Abercrombie, the forgotten street

In June, as Geoff Turnbull reported in his Redfern-Waterloo Updates, “Clover Moore has made a walk around. Council Officers and the Office of the Lord Mayor have also met with some residents and shop owners to discuss some of the issues needing to be addressed.”

Some of the residents at that meeting later canvassed with the SSH a range of ways in which the Council and the State Government could improve the Darlington area. Most of the residents couldn’t see why the Council wanted to make any changes to the park in Abercrombie Street. The park had always been used to exercise dogs and has a good playground, so no need to touch it. It was felt that a shared traffic zone from Shepherd Street to Lawson Street would be an advantage – slowing down traffic, making it easier for  pedestrians and maybe adding customers to the shops in Abercrombie Street.

One resident reminded us about the promise of a pedestrian crossing over the railway line from the Water Towers to Ivy Street in Darlington. When the previous Redfern-Waterloo Authority CEO, Robert Domm, announced this idea at a meeting of business owners and residents at Ella’s Café on an earlier occasion the idea was well received. 

Amanda Robb reported in May some of the ideas raised by Mr Packham, owner of the Darlington News Agency. Mr Packham suggested that a lighting audit for the street is a must for the large number of pedestrians traveling between the train station and the university at night. One other shop owner proposed the idea of creating a more communal feel in the area, such as a community notice board, facilitating an accessible focal point for local news and events.

Mr Packham stated: “Darlington is a blank canvas with positive potential. We are being neglected, and it is time our voice was heard, and action taken.”

Council will release its Draft Pedestrian Cycling and Traffic Calming Plan for Darlington from September 2. Details on the Council's website for feedback until September 25.

Caption: ‘Abercrombie Street at 5pm’ by Michael Fairweather

Source: South Sydney Herald September 2009 www.southsydneyherald.com.au