Editor's Note
Welcome to the first-ever edition of The Hardt. The name's a bit of a joke but a real promise: this is meant to be the heart of Leichhardt in your inbox. And doesn’t this place have heart, from Norton St and the Oval, the pool, the light rail and the traffic gripes, the shopfronts we cheer for and the ones we quietly mourn. The real people behind the great suburb. In short: the best of our community news, in one email, once a week.
If you have any tips or news, people to interview, just send them my way. Just hit reply.
This Week in Leichhardt
Wran's plaza proposed for Balmain
Speaking of names: Council has put forward plans for a new public plaza in the heart of Balmain, named in honour of late premier Neville Wran. Wran's name carries particular weight around here. It was his 1988 gift of land to the Italian community that gave Leichhardt the Italian Forum - a legacy locals still argue about three decades on. If you want a say on this one, the consultation page is up on council's Your Say site. (Source: Inner West Council FB Page, Inner West Council Instagram)
Polystyrene now accepted at the Leichhardt recycling centre
A new trial means you can now drop polystyrene off for free at the Leichhardt Community Recycling Centre on Whites Creek Lane, or book a doorstep collection through the HomeCycle service. The trial is a partnership with the EPA to keep the stuff out of kerbside bins and landfill. Council estimates the local government area sends between 22 and 66 tonnes of it to waste each year. The collected material gets extruded into hard plastic products reused in construction. Details and accepted items are on the council website. (Source: Inner West Council FB Page)
The old 370 gets a run in parliament
Balmain MP Kobi Shetty has raised bringing back the old Route 370 through Leichhardt in state parliament, bundled with calls to restore the 445 bus to Balmain East Wharf and add off-peak Balmain West Ferry runs. Her motion asks the government to honour its election promises on the buses. Shetty says $100,000 has been set aside in the state budget to improve bus connections, but there's no timeline yet. (Source: Kobi Shetty FB Page)
Before it was Leichhardt, it was Piperston
Not news, but a bit of history (that was news to me). Captain Piper and Ensign Hugh Piper received the area's original land grants in 1811, and the district was known as Piperston. In the 1840s, landholder Walter Beames renamed it after Prussian explorer Ludwig Leichhardt, who'd walked 4,800 km to the Top End and would vanish trying to cross the continent in 1848. The Pipers lost the suburb but kept a street. Next time you’re on Piper St, you can walk with an extra jig in your step.
Council Watch
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Real Estate
JUST SOLD
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What's On
ALL WEEKEND
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AnnandaleCulture Return to the Orchard: Merrick Fry – Hunter Baillie Memorial Church. View an exhibition of landscape paintings and drawings by Merrick Fry. 11:00am–6:00pm. Free entry. |
FRIDAY 17 JUL
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RozelleCulture The Complete Works of Jane Austen - Abridged – Genesian Theatre. A fast-paced stage adaptation of Jane Austen’s novels performed by three actors, ideal for literature and theatre fans. 7:30 pm–10 pm. Tickets from $33. |
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CamperdownMusic Song and His Friends: Inaugural Concert – Church Street Studios. Enjoy a flute and piano recital launching the new Song and His Friends concert series. 19:00. |
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LeichhardtMusic Leaf Dog & BVA (UK) – Crowbar. See UK hip-hop duo Leaf Dog & BVA perform live at Crowbar with support from Jay Orient. 8:00pm. |
SATURDAY 18 JUL
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Summer HillCommunity Crop Swap: Plants, Seeds & Produce Bring home new plants, seeds or produce by swapping with other gardening enthusiasts at the community crop swap. 12:30pm–3:00pm. Free entry. |
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LeichhardtMusic Live from the Gin Garden Bar — Robert Susz – Gin Garden Bar, Leichhardt Bowling & Recreation Club. Enjoy soulful live blues music by Robert Susz at Gin Garden Bar from 3–5pm. 3–5pm–17:00. |
SUNDAY 19 JUL
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LeichhardtKids Family Tales at Leichhardt Library – Leichhardt Library. A family story time at Leichhardt Library for children and carers. 10:30am–11:00am. Free entry. |
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StanmoreMusic Lozz Benson – Salisbury Hotel. Lozz Benson plays live at Salisbury Hotel, a free-entry gig if you’re after local live music. 3:00pm. Free entry. |
MONDAY 20 JUL
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CamperdownMusic Monday Night Confessions – Church Street Studios. Listen to original jazz and improvised music performed in an intimate setting every Monday night. 20:00. |
WEDNESDAY 22 JUL
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CamperdownMusic Sounds Good Choir – 84/86 Cardigan St. Sounds Good Choir is a live choir performance you can attend with tickets via Humanitix. 6 pm–8 pm. Tickets $25. |
SATURDAY 25 JUL
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LeichhardtKids Peter and the Wolf Family Cushion Concert – Leichhardt Town Hall. Enjoy a family-friendly orchestral performance of Prokofiev’s Peter and the Wolf, suitable for children and adults. 9:30 am–2:30 pm. Tickets from $20. |
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MarrickvilleWorkshop Snip & Snap: Stop Motion With Paper Art Workshop! – Monster Mouse Studios. Join a hands-on workshop to make paper characters and shoot a stop-motion video with your phone. 2 pm–4:30 pm. Tickets $25. |
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CamperdownMusic Trio of Misfortune – The Lady Hampshire. Enjoy a free single launch by Trio of Misfortune, with Ted Digby, featuring a track about the legacy of Midnight Oil. 8:00pm. Free. |
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SydneyCulture AN EVENING WITH BOXING ROYALTY ft. Terence Crawford, Shawn Porter & Paulie Malig – Manning Bar. Watch boxing champions Terence Crawford and Shawn Porter and Paulie Malig speak at an evening event. |
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PetershamMusic HUGO – Gifts of Mercy Emporium. Catch HUGO live with Caravan, bughouse and Jack Donehue at Rat Festival’s alt-rock night. 6:30pm. |
Pic of the week
Local wanderer Tom sent this in, on Renwick St
Sincerely,
The Hardt
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