Secret Suburb: Why the suburb of Rockdale rocks with its cultural mix and beautiful sites
DOWN by Botany Bay is this hidden gem, a suburb with a rich cultural background you’ll want to explore. Take a tour of Rockdale with Jenifer Jagielski.
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DOWN by Botany Bay is this hidden gem, a suburb with a rich cultural background you’ll want to explore. Take a tour of Rockdale with Jenifer Jagielski.
Standing outside an establishment that is practically at the bottom of the stairs that lead to the train lines, is a man, casually dressed in jeans with a black T-shirt that reads, “Rockn the Dale”.
The graphic is something you’d expect from a progressive music store but instead, it belongs to Peter Bosevski of The Swallow Café; it’s just one of the ways he is doing his part to encourage the city’s revitalisation.
Over the past few years, Peter has seen the area grow as young families move out of the city into the suburbs.
But he also notes that while they’ll live in Rockdale, they still go elsewhere for entertainment – something that he is hoping will change as locals embrace council’s initiative to promote a sense of vibrancy.
“We want to see people in the town centre shopping, talking, walking. Essentially giving life to the place,” he says.
With his enthusiasm and boundless energy – which could possibly be attributed to the fine coffee he serves – it’s only a matter of time before everyone coming off the train line will be Rockn the Dale.
Gathered near the edge of a large pond, a rowdy group of ducks race towards a piece of bread that’s been tossed in their direction.
Now that they’re busy, eight year old, Mohamed-Ali is able to hand-feed the smaller ones that got left behind.
His older sister sits in the shade along the embankment, enjoying the scene and occasionally bringing him the bag with more bread.
“We come here all the time,” he says.
“We’ve watched them grow from ducklings and even given them names.”
Feeding the ducks is just one of the pleasures at Bicentennial Park.
There are walking trails that weave between the trees, and despite being close to an arterial road are surprisingly quiet.
Up near the parking lot there is also a playground, sports field and skate park but for the time being, Mohamed-Ali and his sister are perfectly content right where they are.
The officious lady in the GPS says you’ve reached your destination, but looking down the alleyway at the chain-link fence and terra cotta pots, you’re thinking that she may have had a late night – that is till you drive closer and spot the gargoyles besides towering church doors. Well, you asked for it. You wanted eclectic and that is exactly what the Heritage Building Centre provides.
Ten years ago, this place was essentially a demolition yard that just happened to have recycled timber and old plumbing, but as customers began to ask about sourcing statement pieces, Bill Rendell of Heritage Building Centre gave it a shot.
Walking around the lot, taking in the ornately carved wooden gates from Argentina or the pair of marionettes that came from a travelling show in eastern Europe it looks like Bill really took those initial requests to heart…and then some.
When you signed up for those guitar lessons a year ago, you really did have the best of intentions.
You had pleasant visions of sitting around a campfire, strumming away, but then life stepped in the way and now all you’ve got to show for it is a dusty six-string and a plate of guilt.
Those dreams may not have panned out but that’s no reason to give up on the sing-alongs. Instead, you could meet up one evening with other time-poor aspiring musos and learn to pluck out a tune on the ukulele.
This is just one of the quirky classes that Laneway Learning is bringing to Rockdale.
The difference though is that they take place over just one night, are relatively inexpensive and best of all, are taught by ordinary people who just happen to be passionate about what they do – like wine tastings or hula hoops.
“Rockdale has an amazing and diverse mixture of people,” says Pamela.
“And with keen locals spreading the word, we’ve had loads of fun, mad and eccentric but knowledgeable Rockdalers coming forth.”
Stay tuned. This could get interesting.
The poles and benches along King Lane are wrapped in yarn – courtesy of ninja knitters while the walls are covered with a variety of art installations.
Each piece showcases the creative talents that exist within Rockdale – not just individually, but as schools and community groups.
And it’s not just a static project; once a month, the street is blocked off for a day of markets. There are of course the standard stalls of food and such, but what makes these truly unique is that each market has a different theme such as home & garden, babies & kids or vintage goods.
All of this is part of the popular #LivingLaneways Program that council has put forward, along with the help of Now & Then Markets, as a means to enliven the city and promote local businesses.
Judging by the increasing number of vendors and visitors, it looks like those sneaky knitters may have to pull their high jinks on another street or two.
Many urban areas hold claim to being multicultural but too often people from different walks of life stay in their neighbourhood, rarely gathering as one.
Rockdale however is a town that has done a fine job of embracing those differences, and using that to bring everyone together.
There is the wildly popular Chinese New Year festival that draws thousands of people from every walk of life as well as important national days like Macedonian Independence Day.
There is also the St George Migrant Centre’s Information Day, an annual event currently held at Rockdale’s town hall.
Hundreds of people come check out educational material, learn about the area’s offerings, but mostly to see all the different traditional costumes, watch performance like the Macedonian dancers, taste unique foods and best of all, meet their cultural neighbour.
Macedonian food
● Burek - A baked pastry originating from the Ottoman Empire. Inside the flaky dough, there’ll be different hardy ingredients, but a popular one is mince, cheese, and spinach. It’s served with a cold glass of buttermilk
● Tulumbi – A doughy pastry covered in golden sugary syrup often accompanied with seriously strong Macedonian coffee.
What was to become Rockdale was originally home to the “Water People,” Cadigal, the Gweagal, and the Bidjigal tribes.
Irish and English immigrants who arrived in the 1840s and 50s settling here for the good farming conditions, called it Frog Hollow or White Gum Flat until the postmistress, Mary Geeves, in 1878 gave it the name Rockdale supposedly because the post office and general store were located on Bay Street and Rocky Point Road.
Development of the area really began in the late 1800s, first with the gold rush that brought in Chinese migrants.
Around that time, the Illawarra line was extended to Hurstville fin addition to by Thomas Saywell’s private tramway service that ran between Rockdale and Brighton-Le-Sands, a beachside retreat area where he had built a luxurious hotel with its own baths and pavilions. Trams and trolleys serviced the area till being replaced by buses in 1949.
In the 1920s, wars and conflict led to an influx of Italian migrants then those from the Baltic Region and Greece right after WWII, followed by Macedonians and Serbian in the 70s.
With its proximity to the city and affordable housing, Rockdale is a mixture of light industry, commercial and residential areas – all perfectly situated off the railway.
Follow Jenifer Jagielski on Twitter @moxnixchick
Did you know…
● Rockdale’s sister city is Bitola, Macedonia
● Rockdale Opera Company is the longest continually running opera company in Australia.
● Rockdale’s recent development is partially attributed to the fact it is one of the few stations along the Illawarra line near the city that has a lift – perfect for prams
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