the K-1 Canoe slalom category.

3. She is number one in academics, too!

A graduate of Blaxland High School, Jess was at the top of the PDHPE (Personal Development, Health and Physical Education) curriculum for New South Wales in 2011 and had an ATAR (Australian Tertiary Admissions Rank) score of 99.1. She was the Dux of Blaxland in her senior year.

She took up communications at the University of Sydney. She has also attended Melbourne’s Swinburne Online for her degree in Bachelor of Social Science major in Psychology.

4. The sports star is a dog lover.

Her social media platforms are filled with various dog selfies. Whilst training for the Tokyo Olympics, Jess fostered Pink, a greyhound, who has helped her improve her speed and agility. Pink has also been a calming presence around Jess. The dog clears her mind, which is also an integral part of an athlete’s training.

However, because she has been training and traveling frequently for the competitions pre-COVID, Jess is not yet able to commit to being a pet parent full time. Her goal, however, is to adopt a dog permanently when she retires from competing.

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5. Jess Fox also competed as a chef!

In 2017, she temporarily ditched her paddle for a laddle and competed in Australia’s version of Hell’s Kitchen in 2017, where she nearly perfected a chicken skewer with curry powder and spring onion dish. She finished in 7th place.

Bistro St Jacques in Redfern Brings Back Chic Parisienne Delivery Service

Miss the feeling of sitting down inside a restaurant to share a satisfying culinary experience with your family or friends over a bottle of wine? If you’re tired of the usual takeaway, Bistro St Jacques in Redfern has revived its “Bistro on a Bike” food delivery service during Sydney lockdown.

The French bistro along Pitt Street will bring a French-inspired feast to your home via a provincial Parisienne-inspired bicycle with cute baskets.

For $75, you can enjoy a set three-course meal that includes the entrée, main dish, and dessert, or you can pick á la carte from the restaurant’s lockdown menu.

Photo Credit: Bistro St Jacques/Facebook

Highlights

Bistro St Jacques reactivates its Bistro on a Bike delivery service.
For $75, you can enjoy a three-course French culinary dining experience at your home or choices from their á la carte menu.
Delivery covers areas around the five-kilometre radius.
Orders must be placed 24-hours in advance.

Bistro St Jacques offers some of its highly-recommended staples for delivery, such as the pan-roasted duck breast with swede and potato puree, red cabbage jam and spiced honey red wine, or the popular steak-frites with organic potatoes and a choice of sauce option for Café de Paris butter or Poivrade (pepper).

Choices of cheese and desserts are also available and should be complemented with wine. (See Wine List)

“Most of our wines are made by small handcraft producers who practice organic and or biodynamic growing and range from ‘classical’ to a more ‘natural, low fi’ hand-off approach in the shed.”

Bistro on a Bike also serves daily specials and two types of banquet meals for groups of six people so don’t forget to ask about these offers when you place your orders by calling 0478 705 704.

The restaurant delivers at dinner time every Wednesday through Sunday within the five-kilometre of Redfern. Orders must be placed at least 24 hours a day in advance.

Eileen O’Connor: New Mural Unveiled in Waterloo for Saint-in-Waiting

Have you passed by McEvoy and Elizabeth Streets in Waterloo lately? You may have noticed a striking mural on the wall outside of the Our Lady of Mount Carmel primary school. That’s Eileen O’Connor, Sydney’s very own saint-in-waiting.

Artist Danny Mulyono is behind the artwork to honor Ms O’Connor on the 100th anniversary of her death. The artist was commissioned by Fr Paul Smithers, the parish priest of the Catholic Community of Sydney City South.

The church community is hoping to raise more awareness about Ms O’Connor’s contribution to Sydney following a movement in February 2020 for her canonisation.

“Eileen demonstrated an intentional faith in Jesus and despite her physical disabilities she established Our Lady’s Brown Nurses for the Poor,” Fr Smithers said.

“In our area, we have murals of talented footballers and political satire, I thought there was a room for a mural to raise awareness of a local hero who will potentially be our next Australian Saint. Yes, people certainly notice it and I hope it will become a talking point.”

Photo Credit: Art by Danny Mulyono/Facebook

Reports cited that the Sydney Archdiocesan has been investigating evidence of Ms O’Connor’s “holiness and a life of heroic virtue” in her path to sainthood. If canonised, she will become the second Australian saint after Mary MacKillop.

The saint-in-waiting, born in 1892, developed a spinal disease after a pram accident when she was 3 years old. Despite her perennial nerve pain, Ms O’Connor committed her life to service and kept her Catholic faith strong. She was a devotee of the Blessed Virgin Mary and experienced an apparition when her family moved from Melbourne to Coogee. It has been said that the Blessed Virgin Mary encouraged Ms O’Connor to embrace her physical suffering and do good for others.

Photo Credit: https://eileenoconnor.com.au/eileens-story

Eileen O’Connor was the driving force behind the Our Lady’s Nurses for the Poor. She received support from Fr Edward Gell, Fr Edward McGrath, and other benefactors to build parish schools in Sydney.

Ms O’Connor’s leadership also shaped the Sydney congregation. However, her life was cut short at 28 years old due to tubercular transverse myelitis of the spine in 1921.

Sixteen years after she was buried, a move was made to transfer her remains to the Our Lady’s Home in Coogee from the Randwick Cemetery. Unofficial reports stated that her body “was found to be incorrupt.”

Best Bars to Tap For Boozy Deliveries In and Around Redfern

When going to a bar is not an option during a lockdown, the best thing to do is to tap some of the city’s best boozy deliveries. Fortunately, there are a few establishments in and around Redfern that offer this convenience and they have some great cocktails in bottles as well!

Redfern Surf Club

First on the list is the Redfern Surf Club on Botany Road. This bar was one of the first establishments to launch its innovative cocktail party bags during the pandemic first wave in mid-2020 with flavours like Watermelon Margarita or Life is Peach that come in an easy pour and no mess packaging. Just pop these cocktails in the freezer and it’s ready to drink in a few hours.

Redfern Surf Club also delivers cocktails in bottles, freshly made and ready to pour. Their bestselling products are the Spicy Margarita, Espresso Martini and Negroni. Make sure to order in advance as the supplies run out fast.

Re-

The newly-opened bar and restaurant on Locomotive Street has introduced new flavours on their drink list as Sydney’s lockdown has been extended for another week. Take a pick from these exciting concotions — the Orchard Gimlet (Coconut Oil Gin, Strawberry and Peppermint Gum, Green Apple Whey), the Cherry Ripe Old Fashioned (Plantation 3 Star, Cacao, Cacoa Butter, Raspberry, Peach Stone) and 50 Shades of Gruyere (Mushroom Cognac, Four Pillars Bloody Shiraz, Gruyere, Sweet Vermouth).

Re- is also widening their delivery coverage within the nine kilometres around South Eveleigh and could even ship interstate for online orders. If you don’t need a drink but you need a gift idea, they’ve got heaps of cocktails and wine for drink lovers with discerning taste buds.

PS40

About 3.5 kilometres away from Redfern is PS40, known for elevating the way Sydneysiders enjoy their booze. For this “snap lockdown,” PS40 is offering a special edition “snap pack box” that contains three 250ml bottles to make your boozy deliveries easier — just click to order!

The snap pack box has:

Zeneca Zombie (Coconut infused glenfiddich, rums, grapefruit, lime, rhubarb, grenadine, spices, whey)
The Full Bergamonty (Reyka vodka, allspice, fresh bergamot rind, mandarin, coriander seed, agave, whey)
Glady’s Gimlet (Hendrick’s gin, lime, lime oils & freshly grated makrut lime zest)

Continental Deli & Bistro

Though more of a deli and bistro than a bar, this shop in Newtown, which is about an 11-minute car ride through Abercrombie Street in Redfern, has a Sydney drink-lover must-have: the Continental Deli martinis in tin can and the Cosmopoli-Tin (vodka, cranberry, sherry, orange liqueur and water). They’ve had these cocktails to-go even before lockdowns became the new normal.

Meanwhile, Sydney’s stay-at-home orders will remain until 16 July as the city tops 350 cases since the first Delta variant infection was detected in early June. Health officials say they are expecting the numbers to rise so there’s nothing better to do than to chill, relax and enjoy your drinks moderately at home.

Redfern Student Accommodation Providers Seeking Building Use Change for Non-Students

To establish an alternative income stream, student accommodation providers in Redfern and other parts of Australia are temporarily seeking to change the use of their buildings into temporary hotel accommodations and rentals for non-students.

Scape Australia, the country’s largest student accommodation provider with upcoming purpose-built student accommodations (PBSA) in Redfern, and Iglu, which also runs a number of student dormitories in the borough, has sought permission from the City of Sydney to allow the changes amidst the uncertainties of the pandemic lockdowns.

Scape chief Anouk Darling said that their existing student homes are at 10 to 20 percent occupancy only whilst many of their new and completed state-of-the-art buildings have not yet opened due to the lack of international students.

Iglu’s Richard Smith said that they want temporary relief from the ongoing COVID situation and would like to turn their student buildings into accommodations for teachers and school support staff as well. The student accommodation provider has a new 18-storey building on Redfern’s Regent Street with 500 beds.

Prior to COVID-19, the purpose-built student accommodation industry has been booming with over 109,000 beds across Australia whilst 30,000 more are in development for the next few years. Scape has five new buildings around the country slated to open this year, which would lose millions in revenue if the borders remain closed.

As of January 2021, 60,394 student visa holders in NSW have not returned for in-person classes, per the figures from the Federal Department of Education, Skills and Employment However, Minister Alan Tudge said they will launch phased pilots to bring back the students in small numbers.

NSW Treasurer Dominic Perrottet said that the NSW Government has given the green light for 250 international students to fly into Sydney every two weeks beginning July 2021. The students will undergo mandatory quarantine at a purpose-built student accommodation, whether they are vaccinated or unvaccinated. The proposal has been submitted to the Federal Government for their review.

The Norfolk House and Hotel to Reopen in Redfern After Renovations

The Norfolk House and Hotel is reopening in Redfern, after a series of renovations worth $2 million, which include the addition of a recording room and a beer bar.

From the minds of revolutionary hospitality and accommodations group the people_ comes the new and improved Norfolk House and Hotel, complete with its own specially-made beer bar run by local operators in the hospitality industry. Here, customers can indulge themselves and support the local scene as their venues are not run by the people_, but rather by their specialist partners.

the people_ was founded by Andrew Taylor, who also founded specialist hotel advisory and development company Cre8tive Property, and Paul Schulte, the creative director of The Keystone Group. The group aims to create suburban venues that cater to local communities by tailoring products and experiences to what appeals to them most.

In the case of the revamped Norfolk Hotel, the redesigns brought on by the people_ aims to make the hotel stay true to its roots while simultaneously adapting the venue to keep up with the times and reflect the changing character of the suburb.

The hotel also features a special recording room for podcasters, TikTokers and Youtubers, providing content creators the opportunity to record material for their channels with fast internet and audio-visual facilities for them to use.

The Norfolk House and Hotel is scheduled to reopen in early July 2021, and the hotel can be found at 305 Cleveland St, Redfern. For more information, visit their website here. Follow their social media pages on Facebook and Instagram for the latest updates and announcements concerning the hotel.

Waterloo Metro Rail Platform Taking Shape After 7 Months of Work

The Waterloo Metro Rail platform, the first platform in the Sydney Metro City and Southwest projects, is now taking shape after seven months of construction, thanks to the efforts of more than 800 workers.

Minister for Transport and Roads Andrew Constance said that the City and Southwest projects, including the 170-metre-long Waterloo Metro Rail platform, have been creating thousands of jobs and will continue to bring in more workers until its target completion date in 2024.

“More than 5,000 people are currently working on the City and Southwest project and by the time it opens, more than 50,000 will have worked on it,” Mr Constance said.

“When Sydney Metro services start through Waterloo, it will take customers just two minutes to get to Central, six minutes to Martin Place and eight minutes to Barangaroo.”

Waterloo Metro Rail Platform — Photo Credit: NSW Department of Planning, Industry and Environment

Construction at the platform entailed the pouring of 1,100 tonnes of concrete in the specially designed moulds to assemble the platform, as well as precasting and stablising the concrete sections that weigh seven tons each. A 45-metre-tall tower crane was also used to lift the segments into the surface.

This platform is found underground at the corners of Raglan and Cope Streets and by the station bounded by Botany Road, Cope Street, Raglan Street and Wellington Street. This project will also include the following additions to create the Waterloo Metro Quarter:

New pedestrian crossings on Raglan, Wellington and Cope streets
New bike parking within the precinct
New taxi and kiss and ride bays on Cope Street
Existing bus stops retained northbound along Botany Road
Relocation of the bus stop southbound on Botany Road closer to Raglan Street
Relocation of the bus stops on Cope and Wellington streets to Raglan Street
Enhancement of pedestrian infrastructure around the Waterloo Metro Quarter including footpath widenings and through-site links

Redfern Student Tower in The Block Could Become First Student Quarantine Hub

A 600-bed student accommodation located in The Block in Redfern could become the first student quarantine hub in New South Wales upon the return of the international students.

Construction of the $100-million development, which will be one of three Scape student housing facilities in Sydney, is almost complete and could be ready in time for the launch of the government’s pilot program for student quarantine hubs.

Scape co-founder Craig Carracher confirmed that the student tower was re-engineered to be featured with contactless access points and a better airflow system that will limit the spread of the virus. It comes as International Education Association Australia CEO Phil Honeywood also said that similar student accommodation companies have been looking into developing and improving their facilities to comply with the policies and regulations of the NSW Health on student housing.

However, a spokesperson from the NSW Treasury said that the Scape development has only been shortlisted and a decision on the quarantine hub has yet to been made. Another student accommodation provided by Iglu, also found in Redfern, is up for consideration as well.

The spokesperson acknowledged the need to prepare quarantine-ready facilities for returning international students as they make up one of the “largest and important export sectors” of NSW, supporting local jobs and boosting the economy for over $14 billion a year.

South Australia was the first to propose a student quarantine hub and will meet with the officials of the federal government in the coming weeks to carefully carry out their plans. NSW, on the other hand, has not yet submitted any proposal to the federal government.

Meanwhile, the Scape development is not without its controversies as it will stand on an iconic site. Some Redfern locals worry about the potential impact of a quarantine facility next to the vulnerable Indigenous residents, who could be forced out of The Block due to the threats to their health and wellbeing.

Famous Redfern Street Cat, Tiger, Last Seen ‘Kickin and Living’

Meet Tiger. University residents and locals have doubtless had some unforgettable encounters with this popular Redfern native, an “old gangster” cat that’s a familiar sight on Abercrombie Street.

This ginger tabby cat is quite the legendary and well-loved character for despite his grumpy face, Tiger loves to solicit pats and touches from the humans walking in this busy Redfern section.

Stories have it that Tiger moved from the sleepy outskirts of Bundeena about 19 years ago to the stay in the lively inner west. Because he’s very adaptable, he had no trouble fitting in and growing attached to the locals.

For years, Redfern locals shared their encounters with Tiger, which has been documented on his dedicated Instagram @tiger_abercrombie_streetcat.

But sometime before the pandemic, a worrying post alarmed the community.

“I’m sorry to report that Tiger may be on his last legs,” the message said. “He’s at the vet now because he has been bleeding from the mouth. He’s a very old cat, around 17 years, and it might be his time. He’s coming back to Abercrombie this afternoon and will most probably spend the night at Huda’s place. If you do see him on the street, make sure to get one final pat on this lovely old fellow.”

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A post shared by Tiger (@tiger_abercrombie_streetcat)

Two months later, however, another message was shared on the Instagram account, saying that Tiger has recovered from his illness and he’s back at his favorite spot on Abercrombie.

When the pandemic struck, his social media site went dark for a year, leading Tiger fans to conclude that the furry local’s nine lives might be up.

However, sometime in April 2021, a message on Instagram gave Tiger’s adoptive community some hope. It explained why the social media account has been quiet. Apparently, the person who managed it lost access and the password to the account. Tiger, however, is still “kicking and living.”

The Redfern community is waiting for more updates.

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But Tiger is not the only Abercrombie celebri-kitty. The Eveleigh Hotel is the turf of Ambercrombie Charlie, a classic tabby with blotched black and white streaks on its fur who is about 13 years old.

Though not quite a street cat since he lives with owner Lou Shackleton, Ambercrombie Charlie gets regular visitors, especially after he made it to the local news quite a number of times.

Students at the University of Sydney, who major in the study of animals, are very familiar with this cat. In 2017, his photo was part of the campaign to vote for marriage equality in NSW.

In 2019, he caused serious worries for the community for his reported disappearance. Even the police got involved in his search.

Following investigations, an Uber rider thought that Charlie was a missing cat as he has found him on the street without his collar. It was an honest mistake.

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