Breaking down the great divide: While ‘westies’ bus to Bondi, ‘easties’ bus to Cabramatta

Busloads of people from Bondi are being ferried to Vietnamese settlement of Cabramatta in exchange for the “westies” day-tripping to the famous beach, in a move designed to reverse Sydney’s east-west divide and the rising tide of anti-Semitism.

Busloads of people from Bondi are being ferried to Vietnamese settlement of Cabramatta in exchange for the “westies” day-tripping to the famous beach, in a move designed to break down the East-West divide and reverse the new wave of anti-Semitism.

The $20,000 scheme to break down cultural divides and foster understanding of life in Sydney’s west was initially met by some residents of Bondi with trepidation with some exclaiming: “We’re worried for our safety.”

The two-way bus trips paid for by Fairfield Council are the brainchild of mayor Frank Carbone, who organised three loads of more than 1000 “westies” to visit Bondi, Cronulla and Manly beaches on Sydney’s east coast on Sundays throughout December, January and February.

One load of 35 residents in the predominantly Jewish area of Bondi, Randwick and Matraville were bussed to Cabramatta to enjoy the array of Vietnamese restaurants and tour the colourful laneways and arcades playing host to Vietnamese and Southeast Asian cultures last Sunday.

Busloads of people from Bondi are being ferried to Vietnamese settlement of Cabramatta in exchange for “westies” day-tripping to the famous beach, in a move designed to break down the east-west divide in Sydney.

One Bondi resident said afterwards: “With rising anti-Semitism in the eastern suburbs the last few months have been terrifying not only for the Jewish community but the community as a whole.

“It meant a lot to be welcomed to Cabramatta and reminded that on the whole Australia is a peaceful, tolerant multicultural society.”

Ecuador-born Eugenia Pazmino, 64, a permanent resident from Bexley, near St George, visited Cabramatta after signing up for the bus ride that was open to any Sydneysider in the first week.

Residents from eastern suburbs visit Cabramatta, home to a vast Vietnamese population, in a move to promote social cohesion in the face of rising hate crime in Sydney.

“It was such a beautiful experience to visit Cabramatta, we enjoyed three different meals for $10,” she said.

“Most the people on the bus were white and only five of us migrants, it was a great to mix with them, they accepted us on the bus, everyone was friendly and accepting,” she said.

“Sometimes you go to places in Sydney and you don’t feel you belong because most of them are white.

Bus loads of people from Bondi are being ferried to Cabramatta to learn about different cultures in a move to boost social cohesion.

“It was a great cultural exchange and we didn’t have to worry about parking issues, catching the train.”

That the experiment is being hailed a success, Fairfield Council executives plan to make the east-west bus trips permanent and have written to NSW Premier Chris Minns for funding, arguing a better understanding of cultures will help unify the city reverse the escalation in hate crime that has arisen since the October 7 atrocities in the Middle East.

Anti-Semitism has soared 316 per cent across the country since October 7 last year.

Residents of Bondi are visiting Cabramatta in exchange for “westies” day-tripping to their famous beach in a scheme to reverse the new wave of anti-Semitism.

“We wanted the people from the east to have a bite to eat and experience the foods, streets and cultures of Fairfield to break down the division in Sydney,” said Fairfield mayor Frank Carbone.

“Initially the people from the east were a little apprehensive and said they were worried for their safety believing the west is dangerous.

“But once they got into it, and realised people from the west were friendly, they all now want to come back for the Lunar New Year celebrations.

“The people from the west thought the beaches in the east were beautiful, many had never been east, ever. These beaches belong to everyone.

The eastern suburbs meets Cabramatta in a move designed to break down the east-west divide and reverse racism in Sydney.

“The exercise was so successful in helping cultures understand each other we’ve written to Chris Minns to ask for funding to make it a permanent feature.

“The city is divided because of tolls, distance and the day trips help break down divisions and barriers.

“During Covid the perception was people from Bondi and the east went to the beach every day and had it easy while the people from the west were locked down.

“Sydney is such a diverse and wonderful place but there’s a misunderstanding of cultures and costs which breeds division and the anti-Semites want division.

“We are saying we want people to live peacefully.”

Fairfield Mayor Frank Carbone organised the bus exchange scheme and has written to NSW Premier Chris Minns for funding to make them a permanent feature. Picture: Richard Dobson

The move has prompted Western Sydney leaders to call on the NSW government to launch express bus services to east coast beaches and lift the “lockouts” on 2.6 million people living in the heart of the Harbour City.

The mayors from Blacktown, Penrith, Fairfield, Liverpool, Parramatta and Hills Shire say the government can assist by delivering direct public transport links to beaches like Bondi, Manly and Cronulla during the scorching summer season.

They argue driving is unaffordable as petrol, tolls and parking costs balloon to more than $100 for a day at the surf, while existing public transport routes mean multiple changes of buses and trains.

The only direct bus route from any western suburbs hub to a beach is the 887 from Campbelltown to North Wollongong in the Illawarra region, taking around 1 hour 10 minutes.
A NSW government spokesperson said the Minns government was “committed to tackling anti-Semitism and that Mr Carbone should “consider applying for one of the many NSW government grants programs available that could support his initiative”.

Originally published as Breaking down the great divide: While ‘westies’ bus to Bondi, ‘easties’ bus to Cabramatta