suburb no. 6: Eveleigh

It's one of those strange things - I lived in Newtown for many years but never once strayed into 
the neighbouring suburb of Eveleigh. In my defence, E. is a smallish suburb which back then was 
made up mostly of railway and some big old buildings that looked sort of interesting but were 
largely inaccessible.

'Research' revealed that E. may be small but it has a super sized history.

The condensed version:

• Eveleigh used to include large chunks of Redfern (which possibly explains why Eveleigh Street 
is actually in Redfern)

• Aboriginal members of the Gadigal clan lived in the area for up to 40,000 years until their 
near annihilation in the 1790's following the arrival of the British

• In the 1880s, 60 acres of land bounded by Darlington, Redfern, Alexandria and Erskineville 
were devoted to the railways, including a pair of buildings (those 'big old buildings') on either 
side of the railway tracks, the Eveleigh Workshops

• Eveleigh Workshops built the first steam trains in Australia and continued making railway 
carriages until they were closed in 1989

• In 1991 new life was breathed into the workshops on the Alexandria side of the tracks, 
transforming them into the Australian Technology Park (housing businesses plus a TV studio 
used for such things as MasterChef)

• In 2006, it was the turn of the workshops on the Darlington side to be reborn. Architectural 
firm Tonkin Zulaikha Greer turned the site into CarriageWorks, a magical space for performance 
of any sort, but especially for physical theatre that can make the most of the buildings’ enormous 
dimensions

• On weekends the area next to CarriageWorks is the scene of bustling activity with Eveleigh 
Farmers and Artisans Markets

• The powers that be have big plans for continuing the suburb’s transformation, including new 
apartments, cafes and shops.


Part 1: CarriageWorks

No wonder Tonkin Zulaikha Greer won a truckload of awards for CarriageWorks. As the jury at the 
Australian Institute of Architects' NSW Architecture Awards said, "This landmark site has been given 
new life without forsaking the old - its 1888 industrial heritage clearly evident through the retention 
of nearly all the significant fabric and equipment extant at the time of adaptation. The carriages 
have gone, but not the cranes, the rails and the ability to read its form and former function. Existing 
elements retain their patina of age".




reinvented





jagged edges




you're showing your patina




framed




reflections





then and now


Part 2: CarriageWorks at its most magical - as host of the Childrens Festival

The ghosts of the old workshops must surely be enjoying this week's hullabaloo at CarriageWorks. 
Kids on red cordial, bubbles reaching to the heavens of cathedral high spaces, high velocity circus 
acts. New life indeed.



happy home




creation




bubbling over with joy 1



bubbling over with joy 2



Skipping Girls 1



Skipping Girls 2



Skipping Girls 3



i have wings



net



flying through the air


Part 3: Eveleigh Markets

I had a bit of a retail moment when I found Born Again Books at the markets. They're old kids' books
'recycled' into journals. 'Adaptive reuse' in the publishing sense. Lovely.



'a novel idea'



my sentiments exactly



off the rails



choo choo




old and new

I also liked these examples of 'recycling'.



repurposed


Part 4: The other side of the tracks - the Australian Technology Park


No 12




old rattler




don't touch





where's First?


Part 5: Trainspotting - oddly enjoyable


sleek




silver




past and present


Part 6: The Block

The other main ‘theme’ of Eveleigh is the Aboriginal presence in the area, the epicenter being 
8,000 square metres known as The Block. Technically The Block is in Redfern, but given that parts 
of Redfern used to be Eveleigh, I thought I'd sneak it in.

So, hands up anyone who has ever felt like a Sunday stroll through The Block? I can only describe 
my own walk through it as brisk. I ran into a couple of nice lads who were happy enough to have 
their picture taken but that was about it. Rightly or wrongly I didn’t feel like dallying.


welcoming?



trees of life



40,000 years is a long time



in the 'hood



boys on the block



hope

The stormy skies full of big fat cumulonimbus clouds provided a fitting backdrop to view Eveleigh 
against this week. I found beauty in the massive buildings and railyards that hold so much history, 
and still do, thanks to their careful reinvention. May the suburb continue to be reborn in a way 
that's respectful to all its pasts.