Why I love my suburb: Comedian Rob Shehadie on Parramatta
WHY I love my suburb is a new series written by Sydneysiders about their patch. Comedian and actor Rob Shehadie tells why he is proud of his western suburbs roots.
Parramatta
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WHY I love my suburb is a new series written by Sydneysiders about their patch. Comedian and actor Rob Shehadie tells why he is a proud of his western suburbs roots.
I love Parramatta for many reasons, I was born in the Royal Hospital for Women at Paddington but I was rushed to Parramatta as soon as I was born because I couldn’t handle the eastern suburbs. They found my blood type to be blue and gold from the day I was born making me an EELS fan and a proud western Sydneysider!
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I have seen the city of Parramatta change a lot since I was a kid; it has basically grown up with me from a little kid into a 6ft4 tower just like the towers of the Parramatta skyline.
I attended St Patricks Primary Parramatta and remember attending the opening of Parramatta stadium with my class and waving to the queen as she drove around the field.
I remember the days of catching the bus on the famous Lennox Bridge outside the well known uniform shop Japours to my home in Dundas which then got changed to Oatlands or what is now better known as the Lebanese Vaucluse.
My first ever-footy coach in Parramatta was Ray Warren (Ch9 commentator) and we trained across the road from the pools.
With the announcement of Parramatta being Sydney’s next city, it has changed in size but the closeness of the community hasn’t changed. It is still very family-orientated in Parramatta and everyone seems to know each other.
I remember having my first kebab in Parramatta Westfields as a kid from the same guys that now own El-Phoenician in Church St. I learnt later in life as I got to know them, that their shop in Parramatta was the first ever kebab shop in Australia.
Speaking of food, Parramatta’s eat street (Church St) has now become a world-class spot to go to for an amazing meal. I enjoy eating at Ray & Lou’s and then getting into mouth watering desserts at Bay Vista.
And to burn off the calories after the big feed, I love walking around the beautiful Parramatta Park and seeing the history of the Old Government House and the hidden gems that the park has to offer.
Parramatta is a vibrant city full of culture and it still has a warm feeling about it thanks to the people that call Parramatta home.
Blue and gold will always be a apart of me and I am so proud to tell people that I am a resident of Parramatta.
●Rob Shehadie is an actor, writer and comedian. He was also a co-creator of the Logie nominated show Here Come The Habibs and Street Smart.