This was published 7 months ago
Urban forest that’s not too beige, not too hectic, not too posh
By Ben Cubby
In the 1830s, a chemist named Ambrose Foss hacked his way through dense bushland on the fringe of what were then Sydney’s outer western suburbs and built a lodge in the forest. The rustic if unimaginative name for the suburb that grew up around it was Forest Lodge.
It was soon much more lodge than forest. Aerial photographs of the area in the early 20th century show unbroken ranks of tin and tile rooftops cluttered like rock oysters from the ridges of Rozelle Bay all the way back to Parramatta Road.
I’m pleased to report that the trees have since made a comeback. It really is an urban forest of blue gums, jacarandas, frangipanis peeking over front fences and giant gnarled figs whose canopies shade an acre.
Mucahit Sasmaz (left) and Murat Zengin enjoy an early morning fish down by Rozelle Bay.Credit: Sydney Morning Herald
The cocktail of blue-collar unionists and house-sharing students from Sydney University made the area notable for its radical politics. Strikes, soup kitchens and protests abounded in the early years. Another chemist, Orion Leggo, became locally famous for giving poor people free medical advice.
Police repeatedly raided the printing presses of communist newspapers in the 1950s, the women’s liberation movement blossomed in houses nearby and Charlie Perkins helped organise the Freedom Ride for civil rights from his house on Catherine Street.
Like all of the inner city, the rough edges have been rubbed off somewhat by gentrification. But “Flodge” has been spared the full force of the yuppie invasion, partly by its out-of-the-way location, tucked in between bigger, better-known neighbouring suburbs. It’s quieter and quirkier than Glebe (too hectic), Annandale (too beige) and Balmain (too posh).
It also has the crucial advantage of being slightly cheaper. We arrived tentatively at our first auction expecting fierce competition and prices spiralling out-of-reach. We left 20 minutes later having made a single modest bid, but it was enough to make us proud owners of a huge mortgage, a freebie bottle of champagne from the real estate agent, and a tiny terrace perched on the top of a cliff. Happy days.
So, thank you, Forest Lodge. You may not be the sort of suburb that appears on postcards of the Harbour City, but you did permit us to do the seemingly impossible: buy a house in Sydney.
Best cafe?
Goose Bakery on Ross Street got us through the pandemic with its takeaway caps, and they put a marshmallow on top of their babyccinos. Am I offensively middle class now? Yes, yes I am.
Best restaurant?
The Tramsheds shopping centre had “white elephant” written all over it when it opened but has quietly defied the critics; the sunny forecourt and adjoining park have become a sort of town square for shoppers, dogwalkers and kids. There are a few decent restaurants inside, but my favourite is Osaka Trading Co. Try the agedashi tofu.
Tramsheds has become a community hub.Credit:
Best beach, park or pool?
The foreshore area is one of the city’s best parks. It is criss-crossed by bike paths, tram tracks and canals, but there are plenty of places to climb a tree or kick a ball around. Indigenous scholars have examined ancient middens of oyster and scallop shells and confirmed there are thousands of years of tradition behind today’s seafood barbecues by the bay.
First place you take visitors?
Usually wherever our two-year-old wants to go, as we are a package deal. There are numerous playgrounds within walking distance that offer lucky visitors a chance to slide, swing, seesaw, fall over and wave around sticks.
Perfect night out in your suburb?
A beer at the Forest Lodge Hotel or the Nag’s Head followed by a stroll along the water at dusk to take in the sweeping views of the WestConnex spaghetti junction. Heaven.
What would make your suburb better?
A swimming pool at the water’s edge in Bicentennial Park would absolutely go off in summer. An adjoining patch of sand to make sandcastles would render it perfect. Over to you, City of Sydney.
Best secret spot in your suburb?
It’s hardly a secret to locals, but there are tiny strawberry patches in Harold Park, and they should be just about ripe.