HELLO DOLLY
TANYA PLIBERSEK
FEDERAL MEMBER FOR SYDNEY
Boosting support payments
On 1 July 2025, a range of rates, thresholds, and limits increased by 2.4 per cent to ensure they keep pace with the cost of living, helping more than 2.4 million recipients of social security payments.
Indexation keeps payments in line with the wider economy, like the Family Tax Benefit, and ensures that the social security system remains a safety net that Australians can rely on.
Energy bills
We believe that everyone deserves a fairer go with energy bills. That’s why we’re announcing a set of rule changes on energy retailers to make energy plans fairer.
Starting next year, our changes will ban sneaky frequent price hikes from retailers, remove excessive charges like late payment fees and ensure that vulnerable Australians get the best offer from their energy company.
Bulk billing
The Albanese Government is getting on with the job of strengthening Medicare.
In our first term of Parliament, we delivered more doctors, more bulk billing, cheaper medicines and opened 87 Medicare Urgent Care Clinics.
We’re now making the single largest investment in Medicare since its creation over 40 years ago.
Our $8.5 billion investment will deliver more bulk billed GP visits, hundreds of nursing scholarships, and thousands more doctors.
Australian patients and families will save hundreds of dollars a year in out-of-pocket costs and by 2030 nine out of 10 visits to the GP will be free.
Paid Parental Leave (PPL) annual income limits have also increased. Individuals can now earn up to $180,007 and still be eligible while families can now earn up to $373,094. The Albanese Labor Government reforms to PPL have already helped over 380,000 parents.
Other key changes from 1 July 2025 include increases to: asset limits for recipients of JobSeeker Payment, Youth Allowance, Austudy, ABSTUDY Living Allowance, Parenting Payment, and Special Benefit the income threshold for Parenting Payment Single income and assets thresholds for Age Pension, Disability Support Pension and Carer Payment the rate of Essential Medical Equipment Payment.
Tax help
This year, my electorate office is again providing free assistance to low income earners preparing tax returns.
Should you wish to book an appointment, please contact my office on 02 9379 0700.
Our volunteer accountant is available, 1pm-4pm on: Friday 8 and Friday 29 August Friday 5 September Friday 3 October
We know that people are still under pressure and that’s why our ongoing cost-of-living relief measures are so important.
NEWTOWN MACCAS
Locals are not enthused a McDonald's may be heading to Newtown (See p.5)
HUBARTS: HEDWIG DAZZLES
The glittery gut-punch of a rock musical thrills Sydney audiences
(See p.19)
Published monthly and freely available throughout the Inner City.
Copies are also distributed to serviced apartments, hotels, convenience stores and newsagents throughout the city.
Distribution enquiries call 9212 5677. Published by Altmedia Pty Ltd. While every effort is made to ensure accuracy of content, we take no responsibility for inadvertent errors or omissions.
ABN 52 600 903 348
Group Editor & Publisher: Lawrence Gibbons
Publisher’s Assistant: Mal Moody
National Sales Director: Greg Topalian Ph: 0455 120 404
Advertising Manager: Mal Moody Ph: 0484 042 615
Advertising: sales@altmedia.net.au
Managing Editor: Chloe Sargeant
News Contributors: Bianca Tropiano, Lydia Jupp, Naomi Lawrence, Will Thorpe
Arts Contributors: Bianca Tropiano, Coffin Ed, Josh Kerwick, Mae Rawson, Naomi Lawrence, Sean Cerexhe-McIntyre
Cover Photo: Cameron Grant
Designer: Nadia Kalinitcheva
Mail: PO Box 843 Broadway 2007
Email: news@altmedia.net.au, arts@altmedia.net.au
Ph: 9212 5677 Fax: 9212 5633
Website: www.cityhub.com.au
If you have a story, or any comments you’d like to share with us: news@altmedia.net.au
@CityHubSydney
HubNEWS
Callan Park: green space, demolition plans & fighting to keep it public
BY NAOMI LAWRENCE
Nine derelict buildings at Callan Park are set to be torn down, unlocking 1.6 hectares of public green space. But as demolition plans move forward, a long-running battle over the park’s future use is flaring up again.
The NSW Government has committed $4.8 million to Sydney’s latest Inner West project, with demolition set for mid-2026 and finished by early 2027.
The plan aims to address safety concerns and revitalise the sprawling parklands.
Planning Minister Paul Scully said the fire-damaged structures had become easy targets for vandalism and the Minns government aims to “put an end to the neglect of Callan Park and [invest] to restore more quality green space for the growing Inner West community”.
“Callan Park is a jewel in the crown of the Inner West, but these nine buildings have been left to deteriorate beyond repair becoming a stain on the park’s reputation,” said Scully.
“By demolishing these buildings, we will return 1.6 hectares of green open space to the community which is the equivalent of 4000 large picnic blankets or two football fields.
“We’ve unlocked housing density in the streets and suburbs surrounding Callan Park and this funding will make sure future residents have more quality green space in their neighbourhood.”
The condemned sites include wards from the former Callan Park Hospital, an abandoned pharmacy, weighbridges,
the old engineer’s store, and a garage near the heritage-listed Bonnyview Cottage.
While locals adamantly support bulldozing the park’s central decaying structures, tensions are rising over the park’s future use.
PUSH TO AMEND CALLAN PARK ACT FOR COMMERCIAL USE
In June, a NSW parliamentary committee recommended amending the Callan Park Act, which currently restricts commercial activity at the site.
Only not-for-profit organisations can operate in the park.
Balmain Greens MP Kobi Shetty warned against relaxing the protections, calling it a “grave concern” that could open the door to private developers.
Every blade of [grass] is valuable and should be available for public access
“Time after time our community has had to fend off attempts to sell Callan Park to developers and private interests,” she said. “Allowing commercialisation by undermining the Act for a café is a Trojan horse for so much more. It’s a very slippery slope.”
PROTECT PUBLIC ACCESS, SAY COMMUNITY ADVOCATES
For years, local groups have pushed for Callan Park to become a hub for health and wellbeing organisations and cultural spaces.
A 2024 community proposal for the Callan Park Plan of Management outlined a vision with domestic violence shelters, Indigenous organisations, bushcare groups, community gardens, and even TAFE programs helping restore heritage buildings.
The plan also suggested a heritage museum run by community volunteers and spaces for arts, fitness, and local markets.
Independent Balmain councillor John Stamolis recently described Callan Park as having a “long and rich history of public purpose, community and mental health use.”
Friends of Callan Park’s long-standing president Hall Greenland urged the government to keep the Act intact and, in turn, maintain public access protections.
“Every blade of it is valuable and should be available for public access,” Greenland said. “If anyone fences it off or reserves it for private or commercial use, it’s a loss to the public and a loss we can’t afford.”
Inner West Mayor Darcy Byrne backed the demolition plans but stressed the need for local access to remain front and centre.
“The feedback we get consistently from local people is they want to see it used more, not closed off,” Byrne said.
Designs for a swim site with accessible pathways to the tidal baths are also in progress.
As demolition looms, locals remain determined to keep Callan Park a community space, resisting pressures from private interests.
Photo: callanparksyd / Instagram
Gay man dies after being restrained by police during welfare check
BY LYDIA JUPP
Agay man has died after being restrained by police during a mental health-related welfare check in inner Sydney.
An ambulance was called to the Pitt St apartment complex at 2:14am on Tuesday 15 July, where they found Collin Burling, 45, suffering an apparent mental health episode.
Paramedics made an "urgent request" to police, who attended the scene.
Police said Burling was cooperative as emergency services helped him into the ambulance, but suddenly became distressed, with police handcuffing him so he could be sedated.
Footage taken by Burling's partner, Taite Collins, shows four police officers pinning him to the ground, as he calls for help and tells police he was unable to breathe.
“I’m not a threat,” Burling says. “Help me.”
Police hung a privacy blanket over the 45-year-old as paramedics administered first aid.
“I’m unaware if he actually was sedated ... at this point in time, but shortly thereafter, that male has gone into cardiac arrest,” Assistant Commissioner Peter McKenna said at a press conference.
Burling was pronounced dead upon arrival at Royal Prince Alfred Hospital.
“I knew he had passed before they even left … It was absolutely appalling behaviour by the police. … It shouldn’t have happened in the first place,” Collins said.
“He was a beautiful man. He’s a big, burly bloke, but he’s got a heart of gold.”
COMMUNITY GROUPS RALLY FOR JUSTICE
The incident has highlighted inadequate and deadly police response during welfare checks on vulnerable people.
Action for Public Housing spokesperson Rachel Evans said Burling's death was not an isolated incident.
"This is a pattern. In the last five years, more than 55 people experiencing severe mental distress were killed in interactions with police.”
In July 2023, 43-year-old Jesse Deacon suffered an acute breakdown in his Glebe public housing home. A well-meaning neighbour rang emergency services and asked for the ambulance, but the police responded, forcibly entered his home, shot and killed Jesse.
"Mental illness is a health problem, not a police problem," said Jesse’s mother, Judy Deacon. "We don’t want police responding to people in mental anguish."
Similarly, First Nations Wakka Wakka man Patrick Fisher fell from level 13 of Waterloo public housing while fleeing from police in 2018, and 17-yearold Gamilaraay teenager TJ Hickey was chased by police to his death in Waterloo in 2004.
“This is a war on the poor and vulnerable," said Evans. "Police are killing people in and around the public housing estates. Jesse and Collin, Patrick... should all be alive. People in distress should be offered trained mental health staff, not killers in blue."
PREMIER DENIES ALLEGATIONS OF "HEAVY-HANDEDNESS" FROM POLICE
Queer advocacy group Pride In Protest have also shared their deepest condolences with Burling's family and friends, and said police have no role in
police presence in Sydney's queer spaces and events".
"Collin's murder comes more than a year after Sydney couple Jesse Baird and Luke Davies were allegedly murdered by off-duty police officer Beau Lamarre-Condon, who is still yet to enter a plea. This week's senseless kill of yet another queer person by police shows that the NSW Police Force's narrative of cooperation and reconciliation is a total farce.
“Police attend acute crises and can exacerbate situations," said Deacon. "Their interventions result in killing vulnerable people suffering from a mental illness. They act with impunity, continuing to harass and kill Aboriginal people."
Action for Public Housing is one of several groups who rallied at Town Hall on Saturday 19 July to call for an immediate end of police responding to mental health crisis cases, and the introduction of mental health-first responder programs in their place.
responding to mental health crisis calls.
They highlighted recent similar deaths in custody, including Gaurav Kundi in South Australia, Kumanjayi White in the Northern Territory, and Jack Kokaua in Sydney.
"Healthcare workers across NSW are desperately calling for better pay, staffing, an working conditions. We've seen a total collapse of the public health psychiatry system beacuse of the NSW Government's refusal to meet basic demands to address the workforce crisis.
"But there's always more money to chuck at policing."
The organisation reiterated previously made demands, including the removal of the NSW Police Force from the Mardi Gras parade, and the end of Operation Mardi Gras, putting a stop to what they say is a "dangerous and overwhelming
"The police institution is an oppressive one laced with racism, queerphobia and violence, and one that is not held accountable for its actions."
Premier Chris Minns has rejected suggestions of police misconduct, and said officers worked a "difficult job in difficult circumstances".
"What I can promise is that we've got very robust independent oversight and investigation models in place and processes to ensure that the public can have confidence that these things will be investigated."
A critical incident investigation team from the State Crime Commands Homicide Squad will investigate the circumstances surrounding Burling's death.
The investigation will also be subject to an independent review by the Professional Standards Command, overseen by the Law Enforcement Conduct Commission.
Photo: Facebook
Photo: Action for Public Housing / Facebook
Locals not enthused McDonald’s may be coming to Newtown
BY WILL THORPE
For years, major fast food chains were largely absent from Newtown, with the lesser exceptions of Oporto and Guzman y Gomez. Now, a proposal for a McDonald's restaurant is purported to have been submitted.
SLR Consulting Australia, which has previously worked with McDonald’s, lodged a development application on July 8 for a “24-hour Takeaway Food and Drink premises” at 212-214 King Street. The proposed restaurant would be situated next to beloved community chicken shop, Clem's.
The application promises that the restaurant “will generate employment opportunities” and “provide a convenient, accessible hospitality site to satisfy the demands of a range of local residents, workers and tourists.” Newtown has no shortage of pubs, restaurants and cafés which
Ph: (02) 9517 2800
E: newtown@parliament.nsw.gov.au W: jennyleong.org 383 King St, Newtown NSW 2042
cater to the many who frequent the neighbourhood.
INNER WEST LOCALS ARE CRITICAL
Ambrose Hayes, a resident of Petersham, was not enthused.
“Newtown is a place for smaller businesses,” Hayes told City Hub, adding that a McDonald’s restaurant would "decimate the late-night food options” and Newtown’s atmosphere.
Newtown is a place for smaller businesses
A Newtown resident and former McDonald’s manager agreed.
“I think it’s unfortunate to see giant fast food chains like KFC and McDonald’s popping up in Newtown, as I’d like to think the general area tends to favour smaller or more local
shops and franchises, especially around King Street."
“I don’t think it would aid the local community but I also think it would unfortunately end up turning a profit, especially if it’s a 24-hour restaurant. Late night and early morning hospitality is in high demand for the area so I think that will be the case.”
Asked if there would be a benefit in terms of cheaper food, they were adamant.
“I think it’s obviously going to help people in terms of cheap and accessible food, but I’d rather any other option.”
“I suppose it would be nice to give that space to people who really care about running a restaurant and the food they put out, but I suppose you could say the same about a lot of places that have a fast food chain,” a University of Sydney student and artist from French’s Forest remarked to City Hub
A McDonald’s restaurant operated in Newtown from 1989 to 1998 in the building which is now the Irish pub Kelly’s on King. A Kentucky Fried Chicken franchise also previously existed in Newtown.
Members of the public can lodge their thoughts on the proposal by SLR Consulting Australia between July 11 and August 8.
Numbness is a privilege we can’t afford
A few weeks ago, I read a post on Instagram shared by the wonderful community group ‘Mums 4 Refugees’ that read:
“If you ever feel heavy because you care deeply about injustice, suffering and ecological destruction, remember that a trillion dollar propaganda machine was built to make you numb and it didn't work on you.”
The message resonated strongly with my team in the Newtown electorate office, as I'm sure it did with many others in our community who are feeling the heavy burden of the deeply troubling times we are living in right now. It seems that every day brings a new, unprecedented crisis or a new historic turning point—only, in many ways, it seems that rather than moving forward with progressive change, we are going backwards.
I note that this past June marked three years since Roe v Wade was overturned in the U.S. and conservative states began their rapid rollback of reproductive rights.
I also note that June marked the 56 anniversary of the Stonewall riots. th
I acknowledge that members of the LGBTIQA+ community in New York took a courageous stance against police brutality and were met with horrifying state-sanctioned violence. Let us never forget that the first Pride was a protest, particularly as we are now seeing a resurgence in regressive, brazenly queerphobic rhetoric and the bolstering of anti-trans rights.
It is not a coincidence that these two events, decades apart, which have mobilised our communities here in Sydney and beyond to take action for their rights, both happened in the United States.
The outsized impact and influence of American politics in Australia and globally cannot be overstated. Events that take place many thousands of kilometres away have repercussions for our local communities. In many ways, this can be a good thing. It is only right that grassroots movements here take inspiration from the brave activists mobilising in the United States and that our communities draw courage from the people putting their
safety on the line to push back against Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the increasingly emboldened fascists in the White House.
That said, it is not right for this Federal Labor Government to take any inspiration or cues from the Trump administration. We cannot continue to allow the brutal expansionist ambitions of another country to dictate our own foreign policy.
Communities here and around the world deserve better than governments that choose aggression over de escalation, and the profits of the military industrial complex over the safety of the people who they serve.
We deserve leaders who have not allowed the horrible things in the world to make them numb.
Jenny Leong MP Greens Member for Newtown
Photo: Maurizio Viani
Rental market surges as gov’t fails social housing commitments
BY BIANCA TROPIANO
Rental spikes across Sydney and Australian cities have drastically increased over the past decade, with social housing slipping the lowest share on record of 4.1 per cent since Labor's induction in 2022.
Australia’s social housing system has declined amongst the pressures of demand for housing and the cost of living crisis, which has induced residents
of capital cities to compete against another.
The decline has forced residents to enter the private rental market, which has not only intensified the demand, but skyrocketed prices higher than ever before.
The average Sydney weekly rent prices have surged at a rate of 50.9 per cent in 2025, from prices of $567 in 2015 to $855 in 2025. With staggering figures increasing
Lawyers allege police punched Hannah Thomas in the face
BY LYDIA JUPP
Lawyers for former Greens candidate Hannah Thomas are alleging police punched their client in the face during a pro-Palestine protest, resulting in "extensive and serious injury to her eye".
Lawyers at O’Brien Criminal and Civil Solicitors said on July 14 that Thomas will sue the state of New South Wales, and are calling for police to withdraw the two criminal charges against her.
Thomas was arrested along with four others at a picket outside of SEC Plating in Belmore on 27 June, and was injured so seriously that she required emergency surgery, and may permanently lose vision in her right eye.
The 35-year-old was charged with resisting police and refusing or failing to comply with a direction. Police previously tried to invoke rarely used
everyday, Sydney rent prices are rising faster than incomes and the broader cost of living.
The Everybody’s Home campaign released a report titled Out of Reach that demanded the need for change through jarring statistics, proving the struggle of everyday Australian residents, particularly those just scraping by.
This is a national crisis that is now pricing out everyday people
“This is a national crisis that is now pricing out everyday people right across the country," said Everybody’s Home spokesperson Maiy Azize.
DEMAND FOLLOWS YEARS OF CHRONIC UNDERINVESTMENT
Social housing within Australia’s capital cities has declined from 4.7 per cent in 2013 to 4.1 per cent in 2024.
The National Housing Supply and Affordability Council proposed two targets to offset change in rebuilding
Australia's housing system, ‘A Decade to Six Percent’ and ‘Two Decades to Ten Percent’.
A Decade to Six Percent aims to restore social and affordable housing to six percent of housing stock. Demanding that Australia would need to provide 790,000 social housing dwellings, excluding the existing 426,000 that remain inundated.
“Right now, around 4 per cent of all homes are social housing. To reach 6 per cent, Australia must build more than 36,000 additional social housing dwellings every year for the next decade. If we want one in ten homes to be social housing, we need to build an extra 54,000 social homes every year for 20 years. Whichever way you look at it, the scale dwarfs current government commitments and lays bare both the enormous demand and decades of chronic underinvestment," Azize said.
The Federal Government has committed to granting 30,000 social housing dwellings over 5 years, which is an underwhelming number considering the requirements to achieve the six per cent goal.
anti-riot laws to charge Thomas, but these were withdrawn after backlash from civil rights groups.
“My office has now viewed all available footage of the incident giving rise to the moments leading to the injury to Ms Thomas’ eye on the 27th of June, and I am satisfied that Ms Thomas was punched in the face by a male police officer, causing extensive and serious injury to her eye,” Peter O’Brien alleged.
Thomas' arrest was declared a critical incident, and is undergoing an internal review from police watchdog the Law Enforcement Conduct Commission.
THOMAS TO SUE FOR ASSAULT AND BATTERY, AMONG OTHERS
“Our firm is now furnished with instructions to proceed with a civil claim for compensation against the
State of NSW for the actions of the NSW police officers connected to her apprehension, injury, detention, and prosecution,” O'Brien said.
The Premier needs to step up now
“Torts likely to be pursued against the State include assault and battery, false imprisonment, malicious prosecution, misfeasance in public office, and collateral abuse of process.
“It is noteworthy that this occurred against the backdrop of the State government’s attempt to broaden police powers in relation to public
assemblies such that they are arguably contrary to constitutional principles.”
Greens MP and spokesperson for Justice Sue Higginson is calling for the charges against Thomas and the four other protesters to be dropped, and for charges to be pressed against the police officers involved.
Higginson has also demanded Assistant Commissioner McFadden stand down, and for his conduct to be investigated.
“The Premier needs to step up now, in the ordinary course, prosecution processes should be left to run their course, but this one is extraordinary," she said.
Photo: Action for Public Housing / Facebook
Photo: hannah4grayndler & deepcutnews / Instagram
Opal fare hikes hit commuters with 2.5% increase
BY NAOMI LAWRENCE
Sydney commuters recently woke up to higher public transport costs, as Opal fares rose by an average of 2.5 percent from 14 July.
The annual adjustment comes less than two months after the NSW Government settled a multi-million dollar wage deal with rail workers that ended months of industrial action.
The fare increase, announced by Transport for NSW, matches inflation under the Consumer Price Index (CPI) but remains below the maximum cap set by the state’s pricing regulator, the Independent Pricing and Regulatory Tribunal (IPART).
From 14 July, adult Opal users pay between 7 and 33 cents more per trip, while child, youth and concession passengers will see increases ranging from 3 to 17 cents.
The exact increase depends on distance, travel mode and whether trips occur during peak or off-peak periods.
Daily and weekly fare caps will remain unchanged. Adults will continue to
pay no more than $19.30 Monday to Thursday, and $9.65 on weekends and public holidays.
Weekly caps are staying at $50 for adults and $25 for youth, concession and senior card holders. Pensioners and seniors retain a $2.50 daily cap.
TRANSPORT NSW DEFENDS RISE
Transport for NSW Secretary Josh Murray said the rise would help maintain and operate the network.
Cat Boutique
food, litter and so much more.
“Each year, fares are reviewed to ensure the network can sustainably cover costs like electricity, fuel, maintenance and staffing,” he said. He added that most commuters would see an average rise of about 50 cents a week.
Transport for NSW noted that about one in ten adult passengers already reach the $50 weekly cap, meaning their costs will not rise further.
Murray also reminded the 60 per cent of adult passengers using contactless
payments to tap on and off with the same card or device to avoid default maximum fares and to access transfer discounts.
The fare rise follows the NSW Government’s settlement of a new enterprise agreement with the Rail, Tram and Bus Union (RTBU) in late May. That deal delivered a 12 per cent wage increase over three years and backpay from May 2024.
Each year, fares are reviewed to ensure the network can sustainably cover costs
The agreement came after months of industrial action that caused widespread delays and cancellations across Sydney’s rail network.
The Station Access Fee at Sydney Airport train stations has also risen to $17.92 for adults, and $16.03 for children, youth, concession and senior travellers accessing the Domestic and International terminals.
Cat Of The Month
Names: MANGO, Age: 2.5 years (est) Sex & Colour: Male Ginger DSH
The name is Mango. Just Mango. And he prefers his treats shaken straight from the bag not stirred in with his food. Highly classified sources confirm this dashing ginger gentleman is a top-secret smooch and his latest mission is to secure new headquarters for his covert operations. Mango is on the lookout for a peaceful safe-house. A calm indoor-only home without too much activity, where he can concentrate on his undercover operations (snuggling up under soft blankets) and setting up surveillance of the kitchen. At first Mango will be busy gathering intelligence in his new home and you might not see much of him as he stakes out the cupboards. Mango can be shy around strangers and will appreciate your patience and understanding as he settles in. With his golden eyes and enigmatic air, this elite furry operative will infiltrate all aspects of your heart and home. Mango is a master of purrrsuasion!
INTERESTED IN ADOPTING? visit www.catprotection.org.au
Rehoming Organisation Number: R251000224
Source: Wikimedia Commons
Trump nominates former Ashfield councillor as US Ambassador to Malaysia
BY LYDIA JUPP
Aformer Sydney councillor has been handpicked by President Donald Trump as the new US ambassador to Malaysia.
Nick Adams previously served as the deputy mayor on Ashfield council after being elected at the age of 21, and made headlines in 2005 when he proposed eradicating the area's pigeons to prevent the spread of bird flu.
In a statement posted to X shortly after the announcement, Adams said the nomination was the "honour of a lifetime".
"It will be my honour to represent the United States of America in Malaysia," he said.
The self-described “alpha male” and Hooters enthusiast first came to Trump's attention in 2017
"To the esteemed Members of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, I look forward to a confirmation process that is at the heart of the Constitution that has given me the freedom to pursue the American Dream.
"Thank you again to our Greatest President Ever! God Bless the United States of America!"
In a post to Truth Social, Trump said Adams was an “incredible patriot and very successful entrepreneur, whose love of, and devotion to, our Great Country is an inspiration”.
The self-described “alpha male” and Hooters enthusiast first came to Trump's attention in 2017, when the
Inner Sydney boarding house saved from demolition in last minute bid
BY LYDIA JUPP
Adeveloper with plans to turn an affordable inner Sydney boarding house into "boutique high-end residential and commercial projects” has lost its appeal in the Land and Environment Court.
LFD Developments failed in its bid to overturn the City of Sydney's rejection of their planning application for the boarding houses known as Selwyn Street.
LFD has 28 days to go to the Court of Appeal.
“HISTORIC WIN” COMES TOO LATE FOR FORMER TENANTS
Sydney Greens councillor Sylvie Ellsmore said that while the decision was a "historic win" for housing in Sydney, it had come too late for the tenants.
President tweeted that his book Green Card Warrior: My Quest for Legal Immigration in an Illegals’ System was a "must read". He later appointed him to the Woodrow Wilson Centre think tank.
FOLLOWING THE “AMERICAN DREAM”
Adams became an American citizen in 2021, but has seemingly been an enthusiast of American values for decades.
In 2016, Adams founded the Foundation for Liberty and American Greatness (FLAG), which describes itself as a "non-profit organisation dedicated to promoting and providing high-quality civics education that informs students and families about the greatness of America and the power of the American Dream”.
He's also organised "patriotic boycotts" against companies pushing progressive values, and has targeted Disney, "feminist M&Ms", Nike, and the NBA.
Adams was suspended from the Liberal party in 2009 after he was filmed verbally abusing Channel Ten journalist Brett Mason, who was covering his absences from council meetings.
Adams was reported to have been ignoring his councillor duties in favour of motivational speaking seminars across the United States.
At the time, NSW Liberal Party State Director, Mark Neeham said Adams had also previously made statements “which similarly were likely to embarrass or cause damage to the reputation of the Liberal Party.”
Adams reportedly later said he had quit the party before they could suspend him.
Selwyn Street had offered affordable housing for vulnerable and low-income men since WWII, and had been keeping people off the streets until the last residents were evicted earlier this year.
The court ruled that its demolition would be an “unacceptable loss of affordable rental boarding house accommodation.”
Sydney should not simply be an enclave for the rich
While acknowledging the importance of Selwyn Street to the community, the court also recognised the role boarding houses play in providing housing for low-income earners in the inner city.
“The individual contribution which a particular low rental building makes to the overall supply of low rental accommodation may be small, but the cumulative impact of many such losses is significant,” the judgment continued.
“It is therefore important to consider each application in the context of longterm cumulative trends.”
Many of the former residents had been living there for decades, paying $150-$200 in rent per week. With houses in Paddington being sold for millions of dollars today, their eviction forced residents to leave the community they know and love in order to find housing.
Lord Mayor Clover Moore said she hoped the decision set a precedent to help prevent the loss of affordable housing to private residential development.
“Sydney should not simply be an enclave for the rich,” she told Sydney Morning Herald. “And we need more affordable housing options in the city, not less. That’s why stories like this are so confronting and why the City rejected this development application in the first place.
“We’re in a housing affordability crisis, and governments must preserve and deliver affordable and diverse housing –including boarding houses.”
Grassroots advocacy group Action for Public Housing is calling on the City to buy the properties. Housing Minister Rose Jackson said in December that the NSW government would contribute and purchase part of Selwyn Street alongside the City, but LFD failed to respond to the offer.
Photo: Nick Adams / Instagram
Photo: Action for Public Housing / Facebook
You’re invited to celebrate 40 years of ACON
In 2025, ACON – NSW’s leading HIV and LGBTQ health organisation – is turning 40 and we are inviting you to take part in our community program as we mark this important milestone. Join us as we remember the past, reflect on how far our communities have come, and unite as we look to the future. Be part of ACON 40.
Friday 22 August
Saturday 20 September
Wednesday 8 October
Wednesday 24 September
Thursday 9 October
August
August LOVE
Saturday 27 September
Saturday 11 October
Tuesday 30 September
Saturday 18 October
And many more plus more to be announced. View the full community program and subscribe to get the latest announcements: acon40.org.au
Thursday 11 September
Wednesday 3 October
Saturday 25 October
COMMUNITY LAUNCH
ACON HUB AT THE WHARF
WHITEFELLA YELLA TREE QUEER NIGHT
ACON 40 QTOPIA EXHIBITION Now showing
ACON 40: THROUGH THE LENS
DYKES, DRINKS & DIRTY SHEETS
ACON 40: TRANS EVOLUTION Saturday 30
SOCIAL CELEBRATION
PARRAMATTA PRIDE PICNIC
LGBTIQ+ ELDERS DANCE CLUB Saturday 30
PRIDE IN SPORT SUMMIT
ACON 40: RUBY GALA DINNER
BINGAY SPORTY 40
RENT THE MUSICAL ACON NIGHT
ACON STALL AT
Lord Roberts & Newtown Hotel owners trade pubs in 'unusual' deal
BY CHLOE SARGEANT
In a move that’s turning heads through the Sydney CBD–inner‑west corridor, Universal Hotel Group and long‑time Darlinghurst publican Sue Cameron have traded leaseholds in a rare one‑for‑one pub swap, reported to be valued around $20 million.
Universal offloaded the iconic Newtown Hotel, an inner west late‑night stalwart pub with a strong drag night legacy, while Cameron hands over the long held keys to Lord Roberts Hotel, one of the inner‑city’s most enduring local pubs — signalling a new chapter for both operators.
Behind the scenes, the swap looks more strategic than sentimental:
Universal is consolidating their already impressive foothold on the CBD/Darlinghurst fringe, where redevelopment is occurring at a swift rate.
Cameron, on the other hand, is pivoting to the vibrant cultural hub of Newtown — and as a member of the LGBTQIA+ community herself, is excited to be taking on one of King St’s most beloved LGBTQIA+ venues.
‘AN
UNUSUAL ARRANGEMENT’
“[The pub swap] is definitely an unusual arrangement. When the idea was first presented to me, I wasn’t particularly interested. But when it came up a second time, I took a step back and really considered what I wanted next,” Cameron tells City Hub
“The opportunity offered both a fresh challenge and the chance to realise a long held dream of owning a pub in Newtown. It also allowed me to release some capital, which made sense commercially. I found Harris Kospetas to be a thoughtful and respectful counterpart, a great custodian for the Lord Roberts.
“In the end, it felt like the right time. Darlinghurst had been home for many years, but Newtown was calling.”
“The Lord Roberts is a well known Darlinghurst institution and we appreciate its reputation,” Kospetas told Australian Financial Review “We plan to work on reinstating the heritage features of the property but not making too many changes. We will
take the time to settle into the venue and consult with the local community.”
Both pubs have stayed open through the transition, with staffing structures reported to be largely intact.
LGBTQ+ VENUES IN LGBTQ+ HANDS
Cameron, a stalwart of the Sydney hospo and pub scene, is a proud lesbian, and says she is excited to make her mark on the beloved King St LGBTQIA+ venue, the Newtown Hotel.
But she says letting go of the Lord Roberts, which she officially became the owner of in 1995, so 30 years ago this year, is “bittersweet”.
Darlinghurst had been home for many years, but Newtown was calling
“The Lord Roberts has been part of my adult life for five decades. I officially became the owner in 1995, but was involved long before that, initially as a partner with family, and even earlier as a 17 year old walking into the hotel with my future husband. His mother held the lease at the time. So yes, it’s been a lifetime connection.
community and draw on my own network in a meaningful way.”
She also says that becoming the publican for the Newtown Hotel, a pub with a long LGBTQIA+ legacy, has made her “immensely proud”.
“While some LGBTQ+ venues may be owned by larger companies, they’re often led and run by people from within the community, which I think is a really positive evolution. With greater equality, including marriage rights, we’ve seen venues shift from being exclusively LGBTQ+ to more inclusive, blended spaces. That’s a sign of progress. I think ownership matters, yes, but so does the culture and the people who bring it to life every day.
Cameron says they have already kicked off some “exciting plans” at the Newtown Hotel.
“We’re launching dueling pianos on Wednesdays and Sundays, which taps into the shift I’ve seen in entertainment. People want to be part of the
Letting go was incredibly hard. But I’ve replaced it with two fantastic venues, the Federal Hotel in Alstonville, and of course, the Newtown Hotel.
Cameron tells City Hub that Newtown has given her “a new lease on life”.
“It’s energising. And being more directly connected with the LGBTQ+ community is something I’ve long wanted to cement… It’s a chance to engage more deeply with the LGBTQ+
experience, singing, dancing, engaging with performers. It’s interactive and fun.
“I’m also working with Kate Monroe to curate our entertainment program, which has been a joy. Beyond that, I’m developing a bespoke function space on the top floor and planning some updates to lift and refresh the décor. It’s a beautiful old pub with great bones. I’m thrilled to be breathing new life into it.”
Photo: Wikimedia Commons
Photo: Yelp
ADDI ROAD’S GOOD VIBRATIONS
Addi Road Community Organisation have opened a new community-access recording studio dubbed ‘Addi Sounds’.
Launched in partnership with Australian National University (ANU), the Addi Sounds project offers training and handson experience recording podcasts, spoken word and all genres of music. Hip hop artist Cocoa the Conscious is Addi Sounds Youth Coordinator. “The essence of hip hop involves social justice, consciousness, making change happens,” he says. “It’s a vessel for those bigger ideas and feelings. That deeper frequency is what really interests me – whether it’s rap, indie rock, electronic music or folk singing.”
ANU have provided studio equipment and a collaborative vision with Addi Road to research how free access to a highlevel recording environment can affect everything from community vitality to artistic innovation and even mental health. A grant from State Street Foundation has given Addi Sounds a huge boost in resources for further training and pathways to employment. Addi Sounds participants are already taking their introductory training further into the industry.
Cocoa has been working with Amal Dib, Addi Road’s Community Development Officer, to bring in experienced figures like Chantel (workshops on singing in the studio and managing early exposure to the music industry) and Otis James (teaching a production class in using Logic Pro).
Starting from 30 July, Addi Sounds will be the venue for a TAFE Cert II in Music in partnership with Mission Australia and Addi Road. This free accredited course will also offer additional casework and support with housing, Centrelink and counselling where needed.
Dr Pat O’Grady, a lecturer in music technology at ANU, is overseeing the Addi Sounds project and has run a songwriting workshop himself. He admits to being astounded by the progress Cocoa and Amal have made. All the more so that the Addi Sounds Youth Fest has so quickly evolved, happening Sunday 10 August.
Amal Dib says these first six months of Addi Sounds have been a powerful thing to witness. “It’s unique. The studio and the festival are entirely run by young people. But it’s reaching out from that to everyone. It’s a privilege. We’re overwhelmed by the interest and the variety of artists coming to us.”
Cocoa the Conscious, Addi Sounds Youth Coordinator, with participant Alex AKA ‘Knxyy’
Labor to add disclaimer to Mark Latham portrait in parliament
BY LYDIA JUPP
Adisclaimer will be added to the portrait of Mark Latham hanging in Parliament House, condemning the former federal Labor leader's behaviour.
The move comes following allegations of domestic violence from his former girlfriend Nathalie Matthews, who alleges Latham engaged in a “sustained pattern” of emotional, psychological and financial manipulation during their relationship.
Her application for a private Apprehended Violence Order (AVO) against the independent MP includes allegations that Latham pressured her to have sex with others, participate in degrading sexual acts, and even struck her with his car’s side mirror.
You can’t erase history. We can’t pretend he wasn’t our leader
On July 22, members of parliament concerned about Latham’s portrait agreed that new text should be added to the photo.
“In 2017, Mark Latham was expelled from the Australian Labor party and banned for life,” the disclaimer will read.
“His actions do not accord with Labor values, and fail to meet the standards we expect and demand.”
Latham retired from politics in 2005, after two years leading the federal Labor party through a loss at the 2004 election.
NSW Police renew appeal for missing gay man Simon Knight
BY LYDIA JUPP
NSW Police have renewed their appeal for information twenty years after the disappearance of gay Sydney man, Simon Knight.
Knight was 32 when he checked out of a Surry Hill motel on the morning of July 21, 2005, and was believed to be travelling with his bicycle, and $500 withdrawn from his bank account.
The alarm was raised by his colleagues when he didn't arrive for his shift at a Newtown cafe.
FAMILY STRUGGLE AFTER TWO DECADES WITHOUT ANSWERS
At a press conference, Knight's family said he was looking forward to his horticulture studies, which he had only just started at the time of his disappearance.
Knight had been a regular in the Crown and Oxford Street bar scene.
“He loved the lifestyle [in Surry Hills], especially with the chef-ing, and he was in the gay community, and he was very happy there,” his father Bob Knight said.
After returning to politics in 2017, he joined the Liberal Democratic Party, leading to his lifetime ban from Labor.
The following year, he joined One Nation's NSW branch, but was fired as state leader in 2023 after making homophobic comments about independent Sydney MP Alex Greenwich.
‘IT WILL EXIST THERE FOREVER ON OUR LEADERS WALL’
Finance minister and minister for women Katy Gallagher said the decision to add text to the portrait struck a balance between condemning Latham's behaviour, while also acknowledging his role in the party.
“You can’t erase history,” she said. “We can’t pretend he wasn’t our leader. He was, and so there he sits in the Leaders timeline.”
“Everyone feels really strongly about it, but I think... the words allow people to feel that something’s been done and stated publicly, and it will exist there forever on our Leaders Wall. It’s a pretty strong statement,” she said.
Posting to X, Latham ridiculed Labor’s decision, writing: “Can’t the Labor caucus go the full Stalin and white me [out] with a trace around my head?”
Latham said.
He has firmly denied the allegations, calling them "complete nonsense" at a rambling press conference on Sunday, where he also claimed he had "broken no law".
Matthews’ AVO application is scheduled to be heard at the Downing Centre Local Court on 30 July.
Speaking to Star Observer in 2020, Superintendent Andrew Holland said there were “no obvious signs that there were any thoughts of self-harm".
“Simon, from all reports, was a member of the gay community who was well liked,” he said.
It’s really concerning… He just appears to have dropped from the planet
"It’s really concerning… He just appears to have dropped from the planet."
Knight's "top-of-the-range" bike has never been recovered, and the bank account he withdrew money from has remained untouched since that day.
A 2008 coroner's inquest determined it was unlikely Knight had died, but this decision was reversed after further inquest in 2015.
Despite this, a body has never been found.
“He was fun… a bit of the fun went with him [when he disappeared],” Knight’s sister Frances said.
NSW Police Minister Yasmin Catley formally renewed the $250,000 appeal for information on the cold case.
“Today we appeal to anyone who might have the smallest piece of information, which can help police bring answers about Simon’s disappearance for the Knight family,” Catley said.
This is the third time Knight's appeal has been renewed, following increased rewards for information in 2008, and again in 2020.
“We are keen to speak with anyone who lived [around] or frequented Crown and Oxford streets, Surry Hills, in July 2005, particularly if they knew Simon and have not yet spoken to police,” Acting Superintendent Christopher Hill said. Knight is described as being of Caucasian appearance, 183cm tall, with blue eyes, a fair complexion, red hair and facial hair.
Anyone with information is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.
Photo: Mark Latham / Facebook
Photo: Facebook
COFFIN ED’S NAKED CITY
VANDALS — BOTH BIG AND TINY
Recently, two drunken British hoons who cut down the beloved Sycamore Gap tree in Northern England were sentenced to more than four years in prison. The iconic tree had survived for over 150 years and was a photo op for tourists visiting Hadrian’s Wall. It goes down as one of the most senseless acts of vandalism in the UK for years.
The word ‘vandalism’ derives from a Germanic tribe called The Vandals. The original outfit were notorious for their destructive behaviour (hey, they just loved breaking things), in particular when they invaded and sacked Rome in 455 AD.
Since then, there have been countless acts of what is often labelled vandalism, some in the name of social and political protest, others as a cultural statement, and many just for the hell of being stupid. One of Australia’s most infamous examples took place in Perth just a few years ago. A Frederick McCubbin
painting valued at over $3 million was spray painted with a Woodside logo, protesting the company’s $50 billion mega-project on the Burrup Peninsula. Even though the artwork was covered in perspex and emerged unmarked, the protestor was still charged with criminal damage and copped a $7,500 fine.
Ballarat’s Botanic Garden might
hold the numbers record — last year, 20+ bronzes of Prime Ministers were vandalised. Kevin Rudd and Paul Keating even had their noggins severed and stolen.
Or Melbourne’s ‘Yellow Peril’ — once branded the most hated sculpture in Melbourne. Originally installed in Melbourne City Square in 1980, it now
resides outside the Australian Centre for Contemporary Art in Southbank. Needless to say, a regular target for what we might term your more creative vandals, leaving such slogans as the legendary ‘I AM NOT AN ANIMAL’.
Although softcore vandalism, I always enjoyed it when some mischief-maker poured detergent into Kings Cross’ El Alamein Fountain. The memorial became a bubbly behemoth, as the suds spread halfway down Macleay Street.
But ironically a far more insidious ‘vandal’ is destroying thousands of trees across this country.
The Polyphagous shot-hole borer is a tiny beetle, and the rapidly spreading pest has been boring into trees across WA with devastating effects. So far the death toll alone in Perth and surrounds is estimated at over 3,000 trees.
Even worse is the news that there’s no current pesticide that can kill the invader without harming the tree, and that they are heading our way. Sydney, the vandal hordes are coming!
Photo: Wikimedia Commons
MEET THE STAR OF THE DOLLYAPPROVED DOLLY PARTON MUSICAL
Tricia Paoluccio is one of the very, very few people in the world who has the distinct honour of receiving Dolly Parton’s stamp of approval on her COVID-19 lockdown project, Here You Come Again .
BY LYDIA JUPP
While the rest of the world was baking sourdough and working from home in pyjamas, Paoluccio and her husband Gabriel Barre created a musical comedy featuring all of Dolly’s hit songs — one that eventually fell in the lap of Dolly Parton herself.
The show is named after the first Dolly song Paoluccio ever heard as a child, in her father’s office on their farm in Modesto, California.
She tells me about her parents typing out the lyrics for her so she could sing the song again and again — “I just listened to it so many times that I memorised every crackle and scratch and the way she says her words” — and halfway through the sentence, her accent slips effortlessly into Dolly’s Tennessean drawl. It’s somewhat jarring hearing a disembodied Dolly Parton voice on the other end of the phone, but it speaks to the effort Paoluccio has taken to provide audiences with a Dolly experience that is as authentic as humanly possible. Working with renowned dialect coach, Erik Singer, Paoluccio dissected the way Dolly shapes her vowels, the tiny quirks that would be hard to pick up on to the layman, but make a world of difference on stage.
“I think my vocal cords warped to be like hers or something,” she says. “At this point, it's quite natural for me to sing like her. And it's so deep in my soul that I just think of her, and she kind of comes out.”
Paoluccio has already taken Here You Come Again across the United States and the UK before landing in Australia, and her portrayal of Dolly onstage is something she takes very seriously.
“For many people, they won't be able to go see Dolly Parton in person,” she says. “So I feel like the goal of the show is to have people feel like they got to be with Dolly Parton in
The show follows 40-something-yearold Kevin, who has moved back into his childhood bedroom after breaking up with his boyfriend at the height of the pandemic. Magically, Dolly Parton appears to him — a gay fairy godmother of sorts, or perhaps an eternally optimistic Ghost of Breakups Past — to help him through what he feels is the lowest moment of his life.
“The story is of Dolly being such a strong figure in a person's life, almost representative of their… highest consciousness,” Paoluccio says. “The part of their thoughts that says no, it's going to be okay, even when it doesn't
Dolly’s terminally sunny disposition is just as iconic as her voice, wigs, and outfits, and while it should have run its course by now, hearing sweet nothings in Dolly’s toothachingly sweet accent still fixes your heart a little bit.
[Dolly is] so deep in my soul that I just think of her, and she kind of comes out
Parton grew up as one of twelve children in impoverished Appalachia, and it was this upbringing that would go on to shape so much of her work, both the musical and philanthropic kind. Country music is notoriously full of tragedy and much of Dolly’s early
discography speaks to struggle — but not only her own, but that of her community.
“It's much easier to hear somebody who's been through a lot say, ‘hey, it's going to be okay. Just have faith, you know, buckle down’,” says Paoluccio.
“I think that that's what makes her such a great messenger of an uplifting, spiritual message, because she’s not somebody who's lived a materialistic, perfect life.”
For Paoluccio, it’s the lived experience behind Dolly’s attitude that really makes her words and songs hit home.
“A huge part of her appeal and her down to earth quality is that she did have her struggles growing up and that she's incredibly grateful for all the good that she has. She's not entitled. She doesn't think the world owes her anything.
“Every day she’s so grateful for the opportunities that she's been given because she really did it herself.”
Photos: Cameron Grant
THE UK SMASH HIT LANDS IN MELBOURNE BIG HAIR, BIG HEART AND EVEN BIGGER TUNES!
DOLLY PARTON’S
JOLENE H ISLANDS IN THE STREAM I WILL ALWAYS LOVE YOU H TWO DOORS DOWN 9 to 5 & many more.. in a brand new musical comedy!
FROM 12 SEPTEMBER
THEATRE ROYAL SYDNEY
HubARTS
GENUINELY SUPER
New Superman flick is silly, sincere, and zeitgeist-y
(See p.22)
SHARK ARM CASE
BY MAE RAWSON
An immersive murder mystery event covering one of Sydney’s most bizarre and infamous true crime stories, will be coming to life at the historic, 175-yearold Justice and Police Museum near Circular Quay.
Written by Kyla Lee, Shark Arm Case revisits the real events of 1935, when a shark in Coogee Aquarium famously regurgitated a human arm.
This bizarre true crime story has captivated Sydney residents for decades. On 17 April 1935, a fourmetre tiger shark was caught off Coogee Beach by a fisherman, which was then transferred to Coogee Aquarium Baths for public display.
Within a week of the shark being held captive, it vomited up a forearm with a distinctive tattoo of two boxers. After the examination, it was revealed that
the arm had been severed with a knife, not bitten off like first assumed — quickly triggering a murder investigation.
Mixing Sydney's true crime and interactive entertainment, audiences of Shark Arm Case will be able to uncover the murky underworld of 1930s Sydney, where smuggling, insurance fraud, and coldblooded murder intertwine.
Blending immersive storytelling with live theatre, Shark Arm Case invites participants to explore the museum's spaces while uncovering clues in a thrilling recreation of one of Australia's most perplexing unsolved crimes.
Revealing more than a century of Sydney's underworld, the Justice and Police Museum delves into the stories of razor gangs, bushrangers, sly grog, and apparently, sharks regurgitating chopped-off arms.
“I chose this tale as a part of our Deadhouse immersive true crime series because it contains all the elements that make our productions engaging and exciting," said Stephen Carnell, who is the founder of Deadhouse Productions and producer of the Shark Arm Case
ETERNITY PLAYHOUSE TO REOPEN FOR SYDNEY FRINGE
BY BIANCA TROPIANO
Thought to be forever shuttered, the Eternity Playhouse is reopening its doors to welcome the Sydney Fringe Festival in September this year.
The heritage-listed Burton Street building was transformed and restored into a 200-seat theatre in 2008, and reopened to the public in 2013, renamed Eternity Playhouse. The venue ceased operations in 2024 following its resident company’s financial collapse.
The 2025 Sydney Fringe Festival is led by CEO Patrick Kennedy, with the new venue serving as one of the biggest in his 460-event history.
“ There's something profoundly poetic about bringing fringe artists into a space for contemporary storytelling,
in a building that was named after a message that was scrolled on there in the 1800s by a fringe preacher," Kennedy told City Hub. “ It's all about restoring that vital home for independent performance in the city.”
The venue is expected to host several new performances for the festival, including Lewis Major’s composition of contemporary dance The Ghana Road Show, Kate Bush Unmoored, and more.
”Reopening Eternity is a reclaiming of a cultural space for the art sector. And it's a part of a broader conversation that we're constantly having with government policy makers and funders about infrastructure, sustainability and access for independent artists,” says Kennedy.
"We set it in the 175-year-old Justice & Police Museum at Circular Quay because this fascinating heritage building was what we sought for this tale, as it contained two courtrooms, several drawing rooms, and gaol cells.”
"The Shark Arm Case involves our audience in a wild story of a Tiger Shark disgorging a severed arm in front of an audience in Coogee Aquarium. A murder mystery? The chase begins…”
...in light
of the visible BY CERITH WYN EVANS
BY BIANCA TROPIANO
On his first solo exhibition in Australia, London-based Cerith Wyn Evans showcases the portrayal of contemporary constructed environments in ...in light of the visible at the Museum of Contemporary Art (MCA).
One of today’s most significant contemporary artists, Evans' sculptures and installations explore the relationships between language and space, time and perception. His conceptual, abnormal work constructs models of perception that are influenced by cultural scenes and interactions with modernity.
Evans has created multiple site-specific works for the MCA, engaging with the natural environment of Warrane (Sydney Harbour), including Still Life (In course of
arrangement…), which features plants native to the area. Neon light installation Sydney Drift subtly shifts light patterns throughout the day, and over the season of the exhibition.
Within Evans' memorable exhibition, the museum has opened a variety of public programs, including performances, guided walks, and morning tai chi.
"[Evans’] exhibition created for the MCA and its unique context on the shores of Warrane/Sydney Harbour is a polyphonic immersion into a world of light, sound and pure poetry which will amaze and enchant visitors and remain in their minds and bodies for many years to come,” said MCA Director, Suzanne Cotter. Showing at the MCA from 8 June to 19 October.
Photo: Supplied
Photo: Hamish McIntosh / Supplied
Photo: Daniel Boud / Supplied
HEDWIG AND THE ANGRY INCH
BY NAOMI LAWRENCE
Hedwig & the Angry Inch, starring Sean Miley Moore, is a glittery gutpunch of a rock musical. Part concert, part confessional, it grabs you from the first riff and rarely lets go.
Over 30 years since John Cameron Mitchell and Stephen Trask’s gritty barroom musical first wowed audiences, Hedwig remains vital. In Carriageworks’ industrial space, it feels raw again, especially amid rising trans vitriol and global turmoil.
The 2025 Australian tour, directed by Dino Dimitriadis and Shane Anthony, is a raunchy, hilarious, cathartic rock ‘n’ roll ride. Moore, a powerhouse performer, leads with passion, frenetic energy and devastating emotional depth.
As Hedwig, a genderqueer US immigrant from East Germany, they deliver an aching story of identity, trauma, and self-acceptance, all wrapped in wicked humour and rockstar bravado.
Clad in grunge denim, electric blue eyeshadow and a Dracula-esque blonde wig, Moore commands the stage with a wicked sharpness. They swing between lightning-fast innuendo and (literally) stripped-down vulnerability, their rich vibrato making each ballad and rock anthem hit like a freight train. Moore’s physicality, wild yet tender, pulls the audience into Hedwig’s world, where the mythical Origin of Love and spectre of Tommy Gnosis, her museturned-rockstar-ex, loom.
Adam Noviello, as Yitzhak, Hedwig’s long-suffering husband and backup singer, leaves a bold lingering impression. Their powerful tenor on The Long Grift is deeply satisfying and nearly steals the show.
The Angry Inch, led by musical director Victoria Falconer, is the show’s beating heart. Glenn Moorhouse (guitar), Jarrad Payne (drums), and Felicity Freeman (bass) play with precision and flair.
From the headbanging Tear Me Down to raucous Sugar Daddy and fragile Wicked Little Town, nearly every number hits just right. Amy Campbell’s tight choreography and Jeremy Allen’s compact set design turn the stage
into a gritty rock platform, while Geoff Cobham’s lighting moves from dreamy glow to strobe-fuelled frenzy.
A few opening-night technical hiccups hardly dent the energy.
Funny, raw, fiercely queer, Hedwig demands you feel everything. It keeps the crowd hooked, leaving them eager to join the madness.
By the end, Hedwig & the Angry Inch leaves you invigorated, undone and entirely breathless.
Playing at Carriageworks until August 3.
Photo: IMDb
Photos: Eugene Hyland
NEW CANDYS @ THE VANGUARD
BY SEAN CEREXHE-MCINTYRE
Ilove a venue that can wear different
hats. I was at the Vanguard three weeks ago seeing Mick Harvey from the Bad Seeds perform in front of what appeared to be a burlesque-y jazz bar. Tables and chairs were lined out in columns, as a large contingent sipped on their red wine throughout.
You walk into the Vanguard tonight and the tables and chairs in front of the stage have relocated elsewhere, with ample space revealed for a dancefloor.
We’re all here to see Italian psych rock band the New Candys, who are back in Australia for the first time in seven years. Singing in English, they’ve found
appreciation from Anton Newcombe of the Brian Jonestown Massacre and Iggy Pop, the latter describing them as “kinky” on his BBC Radio program.
They’re supported by Sydney locals Grinding Eyes and The Wednesday Night.
Admittedly I hadn’t heard of the Wednesday Night before seeing them advertised for this show, but watching them perform live tonight I’m blown away. The five-piece band look and sound so effortlessly cool. Their music is groovy and jangly, with a hazy aura around them.
Grinding Eyes are a band I’ve heard of but never really given the time to listen to before. This is my first chance to take them in, and the first thing you notice is
the volume kicking up a few notches. We’re all swept away in the whirlwind of their shoegazey wall of sound. The sound is just so clean and balanced.
New Candys emerge and you have to notice how slick and sharp they look. The lead guitarist and drummer are sporting black Fred Perry and Carhartt branding, while the lead singer adorns a black leather jacket with ‘Lucifer’ in rainbow lettering on the back.
They sound very true to their recorded output. Dark, bluesy, psych-y. You can hear influences from bands like Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, Brian Jonestown
Massacre, Ride and other shoegazey outfits.
The lead singer’s voice is filtered through so many reverb effects it makes the already abstract lyrics even more difficult to decipher. The chiming lead guitar cuts through the dense fuzz of the rhythm section to create a beautiful contrast.
I’d highly recommend seeing any of the three bands perform live if you’re a fan of groovy or dark psych rock. The Vanguard is also rapidly becoming my favourite small venue in Sydney, and its versatility was definitely on show tonight.
KING STREET CRAWL 2025
BY SEAN CEREXHE-MCINTYRE
King Street Crawl finally made its return, taking place for the first time since 2022. The day-long festival, making its original debut in 2015, showcases a large and varied selection of Australian bands across many different venues in Newtown, Enmore and Erskineville.
The event has been revived by Sydney music event runners the Music and Booze Co. Some of the bigger names to feature on the lineup this year include Shady Nasty, Caitlin Harnett and the Pony Boys, The Lazy Eyes and R.M.F.C.
This year, 150+ artists are playing across 25 venues. Bands began from midday, but fast-forward to the evening, and foot traffic and long lines define King Street. Walking from the Newtown Hotel all the way up toward the Duke of Enmore, this feels like no other Sunday night in Newtown. People are everywhere and lines extend outside pubs up and down King.
The line for Mary’s, where headliners Shady Nasty are due to perform, extends far up the block 15 minutes before they’re due to begin.
Up at the Midnight Special on Enmore Road, local punk band
R.M.F.C are finishing up their set. With the stage positioned right beside the open doorway onto the street, dozens of fans crowd the entrance to watch and listen.
I make it into Kelly’s on King, where Newcastle band Dust are set to play
their headline set shortly after 10pm. As their set begins, the long, narrow gig room becomes quickly crammed in with people, shoulder to shoulder all the way through. At least half the crowd don’t know the band, but are here for the sheer spectacle of the event.
I leave Kelly’s to head toward the
final venue putting on music for the night — late night hub Pleasure Club. Sydney local Annie Hamilton is playing an 11pm set to a raucous crowd. Her original songs are interspersed with a medley of Charli XCX covers — Von Dutch and I Love It. She rounds out her set, as King Street Crawl ends with a funky DJ set in the Pleasure Club’s basement-y space.
It’s a wonderful thing that King Street Crawl has made its return — it’s one of the absolute must-attends for a live music fan in Sydney. An opportunity on this scale to see both bands you know, and to discover new favourites is very rare. You just need to be prepared to stand in line.
Photo: Sean Cerexhe-McIntyre
Photos: Sean Cerexhe-McIntyre
HAYDEN ORPHEUM
CELEBRATES 40 YEARS OF STUDIO GHIBLI WITH RETROSPECTIVE
BY JOSH KERWICK
Few movie studios are beloved as anime-makers Studio Ghibli, who have been wowing the world for 40 years under the direction of Hayao Miyazaki.
Coinciding with the 40-year anniversary of the studio, the Hayden Orpheum Picture Palace is hosting a retrospective of Studio Ghibli’s work, giving Sydneysiders the first chance in years to see all of these films in the theatre.
Featuring big hits such as Spirited Away and the 4K restoration of Princess Mononoke, to lesser seen bangers like Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind and Porco Rosso, this retrospective is a key chance to see nine iconic Ghibli films in the setting they were intended for.
“I always believe that classic and beloved films play best in the shared experience of watching them on the big screen, surrounded by likeminded fans,” the Orpheum’s general manager Alex Temesvari tells City Hub
“Giving people a chance to revisit these films or perhaps watch them for the first time in this setting is one of the most satisfying things about running a cinema.”
After some very well-received retrospective Ghibli screenings throughout May, Alex says that the Orpheum felt encouraged to do a more elaborate retrospective program. “I think the reason these films resonate so much with people is due to their authenticity,” he says.
“The emotional depth combined with the stunning visuals makes them truly special. Miyazaki and his team also trust the audience and don’t speak down to them, allowing for some ambiguity, letting the viewer connect with these films in a deeper way than perhaps most films do.”
Alex expects sessions like Howl’s Moving Castle and My Neighbour Totoro to sell out quickly, but says: “I’m particularly looking forward to screening the films that don’t always get as much attention. If the early reception to these sessions is strong, we even end up adding more films and extending the retrospective.”
WHAT’S ON?
There also couldn’t be a better time for a retrospective after Studio Ghibli made headlines for the wrong reasons earlier this year, owing to a torrent of AIgenerated imagery in Miyazaki’s style. Alex comments on this: “People are subject to a non-stop barrage of AI images throughout the day on social media… So I think providing a place where people can interact with real, original and meaningful art like these beautiful, animated films is much needed.”
The Hayden Orpheum’s Studio Ghibli retrospective runs weekly from August 7.
Photo: IMdB
Photo: IMDb
Photo:
A NICE INDIAN BOY
BY NAOMI LAWRENCE
In a time when the US is swinging toward conservatism, A Nice Indian Boy stands out as a rare gem — a love story with a cultural and emotional impact that deeply resonates.
The plot follows Naveen (Karan Soni), an Indian-American doctor who introduces his fiancé, Jay (Jonathan Groff), a white man adopted by Indian parents, to his traditional family.
What unfolds is familiar yet refreshing: a tender, dramatic story in humorous chapters — from Naveen and Jay’s relationship, to their meeting the family, to Naveen’s own journey toward love and acceptance.
It hits all the familiar rom-com beats, but Roshan Sethi’s direction avoids formulaic territory. It comes across as alive and sincere. Perhaps because it’s infused with the combined lived experiences of the dynamic Sethi and Soni, and a groundedness that feels earned.
A Nice Indian Boy is funny, heartwarming, and peppered with laughout-loud moments with some more niche — NRI (Non-Resident Indian) and millennial-coded — humour which isn’t
always perfect, but effective for a wide audience. The Asian audience, however, will especially appreciate the more nuanced cultural jokes that land well.
Soni is pitch-perfect as Naveen and painfully relatable fumbling through modern love. He maintains an authentic balance of anxious and deadpan, suppressed yet quietly yearning.
Groff, in contrast, is basically ripped out of a Bollywood blockbuster: a deeply feeling hero who helps Naveen shed his embarrassment around love. He’s charming, suave, and emotionally present, and their chemistry crackles.
For LGBTQIA+ communities, particularly those from emotionally reserved cultures, there’s something profound and immensely gratifying in watching Naveen, who was presumably raised on big Indian movies, finally get his ‘Big Gay Indian Wedding’.
But A Nice Indian Boy isn’t just about the couple, at least for the latter half. The film is a love letter to culture and family—messy, complicated, fiercely loving—exploring generational tensions with nuance. It subverts tired tropes of “the family as antagonists.”
Instead of caricatures, Naveen’s parents and sister are layered, learning, and teaching their own lessons about love and acceptance.
Despite its sincerity and otherwise charming package, the film isn’t without its flaws. The pacing stumbles slightly in the third act as the story shifts into heavier drama, dragging briefly before regaining its balance.
And the sibling dynamic between Soni
and Sunita Mani never quite lands as strongly as the rest, leaving an emotional thread slightly unresolved.
Ultimately, the film is an earnest, hilarious triumph. Like My Big Fat Greek Wedding, The Big Sick, and Crazy Rich Asians, it’s universal yet deeply specific, bold yet tender, and utterly satisfying.
A Nice Indian Boy is in cinemas now.
BY JOSH KERWICK
Though not without its flaws, I found James Gunn’s Superman to be a genuinely great standalone film that’s got me curious to see where this new DC Universe goes next.
Since revealing himself to the public three years ago as Superman, Clark Kent (David Corenswet) has become a symbol of hope for the people of Metropolis and the world while striking up a relationship with gun reporter Lois Lane (Rachel Brosnahan). But when he interferes in a war overseas, he draws the ire of billionaire and professional hater Lex Luthor (Nicholas Hoult), who vows to destroy him.
A huge part of Superman’s success lies with lead actor David Corenswet. All renditions of this character obviously live in the shadow of Christopher Reeves’ seminal work, but Corenswet plays Clark Kent with exactly the right amount of boy scout naivety, good-heartedness and humour that the character deserves.
Assisting with Corenswet’s performance is a filmmaking style employed by Gunn that’s colourful and kinetic. Unlike other movies starring the Man of Steel, Gunn utilises a surprising number of close-ups that allow us to feel like we can glimpse Superman for a moment before he jets off, the camera barely able to comprehend his speed. The plot of Superman has a lot of moving elements, and even more
side characters to keep track of. Brosnahan imbues Lois Lane with a tough demeanour but real heart that makes her and Clark’s relationship really endearing.
However, the MVP of Superman undoubtedly has to be Nicholas Hoult as Lex Luthor. Hoult makes this character absolutely seethe with hatred for Superman, and you really believe that this is a guy who'd dedicate his
endless funds to eradicating the ultimate do-gooder.
Importantly for a version of this film in 2025, Lex is especially furious that Superman is an illegal immigrant who intervened in a vaguely Middle Eastern war, giving this movie’s release into the current political moment a certain weight. Though I’d hesitate to call the movie ultra-progressive, it does have some interesting commentary.
Not every subplot in the film is given ample room to breathe, especially considering it has such a huge roster of characters to introduce.
Nonetheless, Superman manages to soar above feeling overstuffed thanks to its utter sincerity and reverence for comic book silliness. It’s set to make a star out of David Corenswet and herald in a new age of the Last Son of Krypton on the big screen; one that embraces exactly what makes these heroes so super to us in the first place.
Superman is in cinemas now.
Photo: IMDb
Photo: IMDb
ASTRUM NOVA
A celestial burst of citrus and luscious fruits, anchored by precious woods and sensual vanilla.
NOW AVAILABLE AT CITY PERFUME
