Haberfield. Been there a few times before but like Marrickville, only to visit friends. My entire
experience of the main street was limited to finding a bottle shop to buy some wine for said
friends. Hopeless really. But even with eyes half shut it was impossible not to notice there was
something different about the suburb - namely the gardens were big and the houses uniformly
attractive and mainly Federation. So it didn't come as a surprise when I learnt this week that
Haberfield was designed as a 'model' garden suburb.
The history in 20 words or less:
• Darug tribe first in, to be replaced by the British - two of whom made their mark on the place -
David Ramsay and Richard Stanton
• The Ramsay family built a great old building, Yasmar, and St Davids Church (see pics below)
• Stanton arrived early 1900s to name the suburb after some rellies and transform the place into
a garden suburb
• The entire suburb is heritage listed, hence the uniform appearance
• The Italians moved in a little later and never left.
Random impressions: quiet, nice churches, very green and flower-colourful. Yasmar is kind of
spooky now that it's all shuttered up. And there's a small but lethal cluster of restaurants, cake
shops and delis on Ramsay Street - I am now much wiser about the suburb but considerably
fatter too...
Part 1: Flowers are everywhere
flowers in the stairs :: 1
flowers on the floor
flowers in the stairs :: 2
flowers in the tiles and dresses
flowers in the tiles and dresses, close-up
flowers in the garden ladies
Part 2: This goes with that
circles
blue
flutterbies
wrap around glass
love love love
how do you like your garden path?
Part 3: Italia
Italy is shaped like a boot
proud colours
the greengrocer's dad
having a chinwag
Part 4: The food
Papa!
the famous cheesecake
star :: 1
a place to meet
creamy goodness
hand made
before and after
star :: 2
Part 5: A church or three
a variety of churches
flowers even grow out of stone (St Davids Uniting Church)
inside out (Haberfield Baptist Church)
St Joan : 1 (Saint Joan of Arc Catholic Church)
St Joan : 2 (Saint Joan of Arc Catholic Church)
from the garden (Saint Joan of Arc Catholic Church)
open the window please (St Oswalds Church)
Part 6: Yasmar (Ramsay spelt backwards)
Yasmar :: 1
Yasmar :: 2
Yasmar :: 3
Part 7: Ciao garden suburb
a 'model' home
flowers, in the ground and in the hands
The 'model suburb' of Haberfield was designed to be beautiful and it is - what it lacks in diversity
it makes up for with uniformity in its homes and gardens. Even the food is aesthetically pleasing
with pretty pastel coloured gelatos and myriad shaped pastries. So pleasing I ate half the suburb
before I rolled down to my car and left. Stuffed but happy to be one more suburb slightly wiser
about my own city.
You might like to visit...
Pasticceria Papa, 145 Ramsay Street
Dolcissimo, 98 Ramsay Street
Yasmar, 185 Parramatta Road
See you next week.
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