Redfern’s Great Depression

Things seem grim but the council has committed to slowly reinstating business confidence in Redfern over “several years’’.

What is needed, according to the Redfern Business Precinct Study, is a promotional campaign to re-badge Redfern, jettisoning the old image of Redfern as dangerous.

The president of the Redfern Waterloo Chamber of Commerce, Mary Lynne Pidcock, said the diversity of the area should be highlighted in the campaign, along with a public art blitz on the shop-shutters, a station upgrade and encouraging a diversity of shops back to Redfern.

“Overall branding is really important,’’ Ms Pidcock said. “There are a lot of strong brands already associated with Redfern - Rabbitohs, the Redfern Waterloo Authority, the chamber of commerce, Aboriginal Housing Company and the Aboriginal flag. We have to develop our overall branding strategy that speaks to all those things here and all the diversity of the community, the depth and wealth of the community.’’

Jan and Bill Caredes of Redfern Deli Cafe said more local shops were needed as many residents drove to Marrickville, Summer Hill and Broadway for groceries.

“People aren’t prepared to lug groceries,’’ Mrs Caredes said.

Shopkeepers said that security was not a big issue. There is a lot of public drunkenness, they said, but mostly people did not cause trouble.

The study found that 20 years ago Redfern was a much stronger business area based on factory outlet shops that attracted customers from the wider metropolitan area.

Most of the outlet shops have closed in the past 15 years because of increased competition from outlets in Alexandria and purpose-built centres, leaving empty premises and no commercial offers to attract out-of-area customers.

The onward march of gentrification is changing Redfern, attracting young professionals and other middle-income groups. The report stated that this influx may alienate current community members. “Another possibility is that the new residents may avoid the Redfern business precinct in favour of nearby shopping precincts such as Newtown, Broadway or Danks St,’’ the report predicted.

The Redfern Waterloo Authority also has a part to play in the revitalisation of the area. Locals have long called for a station upgrade, as Redfern is one of the busiest in the network. CEO of the authority, Roy Wakelin-King, told a public meeting that the upgrade of Redfern station was not dependent on the development of new residential units in the area, but was nonetheless “linked’’ to it. City of Sydney Council has just upgraded Redfern Oval, footpaths and lighting.

The locals share their concerns

Jan and Bill Caredes, Redfern Deli Cafe on Redfern St:

"There are no drawcards here anymore.

When the fashion industry was here carparks a drawcard.

We would have buses pulling up.

There is not enough variety of shops here.

We need normal businesses back - pharmacy, butchers, fruit market, florist. A supermarket comes along and kills everything. In 1989 we had our first place here in Redfern. Now we've scaled back. We still get drunks here.

They are so blind they can't see the Alcohol Free Zone signs. But it's not a dangerous area.

There are a lot of services for Aboriginal people here. The media plays up every little thing that happens and puts out the image of Redfern as a bad area."

Ivan Jing, Manchester Warehouse Regent St

 "Transport and parking is not bad. People can still park on the street or in the free carperk down the road. Every house here has security grills on the windows. You can tell a lot from that. We've been here one year. 

We've had no trouble with security and the council upgrades have made a difference. 

Our customers come from outer suburbs and some are locals. It's close to the city but most people go to the city rather than here. Most of the time people are drunk. 

They just want to mess around. Some try to steal. That's why we have cameras all around.

David Wang, coffee shop on Regent St

"They could paint the buildings.

I've been here less than half a year.

Safety by day is ok. Sometimes people are drunk, but they still pay and don't cause trouble. Most customers are local. There are many passers-by.

Parking is good. It needs lighting.

Regent St/Botany Rd is quieter than Redfern St. There are a lot of restaurants and coffee shops here.

We need advertising and promotions to bring people in on the weekends.

Boom and Bust in Redfern

Redfern emerged as a local village in the early part of the 1900s.

It accelerated into growth during the post war industrialisation and reached maturity in the late industrial economy of the 60s and 70s.

According to Sydney Council's business precinct study, Redfern is in a state of transition poised before two alternatives - stagnation/decline or economic re-emergence. The businesses in Redfern are considered stable and have operated for a long time: One-third of business operators own their own premises.

Many are low-turnover businesses that see themselves as convenient.

Most businesses, especially retailers, identify their customers as locals, students and workers.

Most shoppers walk to Redfern retail precinct and most - 80 per cent - stay less than an hour.

There are 217 shops operating in Redfern and 65 shops are vacant. 

Source: http://sydney-central.whereilive.com.au/news/story/redferns-great-depression/ and items found only in print edition.