The Sydney suburb that’s a microcosm of modern Australia

Whether you celebrate it with joy or recognise it as a day of mourning, Australia Day is a great time to reflect on the country we once were, and the one we have become today.

Living in Redfern, I feel this way almost every day.

When I first moved to Redfern during the height of the pandemic it was more out of necessity than anything else.

Redfern: A diverse suburb with a complex modern history.Credit: Rhett Wyman

As people fled the inner city suburb under the threat of a looming second lockdown, it was really the cheap rent that won me over. (Yes that’s right, inner-city rents were cheap once upon a time!)

What I discovered was the most diverse and lively neighbourhood in Sydney with a complex modern history coursing through its streets.

Of course the Redfern of 2024 is much different from the one my parents knew. Towers of student accommodation stand where the infamous Block once stood, and upmarket cafes and trendy bars abound.

Scott Marsh’s mural of Tony Abbott marrying Tony Abbott.Credit: Rhett Wyman

Redfern is a microcosm of Australia itself. Activism and organisations like Koori Radio is keeping Redfern’s proud Indigenous history current, but rising rents and gentrification have brought an influx of young professionals, inner-city families and wealthy international students into the area.

This is where I make my case as to why Redfern is Sydney’s most culturally diverse suburb.

A summer day in Redfern Park is an egalitarian affair. Surrounded by space-poor housing blocks, the oval is a backyard for many kids to kick the footy while their families chill out with a barbecue.

Wealthy international students strut by in their Gucci hoodies despite the heat. Young mums catch up over their coffees while their dogs frolic in the fountain and groups of housemates laugh over wine and cheese in extravagant picnics.

The suburb is a microcosm of Australia.Credit: Rhett Wyman

University students with dyed hair carry around protest leaflets in their tote bags and a group of old Rabbitohs tragics loudly reminisce about the good old days when footy games were actually played at Redfern Oval, the spiritual homeland of South Sydney.

People say g’day to each other in Redfern, they have neighbourhood laneway parties and grow food in community gardens.

I love Redfern warts and all, my tiny pocket of modern Australia.

Best cafe? I’ve bonded with strangers over the fantastic coffee and service at the Blue Brew Cafe. Snag a table out front to enjoy the sunshine – and people-watching – over a brekkie roll.

Best restaurant? You can’t beat RaRa Ramen. The tonkotsu ramen with black garlic is to die for and nothing washes it down better than an ice-cold Asahi. It gets busy with international students from the apartments above the restaurant every night, so make sure to book ahead.

Best beach, park or pool? On a hot summer day most flee the pool-free and beachless Redfern. For me, taking a picnic down to the shade of Redfern Park and watching the dogs splash in the Baptist Fountain is my happy place.

First place you take visitors? The farmers markets at Carriageworks are a great way to show off the suburb. Well technically it’s Eveleigh, but we claim it as Redfern. Make sure to take home some fresh mushrooms and some Pepe Saya butter - the best offerings in my opinion.

Perfect night out in your suburb? Beers and burgers at Atomic Brewery followed up with cocktails at Misfits, then shenanigans at the Bearded Tit until midnight.

What would make your suburb better? A pool, or better yet a full-sized supermarket in Redfern – surely we can turn the two Woolies Metros into one full-sized shop?

Best secret spot in your suburb? Edmund Resch Reserve is a fabulous dog park at the site of the old Resch’s brewery and nearby sits Vine Providore which houses a great selection of wine and craft beers.

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