Suburb No 39: Arncliffe

Another happy accident. Last week, on my way to Fairfield (which turned out to be Bonnyrigg) I got
so lost that I ended up southish instead of west. My attempt at a 'short-cut' had failed miserably but
even with steam issuing out both ears I noticed the suburb I was lost in was kind of interesting
and that maybe I should come back and visit.

So I did. Arncliffe, as it turned out to be, is 11 kms south of the CBD, near the Cooks River and Wolli Creek,
named after an English village. Once a big market garden, now semi-industrial, with a huge new residential
area going up in what used to be North Arncliffe. Post the 'Aboriginal era' came British, Irish, Germans,
Chinese. Then Greek, Macedonian, Yugoslavian. And most recently, Lebanese.

Hence the presence of one of Sydney's larger mosques, Al Zahra. There's also a second, smaller mosque
that caters to more of a Malaysian crowd, and a handful of churches, including a Coptic Orthodox church
(Egyptian).

I had no idea about the mosques nor the Coptic Church when I drove through last week so it was kind
of weird after Bonnyrigg and its religious smorgasbord. Having said that, there wasn't a stick of
incense or glimpse of saffron to be found in Arncliffe - a little like Lakemba, this is Sydney in Muslim
mode - with a Christian Orthodox Coptic Church slam bam in the middle, just to keep things
interesting.


Part 1: The mosques

Exactly a week after visiting Bonnyrigg's mosque, I found myself standing on another plush carpet,
surrounded by beads and prayer books. But instead of a grand room topped by a minaret, this mosque,
Masjid Darul Imaan, is housed in two small buildings, sans pointy bit. Any Muslim can pray here but it
mainly attracts Malaysian Muslims.

I met Abdullah and Ahmad outside the mosque - they were not there to pray but rather to study some
Islamic teachings, and were happy for me to take some snaps inside.



Abdullah and Ahmad








hitting the books :: 1






 
hitting the books :: 2






Said my goodbyes to Abdullah and Ahmad and headed off to find Arncliffe's second mosque, the Lebanese
Al Zahra. Unlike the Bonnyrigg Turkish Mosque and Masjid Darul Imaan, I wasn't exactly welcomed nor
free to photograph inside. Fair enough. From the front door this is what I saw.



prayer



Part 2: The Coptic Church

After the mosques, I drove around the corner to find St Mark's Coptic Orthodox Church - and another
world. By now it was lunchtime and there was a whole load of people out the back, eating and talking.
I couldn't place their ethnicity and nor did I have a clue about their church. A few of the congregation
kindly set me straight and half an hour later I'd learnt that they were Egyptians and that the Coptic
Orthodox Church had a pretty dramatic history. Hundreds of years ago they were forced to leave Egypt
- it was either that or convert to Islam. Today, Coptics exist in Egypt but they don't have an easy time 
of it. So how does it work in Arncliffe, with two mosques around the corner and a largely Muslim suburb? 
Not surprisingly, there are tensions.

But on this day, the sun was out and everyone was smiling, including some of the most charming
and cheeky kids you could hope to meet.



Sandy and George at St Mark's







Isabella







Sherry and Daniel







Emmanuel







brothers and sister: Emmanuel, Isabella and Raphael




Part 2: Ladies of dough

There are two Lebanese bakeries in Arncliffe that are staffed by small teams of women who churn
out masses of delicious smelling baked goods, frustratingly delicious for my gluten-free self. These dishes
all have exotic sounding Arabic names but in essence they are variations on the meat pie, the pizza and
the cheese and spinach pastry.  


The first bakery, with the lovely Amane and Jamana:

 
Amane and Jamana








oregano pizza







kitchen whizz







torture for the gluten-free







breakfast






The other bakery, just around the corner, makes much the same fare. Apparently Lebanese families
can bring their own mince mix to the bakery to be fashioned into 'meat pies' by the ladies who work there.
They just pay for the dough and whatever it costs to cook the pies in the super-hot ovens. One woman
explained that she has nine people in her home so it's too expensive to do it any other way. I was curious
about her large family and she explained that at the ripe old age of 41, she was a grandmother
to her 22 year old daughter's toddler - and they all lived with her. What with other kids and various husbands,
that was nine people. 



many mouths to feed






Part 3: The old and the new Arncliffe

My first impression on that first drive through Arncliffe was that this was typical 'old Sydney',
with an impressive church and plenty of faded suburbia. But there's a whole other side to the place,
the 'new' Arncliffe.

The old and the new:


St Francis Xavier Catholic Church (1911) + Al Zahra Mosque (1980) :: 1







St Francis Xavier + Al Zahra :: 2







St Francis Xavier Catholic Church (1911) + Masjid Darul Imaan







God is love, no matter who your god is?







flowers







St Magdalen Chapel (1888) + Father Augustine, St Mark's Coptic Orthodox Church (1980)







attracting young families :: St David's Anglican Church (1934) + Wolli Creek housing development







Bill and Abraham







church and home







hitting the books :: 3







church and mosque







cottage and carpet







tiles and tomes







the old bakery and the new









St David's Anglican Church and Alzahra Bakery :: 1







St David's Anglican Church and Alzahra Bakery :: 2








tiles and temptation :: 1






 
One








tiles and temptation :: 2







tiles and temptation :: 3







tiles and temptation :: 4




Part 4: The colour orange

Just because.



orange :: 1







orange :: 2






Did I find beauty in Arncliffe? In the people as much as anything - I loved the Lebanese women in
the bakeries and the Egyptians in the church. But it's the only suburb I've ever been refused a shot of
someone's tattoo. Can you believe it.


See you next week.

Suburb No 38: Bonnyrigg

Tourists don't come to Sydney to visit Bonnyrigg. I'd bet money on it. But more's the pity. Because
this little known suburb, 36 km from the city centre, is intriguing - something the Sydney Harbour
Bridge nor Opera House, as iconic and wonderful as they are, cannot claim to be. 

I stumbled on Bonnyrigg completely by accident. I was actually headed for Fairfield. Took a right
instead of a left and there I was. In the religious hub of the universe.

At first I had no real impression of the place, except that there was a huge plaza and an even
larger Bunnings. But when I discovered that in one very short street there was a mosque, a temple
and a church - and that just around the corner were three more temples, and four more churches
- I had no choice but to make Suburb No 38, Bonnyrigg.

Scottish by name - and very little else - Bonnyrigg is an absolute work in progress. Once an important
Aboriginal meeting place, then market gardens, it is now covered with 'new' housing development,
with more to come. But I almost didn't see the blond brick, so taken was I with all the religious
houses - where else does a mosque rub shoulders with a church and a temple? So much rich culture,
in the middle of nowhere. How, why - a stickybeak was in order...

Part 1: Day One

It was wet. Never great, my navigation skills are even worse in the rain. So as I said, through
no grand design, I ended up in Bonnyrigg. Head buried in my ridiculously small street directory,
cursing the rain and my crappy sense of direction, I looked up to see a most unexpected sight. 
A golden temple reaching up into the heavens.

I don't know about you but I can't resist a mid-suburbia temple. They're like UFOs that have landed
from outer space. You just have to stick your nose in don't you?

The actual temple - the Cambodian Buddhist Temple - was shut so I scuttled around the side to
find three monks inside a hall eating their lunch. So peaceful - until I shoved my camera in front of
them. They took it well, for the most part. One in particular - Nakin - never stopped smiling.
Made me think I really should meditate more often.


Watt Khemarangsaram temple in rain







Savon, Nakin and Sopheak at lunch :: 1








even the flowers are saffron :: 1









Nakin and Sopheak at lunch :: 2









one grimace, one smile, not bad




I finally left the monks in peace. At this stage I still didn't know this was just one of many temples,
or that right around the corner was a mosque. So off I went, peering through my rainy windscreen
at Bunnings, then the plaza, then...a Chinese Presbyterian Church, next to a Turkish mosque,
next to the Vietnamese Buddhist Temple. 



Bonnyrigg Turkish Mosque in rain









Vietnamese Community Centre in rain









both rise heavenward




I was intrigued but none of the places looked very open so I continued driving. Then I passed
yet another temple, the Lao Buddhist Temple. I could see signs of life and entered. Sensing a mad
woman in their midst, the monks humoured me by unlocking the temple for me to look inside.



wisdom is always having a brolley handy







out of the rain








his home





That was Day One. I had to go back.




Part 2: Day Two

Sunny. Scanning my street directory I noticed there was a temple listed on Humphries Road,
Bonnyrigg, somewhere I hadn't been the day before. Can't be I thought. Until I went there and
realised yes, this was yet another temple. In fact, one of the largest Chinese Buddhist temples
in the Southern Hemisphere, housing 37 bronze buddhas - the Mingyue Lay temple. 



making an entrance - the Mingyue Lay Chinese Temple









golden









Cambodian kids at the Chinese temple









first you pray...









then you play









fire and water








I left the temple, a head full of incense, and headed for the Bonnyrigg Turkish Mosque. There weren't
many people around but I was told I'd meet a lot more if I came back for breakfast the next day. 
Breakfast in a Turkish mosque, between a church and a Vietnamese Buddhist Temple - I'm in.




Part 3: Day Three


Arrived for breakfast at ten. The place was bustling. Sat on a table of visitors, including someone
from the neighbouring Vietnamese community - I was amazed to hear this was the first time he'd
met his neighbours, after living side by side for close to 20 years. I also learned that the reason for
such a rich cluster of religious houses in one spot was that years ago, the Department of Housing
had offered land to any community groups who wanted it. 

The Imam talked about the need to respect all religions and then it was time to explore the mosque
- and climb up inside the minaret. 



breakfast at the mosque









mates :: 1









mates :: 2









mates :: 3









inside the minaret








A game of pool followed by prayer.


mates :: 4







pool then prayer









prayer time :: 1









two sides of the Imam









prayer time ::2






The Turkish people I met at the mosque were incredibly charming and I loved every second of my 
visit there. Around lunch-time I said my goodbyes and popped next door - first to the Chinese
Presbyterian Church and then to the Vietnamese Buddhist Temple. Both were winding up but I 
managed to take a few snaps.



next door to the mosque, a church









next door to the mosque, a temple









ladies







You might think I'd had my fill by then. But no. The Cambodian Buddhist Temple was just around
the corner and I was curious what happened there on a sunny Sunday. Answer - dance rehearsal.
I also bumped into the smiling monk from the day before - bless him, he didn't flinch when I asked
for more shots and just kept smiling. Through gritted teeth perhaps but still.



wild sky









dancers :: 1









dancers ::2









dancers ::3









Keo, 82









Wunlay, 73









lovely lady









monk stalking






Part 4: Compare and contrast the religions and cultures of Bonnyrigg


pillars








Imam and Buddha









beads :: 1









beads ::2









beads ::3









beads ::4









worship









flowers









neighbours : Buddhism and Islam :: 1









neighbours : Buddhism and Islam ::2








sunshine








Cambodian Buddhism and Chinese Presbyterian









Chinese and Serbian









food for thought








Part 5: I see saffron everywhere



autumn colours









vivid









all smiles









even the flowers are saffron :: 2








Part 6: Religion is everywhere in Bonnyrigg

I dropped into the local garden centre because the Buddha statues caught my eye. While I was standing
there looking at them, a family came over to have a chat. Cambodian Buddhists, the dad was telling
me how much he loved his two Buddha statues he'd bought earlier.



religion in the garden :: 1









religion in the garden :: 2




As the storm clouds gathered once more, I drove over to the park to check out the place where
Aboriginal people used to gather. There's a skate ramp there and I went over to have a chat - with
devotees of the skateboarding and BMX freestyling faith. 




from Equador









the religion of freestyling :: 1









cool







the religion of freestyling ::2








Then it was time to go. But not before one final surprise - another church.



church, parkside






B is for beautiful Bonnyrigg. Well, parts of it anyway. Yes, I only had eyes for the good bits but there
are so many good bits, it's hard not to. Aside from that, Bonnyrigg feels like one big experiment -
I wonder how it will all turn out.


See you next week.