See the World on Melbourne's Sydney Rd.

[Bronteboy]

Part #1:

You come to the end of Melbourne's magnificent Royal Parade Boulevard (the northern version of St Kilda Rd), and are squeezed into the congestion of Sydney Rd (so named because it is the start of the Hume Highway to Sydney).

For about four miles or so, from Brunswick to Coburg, this is one of the most intensely multi-cultural and colourful strips in Australia.


It starts here: a glimpse of the famous former Sarah Sands Hotel - once the chief watering hole of Carlton Football Club and its supporters - on the left:










It's now a Bridie O'Reillys:










Greek bridal shops, Italian bomboneiri stores, Turkish cafes and coffeee shops, Lebanese, Vietnamese, Japanese,
Sudanese restaurants ...pokie venues, halal butcher shops, discount stores and up-market fashion outlets. What a mix:


It's crazy



















Sudanese youngsters outside the Town Hall:







This strip is at the heart of Melbourne's muslim community. But we see a mix of head scarves and a mini-skirt here:








opposite:












And there are lots of churches, most now performing community functions, like this one with its nice Tuscan tower:



















LEWIS MORAN SLEEPS UNDER THE GROUND

In March 2004, Melbourne's amphetamines drugs syndicate wars finally caught up with crime family patriach Lewis Moran here at The Brunswick Club, a pokies venue, as he was chased around a pool table and shot dead on the floor, his old drinking pal Bert Wrout seriously wounded.

Moran's sons Simon and Mark had been earlier victims of the two-year gang wars which saw around 30 career criminals gunned down on the streets of Melbourne, followed by theatrical gangland funerals, many held at the big St Marys Star of the Sea Church just down the road in West Melbourne.


Lewis Moran death came the day after the burial of hitman Andrew 'Benji' Veniamin, gunned down in 'self-defense' by construction industry identity big Mick Gatto in the back of "the Carlton Crew's" favored restaurant a week or so earlier.







Crime scene tapes became rather familiar around Melbourne streets: this pic was taken by Angela Wylie of The Age










The site already had an interesting history:











This is about opposite:

























































Turkish delight:







































This very old bluestone church is now used as an asylum seeker's support center:









Called, I think, The Olive Way, or maybe' that's in the Uniting Church beside it - or maybe it's all one, I'm just not sure.














Well, that's it for this post ... back with some more shortly. Hope you enjoy...Sydney Rd. Bronte

[Bronteboy]

Part #2



In this typical Brunswick house, just off Albion Street, dear old in-law aunts and uncles of mine lived the life of 'The Sullivans' for more than 50 years.



Depression-era Australians who always had one or two aging and infirm extra relos living with them. An Aunty Bea who made the best cream sponge cakes on earth, and an Uncle Bob who listened to the races on an Astor Mickey on Saturday - sometimes in the woodshed if Bea talked too much - and then slipped away to the Edinburgh Castle for a quiet one before dinner - which they called 'tea.'


railway station:



There were big Greek and Italian communities in Brunswick for as long as I can remember: then came to the Turks. My in-law relos didn't move out, they died out eventually (this, btw, was a very early marriage for me, which ended, tragically, with a sudden and catastrophic illness).




Sydney Road was where they did their shopping, of course, and went to 'the pictures' on a Saturday night. For some reason I think the cinema was called 'The Empire.'

Then came TV, and I don't think they ever went 'out' again.







Brunswick Town Hall:






Again, there are many churches, or former churches along the road, but - just guessing- I think the old Anglo-Australian Christians would be very much in the minority in Brunswick now.






The 1868 Mechanics Institute is a handsome little building.






















some more general views:














On Sydney Road, dreams come with pizzaz ...








then pure white, it seems to me. Bridal shops are everywhere:









Followed, naturally, by this:


















































famous sign over a famous place:






A beautiful Bon Marche-style store


















BTW, there were hundreds of 'characters' I missed.
It's one of those places where it's all a bit up close, and you don't push your luck, if you know what I mean.






That's it. Bronte

[isoboy]

Thanks for the pic tour! I love this part of Melbourne! My partner's uncle lives in Brunswick, and I've stayed there many times - very fond of the area.

[tayser]

Migallo Migallo Migallo...

[neorion]

Brunswick is cool and so is the black comedy Death in Brunswick!!

Nice tour

[gappa]

I like.

[Nicco]

Nice!

[accadacca]

Gotta love it!

[The Collector]

Love it, the Turkish, Greek and Italian restaurants and grocers are great around Bruswick!

[Randwicked]

Nice pics. Sydney Rd Brunswick reminded me of King St Newtown when I was there.

[Giorgio]

Thanks for the pics. Very Melbourne!
Brunswick is definetly not the most beautiful area but it has a cool feel to it.

[Bronteboy]

Originally Posted by Randwicked

Nice pics. Sydney Rd Brunswick reminded me of King St Newtown when I was there.

Thanks for the comments everyone. Yes, there is some similarity to Newtown - same, squeezed-in (i mean the road narrowing) multi-cultural feel as you come in off the Hume freeways for entry into both inner cities, although different ethnic emphases - lot more Pacific Islanders accent on the Sydney entry as I recall, but many other ethnic groups also of course.



Was it you Randwicked, or LanceDriver did a cool thread on the street facades in Newtown area?

Anyway, i didn't feel completely satisfied with my candid camera efforts - and supplementing some adds here with one or two off flickr:







by Noman Tales, flickr



Rretreat Hotel:




lou 777, flickr




and i lost the faces in shadow here:

[BroadGauge]

Sydney Rd is kinda fun.

I prefer it up in Coburg . Some advice - unless travelling locally, never take a tram down Sydney Rd. Go to the back streets and take the Upfield line if going to teh CBD or onto other rail lines - shit frequency (20min vs 6min), but reasonably fast.

[eastadl]

Interesting street, but not as nice as your Carlisle St. In fact Ive never been to that Carlisle St so I'm gonna have a look next time in Melb

[Alphaville]

Originally Posted by eastadl

Interesting street, but not as nice as your Carlisle St. In fact Ive never been to that Carlisle St so I'm gonna have a look next time in Melb

It's nowhere near Carlisle St... nor trying to be anything like it.

[eastadl]

oh, I do realise that Alpha. Im referring to the difference in the street shots to the other thread

[Alphaville]

Originally Posted by eastadl

oh, I do realise that Alpha. Im referring to the difference in the street shots to the other thread

Ahhh yes, sorry. Brunswick is a completely different Melbourne to St. Kilda. Personally I love North of the Yarra (Brunswick) over the south (St. Kilda)-- less gentrifeid and more grit.

[BroadGauge]

St Kilda is a dump. Sydney Rd is a heap better - I prefer non touristy places

Werribee IMO is shit too.

[Bronteboy]

Originally Posted by Alphaville

Ahhh yes, sorry. Brunswick is a completely different Melbourne to St. Kilda. Personally I love North of the Yarra (Brunswick) over the south (St. Kilda)-- less gentrifeid and more grit.

In defence of S Kilda's grit, may i just say that at around 3 am this morning my wife was awakened by male screams in the street - a beating taking place up on the bonnet of a car outside, apparently.

Worse, she rushed down to bother me, urging me to call the cops but not to go out - in the final two overs of the Rajasthan Royals - Chennai game, with 12 balls to play and 27 runs required. So who was going to go out anyway?

Well, I couldn't hear anything, but I did try to summon official assistance and turned on the outside lights. When the last nine balls were bowled, I did go out. Hmmm. Warne's men had won, and all was quiet.

[BroadGauge]

Different sort of "grit" at Sydney Rd.