suburb No 20: Newtown

After the muted tones of Lidcombe last week I needed a burst of colour and movement. As much as
I enjoyed unearthing Lidcombe's delights it was hard going - I wanted somewhere more extrovert,
a suburb that wore its heart on its sleeve and was happy to let it all hang out.

Then I was talking to a potential book publisher (!) early in the week and she mentioned Newtown
and I was all, Newtown, that's it. Aside from being flamboyant and unreserved, Newtown would 
also give me an opportunity to test my theory that even when you think you know somewhere, 
unless you go there on a mission to scour every corner of its being (or as many as you can in three 
or so short visits), you may not know it very well at all. I lived in Newtown in 1990 for four years 
and I’ve been back many times since – but did I really know it? 

Yes and no it turns out. At a glance it seems more or less the same. But when you look closer 
you notice the evolution. More gloss, less edge. More prams, less goths. Previously slightly dodgy 
pubs re-named and renovated, now patronised by those that 15 years ago wouldn’t have dreamed 
of setting foot in the place. 

But King Street still streams with life and The Hub’s future is still up in the air. And my regular 
haunts are still there, looking a little older like me but pretty much the same. Carlisle Castle, 
Kuleto’s, The Sando. The houses I shared with friends in Fitzroy and O’Connell Street. Gould’s 
Bookshop.

Some of the best and worst times of my life happened while I was living in Newtown. So as well as 
the hit of colour and movement I was craving, I also found myself on a bittersweet walk down 
memory lane. 

But just as I’d start to reminisce I’d run into another larger than life character that would yank 
me back to the present. It seemed to me that while the suburb may have lost some of its colour, 
it still attracts the colourful and off-beat (as well as the much maligned ‘yuppie’ and their ‘designer 
babies’).

I left feeling like I’d just scratched the surface, wondering about all the other stories playing 
out in Newtown’s hundreds of tiny terraces…

Part 1: King Street and beyond - the buildings of Newtown

After the Cadigal people 'left' the area, Newtown was formed in 1862, a suburb of 200 houses. 
King Street is still Australia's longest continuous shopping strip with an eclectic mix of mid-Victorian, 
Federation and 20th century architecture - some of it lovingly cared for and some left to age 
gracefully.





the well preserved









no sign of botox here








guilty as charged








how about it Queenie?









is there light at the end of the tunnel for The Hub?








Trocadero, once a dance hall, soon to be offices








there are stacks of bookshops in Newtown (the latest is right across from my old house, in an old factory)








nice tiles :: 1








nice tiles :: 2








'a house of models?!'







Part 2: The red/pink/purple heads of Newtown


red-heads







Lucille Ball is alive and well, living in Newtown (her doppleganger, 90 year old Meghan)








it's all about the fringe








pink








scarab beetle








she wears the boots








even the buildings are pink :: 1








even the buildings are pink :: 2







Hare Krishna in green and pink






Part 3: Express yourself




all the world's a stage






Part 4: Art on the streets


off to the shops for some milk








is it just a dream?








the light








and sympathy








hot in the city








purple heart








unchain my heart






Part 5: Playing dress up in Newtown





girls just wanna have fun






Part 6: Night falls


as sure as night follows day








women in uniform










living art









the blue








of the inner-west









 
a castle fit for a king








watch where you walk on the way home






Is there beauty in Newtown? Yes, if you're prepared to raise your gaze from street level 

to the many lovely old facades. Or look closely at the crowds, to find the bright sparks that live a 

more colourful life than many.

See you next week.