Neighbourhood Media Newtown Magazine | October 2025
Photo: Daniel Boud
HISTORY
The Aeroplane Jelly Song’s Newtown Origins.
COVER STAR
Sign Language With Danny Lim.
WHello Newtown & Enmore,
WE’RE back to Issue #13 of 2042 Magazine, and it’s our final release for 2025!
Can you believe five years have passed since we released our first ever issue in October 2020? We can’t!
In this issue, we catch up with the (in)famous Danny Lim, one of Sydney’s smiliest sign-wearers. Then, we go back in time to meet the man behind the famous ‘Aeroplane Jelly Jingle’ who once lived in Newtown. We also look at the life of another past resident, and inspiration for a Charles Dickens’ novel, Eliza Donnithorne.
On the community front, we check in with the Newtown Jets and find out about the Inner West Council’s crackdown on blocked driveways Spring marks the start of swooping season, learn more about Sydney’s misunderstood magpies. We also meet the team at Papaya Clinic, the home of women’s health in Newtown.
The Newtown Jets in 2025.
Meet Eliza Donnithorne.
LOCAL LEGENDS HUMANS OF 2042 COMMUNITY
Beyond Best Before’s New Digs.
Misunderstood Magpies.
Then, it’s party time as we shine a spotlight on some incredible upcoming Arts + Entertainment. We kick things off with a closer look at Sydney Dance Company’s triple bill - Continuum. We also chat with Reggie Watts before he arrives in Sydney for Just For Laughs 2025. We also round up Newtown’s newest venues, Newtown and Enmore’s most petfriendly places and there’s even a Spring + Summer What’s On Guide With all this, some puzzles and a super handy Newtown/Enmore local business directory - you have yourself the perfect coffee break companion. Thanks for picking us up - and we’ll see you in early 2026 for Issue #14.
The Neighbourhood Media Team
PUBLISHER - Neighbourhood Media
CONTRIBUTORS - Rob Everett, Lucy Pearson, Jen Keates, Alec Smart, Rita Bratovich, Adeline Teoh, Melissa Mantle
COVER ARTIST - Danny Lim
ADVERTISING - Georgie Pengelly - 0416 972 081
WILDLIFE WATCH EAT & DRINK ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
Sydney Dance Company’s Continuum.
What’s New in Newtown.
The Papaya Clinic, Home of Women’s Health.
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT PETS
Reggie Watts Returns.
Newtown’s Pet-Friendliest Places.
WHAT'S ON PUZZLES
Spring + Summer Events Guide.
Do You Have All The Answers?
HISTORY
By Matt Murphy
DI like Aeroplane Jelly, Aeroplane jelly for me!
DID you know the man who wrote the famous jingle worked in Newtown? He also lived just down the road in neighbouring Marrickville. And although most known for the Aeroplane Jelly Song, he wrote another which has a much more local appeal.
His name was Albert Lenertz, born in Kelso, near Bathurst in 1891. He moved to 284 Victoria Street Marrickville sometime after the end of WWI, establishing a wholesale grocery and alcohol business in about 1923. In 1926 he joined Adolphus Appleroth’s jelly crystal making business, known as Traders Limited. Due to Appleroth’s fascination with aircraft, he named his main product Aeroplane Jelly. Lenertz was made managing director in 1927 and in the same year the business moved from Sussex Street in the city to 41-49 Alice Street Newtown. Although the company name of Traders Limited remained, by the early 1930s, owing to the song’s success, and despite jelly only being one of its manufactures, the business was more commonly known as the Aeroplane Jelly Company.
Always interested in songwriting, Lenertz originally wrote the now famous jingle with a different lyric which paid tribute to Prime Minister Billy Hughes. He rewrote the lyric in about 1929. The jingle first appeared in radio adverts in 1930, sung by a Sydney entertainer named Amy Rochelle imitating a child’s voice but the more commonly known version was recorded in 1938 by seven-year-old Joy King, who won a singing competition sponsored by the company. Lenertz later worked as a radio announcer on 2KY then 2SM with the Aeroplane Jelly Song used as his signature tune. It is said that on some days the song’s opening line was heard over 100 times a day. He died at his Marrickville home in 1943, aged 51, leaving a wife and four children.
While the Aeroplane Jelly Song was by far his most popular, in total he published the sheet music for six, all in the 1920s. These include ‘Dear old Sydney’s the place for me’, ‘Dad learns to jazz’, ‘We keep to the open road’ and ‘Co-operation’; the latter being concerned with the rights of working class men.
The sixth song, published in 1923, was called ‘Newtown is
an old town that I love’, the lyrics of which are as follows:
I’ve roamed around its streets and lanes, I’ve heard both laughs and sighs, I’ve gazed on many scenes that brought the tears into my eyes,
The way that sorrow turns to joy, like sunshine from above, Have changed it from a Newtown to an old town that I love.
Chorus:
There was a time when it was new, ‘ twas many years ago, When our great sunny land was young and free. But now it has grown old and in the years that have passed by, I’ve learned to love the place so tenderly, Such sweet old places, cheerful faces, hearts as warm as fire, In old time shacks a wealth of memory, Yes, Newtown is an old town, but I love it all the more, It’s a spot that’s good enough for me!
Australia knows in many ways the fame of old Newtown, When folk strike trouble here’s a place they say won’t turn me down, Where pals know how to play the game, and sweethearts all love true, A thousand smiles to cheer me up if ever I feel blue.
Repeat Chorus.
Matt Murphy, historian Contact via Instagram @mattmurphy8
PRESENT LAUGHTER AT NEW THEATRE
FROM 11 NOV
NOË L COWARD
The master of wit returns as sharp and stylish as ever
COVER STAR
By Alec Smart
The man, the myth, the message board - we meet Sydney’s smiliest sign-wearer.
DDANNY LIM is an 81-year-old Chinese-Australian who has gained notoriety for wearing signboards with cheeky messages – which have, on several occasions, got him in serious trouble! He’s often seen on the side of Sydney’s main roads and pedestrian thoroughfares – King St in Newtown, for example – waving at passing traffic and chatting with commuters whilst wearing a double-sided sign. Danny is (in)famous for displaying messages with double entendres. A double entendre is defined as “a particular way of wording that is devised to have a double meaning, one of which is typically obvious, and the other often conveys a message that would be too socially unacceptable, or offensive to state directly.”
That mixed messaging has led to controversy, most notably his two arrests and Court fines for Offensive Conduct in 2015 and 2019, both of which were reversed on appeal, although they utilised a certain notorious C-word.
Despite the controversies, Danny has been photographed wearing his risqué signs whilst stood alongside numerous high-profile politicians. These include former Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull, former Labor Party leader Bill Shorten, senators Cory Bernardi and Kristina Keneally, and our current Prime Minister Anthony Albanese – who posted his photo with Danny to his Facebook page in December 2017, describing Danny as “a special guest from the Inner West!” Born 1944, Danny is a Chinese-Malaysian (and naturalised Australian) who emigrated to Australia in 1963, and found work as an electrical technician.
Danny also served as a progressive independent councillor on Strathfield Council from 2008-2012. Garnering 13% of
the vote, he refused to accept a salary during his period of tenure and ran on the policy of «openness, transparency, accountability and morality.»
I interviewed Danny for this article, but he’s a chatty fellow with a tendency to speak in long monologues. Despite being on the phone with him for 80 minutes (we’re friends who’ve met several times), he went off on tangents, straying like an excited child in a fairground, and I didn’t get direct answers to the questions I sought.
In regards to his much-loved, cult-like status, Danny told me, “l joined Facebook in 2015, and in less than one year l had more than 5000 followers and had to start my Danny Lim Facebook page [to exhibit his cheeky signwearing publicity stunts]. And soon l had 2,500 followers! [Danny now has 5,600 followers] Some people offered to buy them [his posters] from me but l was never interested in financial gains.”
POPULAR CULTURE
Since his signboard stunts began attracting national attention, Danny has also appeared as a counter-cultural rebel in Australian popular culture. He’s often seen at the front of civil rights marches in the city – such as Black Lives Matter rallies for Indigenous rights and Palestinian support demonstrations.
In the wake of his first arrest in 2015, Danny featured in the short Brendan Toole documentary You Can, You Can’t (2018), examining the democratic right to freedom of speech in Australia.
Danny’s grinning face has appeared on an album cover – Indie rock band Sticky Fingers’ fifth studio recording
Lekkerboy – with steel braces on his teeth spelling out the letters of the aforementioned ‘offensive’ C-word that got him arrested (see details of the arrests below).
Danny also appeared as a storyteller in the 2022 movie Three Thousand Years of Longing with his Chihuahua-Pomeranian X dog Smarty (which passed away in Jan 2021). Written and directed by the Academy Award-winning George Miller (responsible for the Mad Max quintet, Happy Feet and Witches of Eastwick), and starring Idris Elba and Tilda Swinton, Three Thousand Years of Longing centres on a woman who hallucinates demons.
During a trip to Istanbul, she purchases an ancient bottle containing a genie, who grants her three, albeit conditional, wishes, which leads to all sorts of trouble.
Miller also gave Danny a cameo in his 2024 film Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga.
Danny also had a cameo in season 2 of Australian teenage drama series Heartbreak High, in the episode The Feelings Pit. His character carries a cassette player playing It’s that Time by DJ Daddy Trance in Sydney Park, Alexandria, while Jett James (actor William McDonald) dances alongside him on the grass.
In January 2019, mural artist Scott Marsh, arguably the Australian Banksy of politically astute social commentary, painted Danny on a wall in Chippendale, central Sydney.
Located on the side of Cafe Giulia at 92 Abercrombie Street, the large artwork depicts Danny Lim with his dog Smarty, holding a sign that says “Peace Smile Be Kind”, underscored with the risqué slogan that got Danny in trouble: “Cɒn’t say Cɒn’t”.
A halo was later painted above Smarty’s head after he passed away.
Danny recalled the mural painting: “Scottie Mash rang me to have lunch with him at Burwood. During lunch he told me he wanted to paint a mural of me and I refused, then added I had better let him do one before they [his detractors] shoot me!
“After lunch he drove me back to Strathfield and l showed him a couple of my new signs and he chose one for the mural. He painted the mural on Thursday and on the following Monday morning he rang me to inform me that the media would be there…”
(I subsequently photographed Danny and Smarty stood in front of the mural, replicating Marsh’s painted pose, for an Inner-West newspaper.)
SIGNBOARD NOTORIETY
In August 2015, in the first of his two signboard-related arrests, Danny was charged and fined $500 for Offensive Conduct after publicly wearing a large A1-sized sign in Edgecliff that called Tony Abbott, the ruling Prime Minister of Australia, a ‘Cɒnt’.
The sign read: “Peace Smile. People can Change. Tony you Cɒnt.”
The fine was paid in 56 minutes through a GoFundMe campaign organised by a legion of generous supporters.
The play-on-words (inverting an A to resemble a U), was deemed to be provocative and unacceptable. However, in a 29 August 2017 legal appeal, District Court Judge Andrew Scotting overturned the conviction, ruling that the previous magistrate “had not stated a reason why a person would have been offended.”
“The sign read: “Peace Smile. People can Change. Tony you C nt.” .
He added, “while the conduct was inappropriate and in poor taste, I am not satisfied beyond reasonable doubt it was offensive.”
On 11 January 2019, Danny was again arrested for wearing a sign that was deemed ‘offensive’ whilst standing in a public area in Barangaroo in central Sydney. The sign on this occasion was a little more provocative, reading “SMILE C N’T! WHY C N’T?”
Video footage of the arrest – which involved three NSW Police officers – attracted over a million views on Facebook and hundreds of supporters joined a demonstration outside Central Sydney Police Station.
Danny was again convicted for offensive behaviour, but launched another appeal and in a hearing at Downing Street Court on 30 Aug 2019 – during which I sat alongside Danny for the duration – magistrate Jacqueline Milledge overturned the conviction. In her summing-up she criticised the police officers’ “heavy-handed and unnecessary” arrest of Danny and referred to the sign as “provocative and cheeky, but not offensive.”
You can follow Danny on : @dannyboylimdl
LOCAL LEGENDS
TFrom thrilling wins to tough losses, the Newtown Jets’ 2025 season proved that love for rugby league will never fade in the Inner West. From thrilling wins to tough losses, the Newtown Jets’ 2025 season proved that love for rugby league will never fade in the Inner West.
THE Newtown Jets may not have gone back-to-back in 2025, but they once again proved why they’re one of the most beloved rugby league clubs in Australia. In a tough, high-quality NSW Cup competition, the boys from Henson Park powered their way to the semi-finals, overcoming injury setbacks, mid-season slumps, and some nail-biting finishes along the way.
Winning consecutive premierships in the Knock-On Effect NSW Cup is no easy feat. Just like in the NRL, repeating a title is rare, hard-fought, and sometimes cruelly elusive.
But while the Jets didn’t claim the crown this time around, their 2025 campaign was a season full of heart, resilience and unforgettable Henson Park moments.
A
STRONG
START AND A MID-SEASON CHALLENGE
The Jets kicked off their title defence in style, winning seven of their first eight games. The only blemish being an early loss to the Canberra Raiders. But the middle of the season brought tougher times. Five losses through the winter rounds put the Jets in danger of slipping out of the top five - not a favoured position when only 5 of 13 teams qualify for finals.
True to their never-say-die dedication, the Jets rallied late in the season, stringing together four impressive wins that pushed them back into finals contention. One of the year’s most thrilling matches came on 19 July at Henson Park, when the Jets raced to a 24-0 lead over the Sydney Roosters, only to fall heartbreakingly short, 26-24.
A week later, in front of a roaring crowd of more than 12K at the Beer, Food and Footy Festival, the Jets turned it on. Their 40-16 demolition of the St George-Illawarra Dragons was easily their best performance of 2025 - the kind of afternoon Henson Park lives for.
Unfortunately, that sparkling form didn’t carry on with three losses and a draw leaving Newtown clinging to the semi-finals. In the end, with a little bit of luck, their top five spot was secured.
A SEASON SHAPED BY INJURIES
Every team has injury battles, but Newtown’s 2025 campaign was particularly bruising. Star fullback Liam Ison, a standout of the 2024 season, went down with an ACL injury in the opening round. Kaide Dykes returned from his own long-term injury to take the No. 1 jersey, only to also suffer a season-ending setback.
Mawene Hiroti - one of 2024’s grand final heroes - lit up Henson Park with a stunning performance against the Dragons but was soon recalled to NRL duty with partner club the Cronulla Sharks. Rising talent Taj Ford took his turn at fullback later in the season, but he too was sidelined with a leg injury.
With so much movement at the back, coach George Ndaira and his staff had to be resourceful, constantly reshuffling the line-up to keep their finals hopes alive.
“The injury toll hurt us this year, no doubt,” Ndaira said at the Jets’ Presentation Night. “But our boys dug
deep. We fought hard, and that says a lot about the culture at this club.”
THE ROAD TO THE FINALS
The 2025 NSW Cup was dominated by the New Zealand Warriors, who led from the opening rounds, won the minor premiership by 11 points, and eventually claimed the grand final 30–12 over the Dragons. They then stormed to a 50–12 victory over Burleigh in the NRL State Championship.
For Newtown, the finals journey ended earlier than hoped, with a disappointing elimination semi-final against the Raiders. But even in defeat, the bluebags’ fighting spirit and huge fan base stood tall.
Home and Away: A Curious Statistic
One of the quirks of 2025 was Newtown’s better record on the road than at home. The Jets went 4–6 at Henson Park but an impressive 9–4 away, with one draw. Henson has always been the spiritual heart of the club, but
this unusual split added an extra layer to an already unpredictable season.
Beloved club hero Billy Magoulias — a grand final matchwinner in 2019 and 2024 — was also honoured following his retirement. His legacy will live long at Henson Park.
Behind the scenes, strapper and physio Craig Tredinnick received the Club Person of the Year Award, recognising his tireless work keeping players on the field and spirits high.
LOOKING AHEAD TO 2026
While the 2025 season didn’t end with a trophy, it reaffirmed everything that makes the Newtown Jets special: resilience, community, and a fiercely loyal fan base.
The Jets will return to training in November, gearing up for their 118th season in rugby league. With key players returning from injury, rising talent emerging, and a rock-solid community behind them, Newtown is already looking to fly higher in 2026.
The annual Presentation Night on 23 September shone a light on the players who made their mark:
�� Best and Fairest / Top Points Scorer / Members’ Player of the Year: Niwhai Puru (205 points — 12 tries, 78 goals, 1 field goal)
�� Best Forward: Hohepa Puru
�� Players’ Player: Jayden Berrell, team captain and four-season standout
�� Fred Daly Memorial Shield: Brad “Big Red” Fearnley, for his relentless on-and-off-field efforts
�� Top Try-Scorer: Michael Gabrael (19 tries)
�� Coach’s Award: Eli Clark
�� Most Consistent Player: Blake Hosking (second consecutive year)
It wasn’t just players who were recognised. Several longtime contributors were honoured with Life Membership:
Barry Cotter, former Mayor of Marrickville and current President of the Newtown RLFC, for decades of passionate advocacy.
Jeff Gabriel, a club director for nearly 25 years, for legal and administrative expertise.
Billy Magoulias, recent retiree and grand final matchwinner in 2019 and 2024.
Craig Tredinnick, strapper, physio and Club Person of the Year.
Mick Dabela, for his years of service as player, trainer and assistant coach.
�� Want to get behind the Jets? Visit newtownjets.com for membership, merch, and match updates.
HUMANS OF 2042
By Matt Murphy
Camperdown Cemetery’s most visited grave.
Eliza Donnithorne is one of the most famous people in Newtown’s history and the controversy about her life and its influence is worth investigating.
HHER story is not only contained in the pages of books or chapters concerning Newtown’s past but can often be seen in ‘historical features’ in metropolitan Sunday papers. There is even an opera named after her, Miss Donnithorne’s Maggot (a maggot being a kind of solo dance), which was first performed as part of the Adelaide Festival of Arts in 1974 and has recently been shown to audiences in London and Berlin.
Her tragic life also featured in a 1987 children’s book (L. Gleeson’s I am Susannah), and she even scores a column in the Australian Dictionary of Biography, a series of tomes usually reserved for those having an impact on Australia’s history. Additionally, punching her name into Google reaps a bounty of matches. But what of her real story?
Eliza was the daughter of James Donnithorne, an East India Company Judge and Master of the Mint in Calcutta. In 1836 he arrived in Australia, bringing Eliza with him; his wife and
other daughters having died of cholera. His two sons, both of whom had established military careers, stayed in India. James and young Eliza settled in Cambridge Hall on King Street (between present-day Georgina and Fitzroy Streets) and renamed it Camperdown Lodge. James Donnithorne built up a sizeable estate which Eliza inherited upon his death in 1852. It is about this time that the story starts to get a bit sticky.
Most sources agree that in 1856, at the approximate age of 30, Eliza prepared to wed. As Eliza was one of Sydney’s social elite, her wedding was to be a celebrated occasion. The banquet was laid out, the guests assembled, the coaches prepared to escort her the short distance to St Stephen’s church and a crowd had gathered to be entertained by the spectacle. But the groom never appeared.
In one version from the 1930s he had a name, George Cuthbertson, but in earlier versions he is anonymous. Some versions, which keep Eliza’s father alive for a few more years than his headstone attests, insist that James did not approve of his only daughter’s marrying so beneath herself and either paid off or warned off the intended groom. Another version, again written many years later, has it that the groom fell off his horse on the way from Parramatta and yet another states that, as an infantryman, he was urgently shipped out to India.
From here on, the various versions of the story roughly merge again. The invited guests and the throng of onlookers
slowly dissipate and the bride-to-be is left in the house alone, except for two faithful servants and the prepared wedding feast.
The story goes that she insisted that the banquet and the house remain in readiness for the arrival of her beloved. The door to the grand house remained ajar, held in place by a loose chain from where people could see in and Eliza could see out awaiting her fiancé’s arrival. But he never appears, the wedding table is never cleared and she remains in her wedding dress until her death in 1886.
Eliza Donnithorne has since been credited with posthumous fame as the character of Miss Havisham in Charles Dickens’s Great Expectations whose tragic story is eerily similar, with four different versions about how Dickens heard her tale. The four options are:
Charles Dickens’ sons are in Australia and mention the story to their father in their despatches. This cannot be true as Great Expectations was published well before they arrived.
Caroline Chisholm, in one of her many letters to Dickens, mentions Eliza’s tragic tale. It is true that Chisholm was a friend of Dickens and after returning to Australia from England did keep in regular contact with him during the 1840s, but by the mid-1850s she suffered terribly from a debilitating illness which prevented her from picking up a pen, and while many letters she wrote have been preserved there are none from this time.
Dickens read about it in the English press. This is not really a plausible option as no press articles have been found in Australia, England or anywhere, that tell the tale until after Eliza died 30 years later.
Dickens heard the story from Eliza’s brothers who lived in the same town. While Eliza’s brothers were known to be longtime residents of Twickenham, Dickens only lived there briefly in 1838. This was long before the alleged nuptials in Newtown were to have taken place.
The most logical story is in Eliza’s biography in the Australian Dictionary of Biography which suggests that after reading Great Expectations, many Sydneysiders identified Eliza as being similarly wealthy and reclusive as Dickens’s fictitious Havisham and that over time the story of who influenced who has been overturned.
It wasn’t until Eliza’s death that the story of her supposed wedding started to be gossiped about and appear in the press. Even Dame Mary Gilmore waded into the story saying she had visited Eliza Donnithorne in 1889 (which is three years after Eliza had died) and that her father had known the intended groom well and that his career as an army officer was ruined by the ordeal.
But what of the groom? While one telling of the story almost 75 years later refers to him as George Cuthbertson, in all the other accounts he remained anonymous. The births, deaths and marriages records have never heard of Cuthbertson. Where did he come from, and where did he go?
All stories write that Eliza worshiped at St Stephen’s. Both Eliza and her father are buried there and she donated money towards the building of the magnificent Blacket designed edifice that replaced the original church in 1874. In view of this, it is a pretty safe assumption that her wedding, if there was to be one, was to take place there as well. The old St Stephen’s parish records are housed in the Anglican Diocese Archive in Sydney and, much to the surprise of the archivist, St Stephen’s was one of the very few parishes that actually kept a record of marriage banns. Marriage banns were formal announcements made to a congregation about an intended wedding. By law, the minister had to announce the wedding at least three consecutive weeks prior to the marriage, to give any who opposed the marriage an opportunity to have the nuptials cancelled.
The St Stephen’s marriage banns register has a list of intending brides and grooms followed by three columns in which were written the dates that the banns were read out. A curious number of intending marriages were crossed out after one or two church announcements. But from 1845 to 1865 neither the name Donnithorne nor Cuthbertson appear. 1856 was also the first year of civil registrations of marriage in New South Wales but again neither of these surnames appear.
In my opinion, there was no groom, there was no wedding. There was just a spinster, possibly eccentric, possibly living with her faithful servants. If the sources can be believed, she was an avid reader, as with the exception of the local clergy the only people she met at the front door were those selling books.
In her will she left everything to her maids, her church and her pets. Her three-line obituary in the Sydney Morning Herald mentions only that she was the daughter of Judge James Donnithorne and says nothing of her allegedly tragic life.
More tellingly, no mention can be found in any newspaper of the intended upcoming upper-class nuptials, nor any gossip – at least not for the next 30 years - of the tragedy of Eliza being jilted.
Eliza Donnithorne’s grave at St Stephen’s is still the most sought after. In 2004, her headstone was broken (or vandalised), which made international news with England’s Dickens’ Society making a financial contribution to the National Trust of Australia to assist with its repair.
IINNER WEST
Ever come home tired, ready to relax, only to find someone parked across your driveway? Now you can do something about it.
COUNCIL has introduced a new policy to make sure residents and businesses don’t get stuck waiting for an inconsiderate parker to move. Vehicles that block driveways can now be towed free of charge for the affected resident or business owner, clearing access quickly and saving plenty of frustration.
Here’s how it works: if your driveway is blocked, contact Council and a parking officer will respond. Once confirmed, the offending vehicle will be towed to a nearby street, and both local police and Council’s Customer Service team will be notified. The vehicle’s owner will be informed as soon as they return to find their car moved.
This policy comes in response to growing complaints about illegal parking - in 2024 alone, Council received 4,393 reports of blocked driveways. Parking officers are already attending these incidents within three hours 91% of the
Btime. Now, instead of just issuing a fine, they’ll also restore access straight away.
To further discourage bad behaviour, fines for blocking a driveway have doubled to $660.
Councillor Chloe Smith said the change is all about protecting residents:
“There’s absolutely a need for tougher measures. Parking is tight, and being blocked in can mean missing childcare pickups or hospital visits. It’s incredibly frustrating.”
The new towing policy aims to keep traffic flowing, free up driveways, and make Inner West streets just a little less stressful.
Beyond Best Before reopens at a new King Street location, expanding its mission to fight food waste in Newtown.
BEYOND BEST BEFORE, an organisation known for rescuing perfectly good food that’s passed its “best before” date, has moved from 397 to 545 King Street, Newtown - and their shelves are now bigger, fuller, and just as deliciously unpredictable.
The store has built a loyal following since opening, offering shoppers a chance to save money while tackling food waste head-on. You can find everything from premium snacks and coffee beans to pantry staples and fancy cheeses - all rescued from going to waste.
Founder Maggie Quach says the move marks a new chapter.
“We’ve had such incredible support from the Newtown community — people really get what we’re about. This new space means more room for rescued food, and more ways to make sustainable shopping the norm.”
Beyond Best Before isn’t just a store; it’s a social enterprise on a mission to change how Australians think about expiry dates. Since opening, the business has been featured on The Guardian, The Today Show, SBS, ABC Radio, and Channel 9 News for its creative approach to fighting food waste - and was recently recognised on the Forbes Asia 30
Under 30 list.
“It was inspiring to share what we’re doing here in Newtown with others tackling similar challenges in their own countries,” Maggie says. “It showed that tackling food waste isn’t just a local issue — it’s something we can all take part in, no matter the scale.”
The new shop at 545 King Street keeps the same laid-back, community vibe Newtown loves — just with more space to browse and discover hidden gems. Shoppers can expect rotating stock, surprise finds and plenty of reasons to pop in often.
So if you haven’t been by yet, swing past their new digs, say ‘hi’, and see what treasures you can rescue this week.
WILDLIFE WATCH
By Alec Smart
They are highly territorial birds and when nesting or raising chicks they will often swoop on perceived predators that stray too close to their bowl-shaped nests. These are typically established in a cleft of a branch atop tall eucalypts and pine trees, although they will also build nests on power poles and rooftops.
The ‘swooping season’ lasts up to eight weeks, from August to November. While the female may be sat in the nest, or guiding a chick along the ground, the males are usually the most aggressive in protecting their territory (90% of swoopers are male magpies).
They will defend a radius up to 100 metres wide around the nest, ambushing from behind, striking with claws whilst shrieking and ‘clacking’ their beaks.
NESTING, NOT NUISANCE
Females lay 3-5 eggs, and the chicks are fed for 4-5 weeks until fledging, then rely on their parents for two months or more while they learn how to forage for invertebrates –including caterpillars, cicadas, snails, spiders, stick insects, wasps - and small creatures, such as mice, lizards and small birds.
Because it requires the full attention of each parent to raise a chick, usually only two from a clutch of three or more survive into adulthood. Unwanted chicks are typically found beneath a nest, at the mercy of predators.
Magpies will raid other birds’ nests for eggs and chicks to eat, which is why the fiercely territorial noisy miners and the introduced Indian mynas frequently band together to drive magpies from their breeding grounds.
According to the Australian Museum: “Magpies can live in groups as large as 20 individuals or more. Suitable breeding sites are in short supply and once attained, a territory must be defended to prevent it from being reduced or seized by a rival group.
“All individuals in a group help defend the territory from other birds, but it is usually the males that defend the nest during breeding season. Magpies can hold a territory in excess of ten years and have a lifespan of 25-30 years.”
MEANINGFUL MAGPIES
Magpies are no relation to the Eurasian magpie from whom they are named, which are corvids, a family that includes crows, ravens, rooks, jays, jackdaws and nutcrackers. In fact, Australian magpies are most closely related to the black butcherbird (Melloria quoyi) and perhaps should be renamed the pied butcherbird.
To the Dharug-speaking Eora peoples of Sydney they are djarrawunang; further afield the Dharawal-speaking clans south of Kamay/Botany Bay call them djiriwunj and the Wirradjuri clans of central NSW know them as booroogong. Their Latin classification, Gymnorhina tibicen, translates
literally as ‘naked nostril flute player’ due to their uncovered beak nostrils and melodious warbling.
Like the kookaburra, lorikeet, noisy miner, and currawong, magpies are listed by the Australian Museum as among the top 30 urban birds that reside and thrive in human settlements. They look similar to currawongs, although currawongs have yellow eyeballs instead of the rustic redbrown of magpies, a longer, larger beak and their white feathers are confined to the tips of their wings and tails. Currawongs’ birdsong is a bland ‘curra-wong curra-wong’ in comparison to the euphonious, diverse range of complex vocalisations of the magpie, which can cover four octaves.
AVOIDING INJURY
Magpies typically strike from behind, often soundlessly – so it’s best to walk slowly away from the area in which a territorial bird is swooping. Magpies are well known for targeting faster-moving threats, which means cyclists and joggers are more vulnerable – so don’t run away. If repeatedly swooped, look downwards and cover your face, to protect your eyes from getting scratched.
A wide-brimmed hat or a raised, open umbrella provide good protection from bird-strike if you’re walking through a park or neighbourhood where nesting birds are prevalent. Magpies tend to target individuals, so, strolling in a group affords better protection from aggressive birds.
For cyclists, weaving plastic cable-ties through a helmet and leaving the long ends protruding, so it resembles an echidna, is a very effective deterrent. The diving bird
mistakes them for sharp spikes, and veers away from the possibility of impaling itself.
Magpies are highly intelligent and have superb memories, so if you’ve previously annoyed them, they’ll more likely annoy you back during swooping season.
However, only 10% of nesting pairs will swoop on interlopers to their perceived territory, so, although you may receive an evil-eye stare or a shriek of warning, the likelihood of the bird then dive-bombing you is statistically improbable.
Remember, magpies are beneficial to wherever they settle, whether that be rural or urban, because they feed on pest insects, encouraging the growth of food crops and garden plants.
And whilst you’re ducking and diving from the perhaps overly-assertive magpies, there are other native birds that are also notorious for swooping humans during nesting season. Alphabetically, they are: grey butcher birds, laughing kookaburras, magpie-larks, plovers (aka masked lapwings) and red wattlebirds.
So, remember, keep your eyes peeled and well protected!
There is a dedicated website to report or check for territorial swoopers! It’s called Magpie Alert and you can register (free of charge) to determine potential danger spots to avoid. Visit here: magpiealert.com
Enrolling Now 2026
By Adeline Teoh
SYDNEY DANCE COMPANY’S CONTINUUM
SA continuum of choreography unites three visionary works exploring movement, connection, and creativity.
SYDNEY Dance Company’s new production is a triple bill combining two world premieres by dance and choreography legends Stephen Page and Rafael Bonachela, and a freshly reimagined work by emerging artist Tra Mi Dinh.
Continuum, a triptych presented by the Sydney Dance Company, may look disparate from afar. On one hand, it’s the celebrated return of the legendary Stephen Page AO, whose new work Unungkati Yantatja – One with the Other, was created with lauded composer and Yidaki player William Barton.
On the other, emerging choreographer Tra Mi Dinh expands on her 2023 New Breed work, Somewhere between Ten and Fourteen, with a cast more than double the original. And somewhere in the middle is Spell by SDC artistic director Rafael Bonachela, where five worlds – set to an evocative score featuring Ólafur Arnalds, Bryce Dessner, Screamin’ Jay Hawkins and Alice Smith – come to life through movement.
“I’m
“Orsolina28 seems purpose-built to foster imagination; the landscape, the light, the quiet – everything encourages a deeper connection, both to the work and to yourself. That environment left a clear imprint on Spell; its stillness, its expressiveness, and its sense of suspended time all carry traces of what we found and felt there.”
The worldbuilding within Spell comes from the extraordinary score. “The music is made up of five distinct tracks, and I treat each one as its own spell, its own self-contained universe with a unique atmosphere, logic, and energy,” Bonachela explains. “The score and the choreography exist in constant dialogue. The music doesn’t simply accompany the movement, it creates the atmosphere and emotional terrain that the dancers inhabit. It is this living interplay that gives Spell its layered quality, where sound and movement conjure and transform one another.”
interested in the duality of precision and release, and working with more bodies opens up more opportunities for choreographic intricacies and complexities to unfold.”
“What excites me about Continuum is the dialogue between three very different choreographic voices. Each work carries its own distinct language, aesthetic, and emotional world, yet together they form a flow of ideas that feels both contrasting and interconnected,” says Bonachela.
“The connections are not about similarity but about resonance: Stephen Page brings a depth of cultural storytelling and live music that grounds the program in history and tradition; Tra Mi Dinh offers an urgent, playful, and distinctly contemporary perspective as an emerging voice; and my own work explores transformation and interconnectedness through movement and sound.”
Part of Bonachela’s work took shape during a residency at the Orsolina28 Art Foundation in northern Italy, an experience that was a “rare privilege”, he says.
Page also sees music as a key part of his work. Barton’s score is not only integral, the Yidaki player will perform live with the award-winning Omega Ensemble in a work that calls out to land, sea, sky, and creatures, while connecting us to country, each other, and the continual rhythm of life.
“William weaving his energy through the whole experience, carrying it forward to be felt by audiences is going to be really special,” says Page. “I love telling stories and creating, especially in the world of dance, and caring for William’s story is a gift.”
The presentation of Dinh’s work is a rare chance to share the stage with two world premieres by established choreographers. “It’s a real privilege to share the bill with these icons,” she says. “I see that we all adore the moving body. I think our works will all share a certain affinity towards virtuosity. From what I know about the other works, the audiences will experience three distinct worlds each connecting to the elements that make up our
world: fire, earth, air, water.”
Somewhere between Ten and Fourteen was originally performed by six dancers in her 2023 New Breed premiere; in this expanded work, Dinh has 13 cast members. “Thanks to Raf’s invitation for me to reimagine it on a larger cast, I’ve been able to refine and evolve the choreographic principles that led me to its inception back in 2023.
“I’m interested in the duality of precision and release, and working with more bodies opens up more opportunities for choreographic intricacies and complexities to unfold.”
Like Page and Bonachela, Dinh is also a dancer but says she’s always been interested in choreography, “crafting movement quality through the study of texture, directing the push and pull of tension through structural shifts, and creating and dissolving imagery with bodies,” she describes.
“As a dancer, I get to experience the energetic sensations of different movement languages and aesthetics; as a choreographer, I get to consider the frame, the ‘big picture’ of a scene or feeling, I get to dictate the form and structure. Both of these roles really feed into each other and allow me to be conscious of the ‘dance’ that happens within the body and from the outside.”
Whereas the senior choreographers drew their work from music, Dinh says hers is inspired by an art installation, Ann Veronica Janssens’ Blue, Red and Yellow. “It’s a work I experienced at her exhibit Hot Pink Turquoise at
the Louisiana Museum of Modern Art in early 2020. You walk into a large box of fog that is coloured in pinks and purples, barely able to see a metre in front of you. Carefully and giddily, strangers stumble through the cloud together. It’s beautiful.”
It’s a fitting metaphor for Continuum, where three works that begin as strangers to one another connect in spirit. “Seen together, the three pieces highlight the richness of dance in Australia today – past, present, and future – in conversation on a single stage,” says Bonachela. “The contrasts actually become the connection, creating a continuum of expression that moves fluidly across generations, aesthetics, and worlds of experience.”
Find info on performance dates and tickets at
By Melissa Mantle
REGGIE WATTS LIVE
Expect the unexpected: We chat with Reggie Watts about comedy, chaos and his return to Sydney for Just For Laughs 2025.
RREGGIE Watts describes himself as a “playful trickster,” a label that fits an artist whose work defies easy categorisation. A comedian, musician and improviser, Watts has collaborated with names as varied as Michael Cera, Flight Facilities, and The Try Guys.
He was the bandleader on The Late Late Show with James Corden, created a comedy troupe on YouTube with Michael Cera and Sarah Silverman, and delivered one of the most unusual TED Talks to ever go viral. His performances - part stand-up, part DJ set, part physical theatre - leave audiences stunned, often laughing at things they can’t quite explain.
reason he’s excited to headline Just for Laughs alongside Eddie Izzard.
“It’s just this perfect Fabergé egg of a show,” he says, “full of tension and nuanced dealings with evil and darkness.”
This November, he’s bringing his one-man show back to Australia, including a stop in Sydney as part of this year’s Just For Laughs festival (Nov 10-22). We meet over video call after a few minor tech glitches on my end. “There’s always something with this technology,” he laughs. Watts eventually appears in a sunny kitchen, joking that he’s in “Lost Angeles.” As we chat, he wanders around his colourful home, relaxed and present. His stage work, though often described as “disorienting” and “pure presence,” has lately leaned into something more earnest. “The playful trickster” is how he describes himself, but there’s a seriousness underneath. Comedy, he says, can be a shortcut to “instant community.” In a fractured social landscape, those shared moments of laughter feel like an essential release valve. It’s one
What should Sydneysiders expect from his show? He laughs at the question. “I usually just feel out what the space needs,” he replies. His performances are famously improvised: no set list, no script, just instinct. When I joke he might riff on climate change if he catches a Sydney heatwave, he shrugs off the risk of controversy: “That’s the thing, it’s less what you talk about. It’s how you talk about it.” That skill - of playfully bringing the unsayable and the absurd to the stage - has defined his career. More recently, Watts has also become politically outspoken on social media, saying people need laughter more than ever, given current tensions.
Australia is hardly new ground for him. He’s performed at the Sydney Opera House “five or six times,” and says Sydney ranks among his favourite cities, though Melbourne wins out. “It’s the artist in me,” he admits, before conceding Sydney’s charms. “There’s a lot of natural beauty in Sydney,” he adds, naming Manly and Double Bay among his favourite spots. His tour this time also includes Melbourne, Perth, and Auckland. “I’m a good traveler, and I’m used to it by now. Getting to the airport is the worst part.”
When talk turns to influences, he describes them as “lego blocks” for improvisation. Musically, he grew up on bands like Depeche Mode – “I’m a child of the ’80s,” he jokes.
Comedically, Richard Pryor and Andy Kaufman stand out, with a tongue-in-cheek nod to Yahoo Serious: “I’m joking,” he quickly reassures.
But his longest riff is reserved for Andor, the Star Wars spin-off series. “It’s just this perfect Fabergé egg of a show,” he says, “full of tension and nuanced dealings with evil and darkness.”
Before arriving in Australia, Watts will launch a new podcast, bringing in friends and collaborators as guests.
Like his live performances, it will be entirely improvised.
“It’s my approach. I can’t really do it any other way. I never have a plan, and that doesn’t always work for producers. What I request is usually at the lower end of their capacities, but I feel it’s worth it.”
That commitment to spontaneity is precisely what makes his shows so singular. Whether switching between invented languages mid-sentence, looping his own voice into a musical crescendo, or throwing out surreal and off-kilter observations, Watts creates something unrepeatable each time.
If audience reactions are any measure, his insistence on creative sovereignty pays off. This November, Sydney audiences can expect exactly what they can never quite expect from the international treasure, Reggie Watts.
WHAT’S ON
SPRING & SUMMER Event Guide
Your guide to the best local events, culture and community.
THE LARAMIE PROJECT | OCT 7 - NOV 1
New Theatre (542 King St)
In 1998, in the tight-knit town of Laramie, Wyoming, a young gay man named Matthew Shepard was the victim of a homophobic hate crime. A national media frenzy followed and ten members of the New York-based Tectonic Theater Project visited Laramie in an attempt to find out what happened and why. They conducted more than 200 interviews with the local community, chronicling the town’s trauma.
The play Kaufman crafted from those transcripts has been hailed as one of the most impactful works of theatre ever produced. Watch an ensemble cast portray more than 60 characters in this shattering depiction of a profoundly moving modern tragedy.
Tickets: newtheatre.org.au/the-laramie-project/
JUST FOR LAUGHS FESTIVAL | NOV 10 - NOV 22
Various Venues
Get ready to laugh out loud - the Sydney Just For Laughs Festival 2025 is back, bringing world-class comedy to venues across the city. This year’s lineup features international stars like Eddie Izzard, Reggie Watts, John Bishop and Ashley Gavin, alongside local favourites including Demi Lardner, the Aboriginal Comedy Allstars, and viral duo We Mean Well. From stand-up and improv to live podcasts and gala shows, there’s something to keep everyone in stitches.
Tickets: justforlaughs.sydney/
SYDNEY DANCE COMPANY’S CONTINUUM
OCT 22 - NOV 1
Rosyln Packer Theatre (22 Hickson Rd, Walsh Bay)
From the fleeting beauty of twilight to the elemental force of breath, Continuum is a journey through time and place, where movement echoes with the ebb and flow of life’s narratives. An enchanted new world premiere, Spell from Rafael Bonachela will draw upon his signature choreographic style, to explore the limits of emotional and physical expression.
Tra Mi Dinh exposes the delicate space between day and night in her work Somewhere between ten and fourteen, where bodies drift and pulse, surrendering to the ever-shifting movement of time and light. Presented in association with Omega Ensemble, Stephen Page’s choreography of Unungkati Yantatja – one with the other calls out to the land, sea and sky, where the Company dancers perform on stage with composer and yidaki player William Barton, connecting us all to the spirit of our creation breath.
Is there a better way to spend Halloween-eve than at a local horror-themed trivia night?
We don’t think so. Head down to Marly Bar for an evening of spine-chilling questions that’ll test your knowledge of horror’s most iconic films.
- 7:00PM
The Marly will be transformed with horror theming throughout, and dress ups are highly encouraged - best dressed wins bragging rights (and maybe a prize).
Book your table: marlboroughhotel.com.au/themedtrivia
THE FINDERS KEEPERS MARKET | NOV 14 - 18
Carriageworks (245 Wilson St, Eveleigh)
Step into the world of creativity at Finders Keepers Sydney Design Market - returning to Carriageworks from 14–16 November. Browse over 200 stallholders showcasing handmade homewares, slow fashion, art, jewellery, ceramics and more.
Enjoy live music, bars, meet local makers and check out the brand-new Dining Room - a perfect cure for your market munchies.
There’s also a Low Sensory Hour on Sunday (9–10 am) for a gentler shopping experience. Kids under 13 are free - bring your market crew and support Australia’s designers.
More details: thefinderskeepers.com/sydney-markets/
CHARLIE COLLINS
| NOV 15 - 7:00PM
Waywards Ballroom (L2/324 King St)
Charlie Collins is an acclaimed Australian singersongwriter known for her genre-blending sound that fuses country, pop and rock influences. She began her musical journey performing with her siblings, later joining the indie-pop group Tigertown before going solo in 2019. Collins has just released her third studio album, Nightwriter, delving into themes of personal struggle and redemption, inspired by her own experiences. Tickets: bankhotel.com.au/waywards-program
COWBOIS
| NOV 20 - DEC 13
Seymour Centre (Cnr City Rd & Cleveland St)
In a sleepy town in the Wild West, the women drift through their days like tumbleweed. Their husbands, swept up in the goldrush, have been missing for almost a year. In fact, the town is almost cut off from outsiders entirely, with only one drunken sheriff for protection. That is until handsome bandit Jack Cannon swaggers up to the town’s saloon. Armed with a wink and a gun by his side, Jack’s explosive arrival inspires a gender revolution, and starts a fire under the petticoat of all the town’s inhabitants. Get ready for a whole lot of singing, dancing, and even a climactic shoot-out!
Tickets: seymourcentre.com/event/cowbois/
PRESENT
LAUGHTER | NOV 11 - DEC 13
New Theatre (542 King St)
Actor Garry Essendine is possibly the most desired man in the world. He is handsome, charming, selfdeprecating, self-obsessed, and in the midst of a midlife crisis. Over the course of a few days, he finds his life bombarded by the conflicting desires of others, as an obsessed fan, a starlet, an aspiring playwright and a stage mother cause chaos. A fast, furious and extremely funny farce, complete with excruciating misunderstandings, toe-curling narrow escapes and high camp double-entendres, this is Noël Coward at his absolute sparkling best.
Tickets: newtheatre.org.au/present-laughter/
CAROLS AT THE HOUSE
SYDNEY PHILHARMONIA CHOIR
DEC 12 - 8 PM | DEC 13, 8PM | DEC 14, 2PM
Sydney Opera House, Concert Hall
Sydney Philharmonia Choirs brings festive cheer with its family-friendly Carols at the House at the Sydney Opera House. Conducted by Brett Weymark, the event features singers, musical theatre stars, and an orchestra performing favourites like Joy to the World, Silent Night, and Jingle Bells, plus choral highlights from Bach, Whitacre, Franck, and contemporary Australian composers. Join in the singing or sit back and enjoy this much-loved seasonal tradition that makes Christmas truly magical.
Experience the world’s most innovative smartphone film festival — SF3 — where creativity meets the big screen! Join us for three unmissable days of groundbreaking cinema: the Gala Finals Screening & Awards (Jan 23, 8:30pm) and SF3 Kids Screening & Awards (Jan 24, 1:30pm) at the Sydney Opera House, then the SF3 Mini & Feature Film Screening (Jan 25, 1:30pm) at Palace Chauvel Cinema. Bold stories. Limitless imagination. Only at SF3. Details: sf3.com.au
WHAT’S NEW IN NEWTOWN
Your curated guide to the newest bites, brews, and buzzworthy spots, recently opened or opening soon!
NNEWTOWN and Enmore continue to be two of Sydney’s most vibrant and eclectic suburbs, celebrated for their alternative culture, live music scene, and diverse food and drink offerings. And there’s good news - 2025 is shaping up to be just as exciting, with plenty of new openings still to come before the year’s out!
From modern Australian cuisine and international flavours to innovative bars and cozy cafés, Newtown’s culinary landscape remains as dynamic as ever. Whether you’re a local, or just visiting for the weekend, these new venues are set to deliver fresh flavours, exciting atmospheres, and unique experiences for all.
JOE’S TAVERN
206 Australia St, Newtown
The recently opened Joe’s Tavern is the latest venture from the team behind Continental Deli. Located at 206 Australia Street, this New York-style tavern replaces the short-lived Flora. With a focus on hearty fare and a relaxed atmosphere, Joe’s Tavern is a 30-seater with a particular kind of charm, that serves everything from lamb chops to prawn cocktails and will no doubt quickly become a staple in the local Newtown dining scene.
MISTER GROTTO
208 Australia St, Newtown
Adjacent to Joe’s Tavern, Mister Grotto is a 30-seat seafood restaurant that opened in early 2025 from the team behind Porteno and Continental Deli. Led by Head Chef Måns Engberg, the venue showcases top-tier Australian seafood in an intimate setting. With its refined yet approachable menu, Mister Grotto has quickly gained popularity among locals and visitors alike.
BUTTERLEAF
195 Missenden Rd, Newtown
Butterleaf is a salad bar that’s redefining healthy eating in Newtown. Owned by husband-and-wife duo Rawad and Reem, who both left their corporate careers to pursue a passion project that’s been two years in the making, this tasty eatery is located on King Street, and offers a variety of fresh, plant-based dishes in a vibrant setting. The venue has become a go-to spot for those seeking nutritious and delicious meals in the heart of the suburb.
THE RETREAT
9 Retreat Rd, Newtown
Step into luxury at The Retreat, a French-inspired restaurant that opened in May. Developed by Hamo Hospitality, the restaurant is nestled among the leafy streets of suburban Newtown, and seamlessly combines old-world charm with contemporary sophistication. Set within the beautifully restored Bareena Post Office, this intimate 50-seat restaurant invites guests to pause, connect, and savour each moment.
KFC
171 King St, Newtown
While the fast-food chain’s arrival has sparked mixed reactions among locals, it adds to the diverse dining options available in Newtown. The KFC outlet offers seating for 14 people and operates until 11 pm on weekdays and 2 am on weekends. Not a fast food fan? You’ll be pleased to hear that recent plans for a new McDonalds in Newtown were axed.
VINERIA LUISA
135 Enmore Rd, Enmore
Having opened in Newtown earlier this year, Vineria Luisa is an Italianinspired wine bar brought to you by husband-andwife duo Alessandro and Anna Pavoni of Maestro Hospitality. The venue offers a rotating selection of European wines and standout dishes like spaghetti alla nerano frittata and a highly praised lasagna. It’s designed to evoke the charm of Italian neighbourhood wine bars, providing a cozy and authentic dining experience.
By Lucy Pearson
PAPAYA CLINIC, NEWTOWN
OON Friday nights, the team at Papaya Clinic turns their light-filled Alice Street studio into a room full of women talking, asking, and learning. The event is part of the clinic’s Papaya Conversations series, which brings together a multidisciplinary panel including Women’s Health Physiotherapists Winnie Wu and Jacinta Maxwell, Naturopath Lauren Lee, and Acupuncturist Louie Rachael for a night of open, evidence-based discussion. “It’s rare to have a group of health professionals from different disciplines sitting together, answering questions openly and sharing how we each approach women’s health,” says Winnie Wu, Director and Founder of Papaya Clinic. “We wanted people to see what integrated, collaborative care actually looks like.”
Real Questions, Honest Answers
The evening is intentionally small and intimate, designed to feel more like a living-room conversation than a lecture. Attendees from across the Inner West eagerly engage as the panel answers community-driven questions on everything from bone health after forty and pelvic floor exercises to hormonal balance, acupuncture for chronic pain, and supplement quality. Guests describe the night as informative and refreshing, with one participant noting how empowering it felt “to finally hear health professionals speak together instead of separately.” It’s exactly the kind of genuine connection that’s become Papaya’s signature.
A Community Initiative That Keeps Growing
Papaya Conversations began as a local idea - a safe, welcoming space for women to ask the questions they rarely have time for during a standard appointment. It has since evolved into a bi-monthly series, with each event focused on a new theme.
The upcoming 2026 schedule includes:
January – Natural Support for ADHD and Autism
March – The Menopause Brain and Hormones
May – Expectant Mama Night
June – Healthy, Happy Figure
The Home of Women’s Health in the Inner West Papaya Clinic has become a cornerstone of women’s health in Sydney’s Inner West. Founded by physiotherapist Winnie Wu, the all-female team delivers collaborative, trauma-informed care that integrates the hormonal, physical, and emotional aspects of wellbeing.
Where open conversations, collaboration, and care are redefining women’s health care in Sydney’s Inner West.
The clinic’s services include pelvic health physiotherapy, acupuncture, naturopathy, massage, strength classes for women, and counselling, alongside signature programs such as:
Embrace Program – integrative perinatal and postpartum support
Menopause Mastery – a four-month program for women navigating perimenopause and hormonal change across all pillars of health
At Papaya, practitioners don’t stay in their lanes. They’re trained to stay curious, to ask the next question rather than the obvious one. Each clinician understands how the others work - a physio knows when a hormone check matters, and a naturopath recognises when pelvic floor strength might be the missing link. This shared curiosity forms the bridge between true integrative care and the siloed systems women too often face.
Too often, patients bounce between experts who never speak to each other. Papaya Clinic was built to change that. The Papaya team thinks together, not apart. The result? Consults that go slower, reach deeper, and finally make sense of the whole picture.
“Women’s health is complex. There are layers beneath what we see, and no single discipline has all the answers. That’s why we work together,” Wu says.
“There are many paths to healing, and collaboration between health professionals breeds innovation. It pushes us to look beyond what we know, to stay curious, and to understand the story behind every symptom. That’s the heart of Papaya.”
Suite 6, 32–72 Alice Street, Newtown www.papayaclinic.com.au | @papayaclinic
TANYA PLIBERSEK
FEDERAL MEMBER FOR SYDNEY
Renewable energy
Since 2022, the Albanese Government has approved more than 100 renewable energy projects – enough to power every home in Australia
Australia’s record renewable energy generation means we’re on track to become a renewable energy superpower and includes a plan that empowers local communities
Our Capacity Investment Scheme is supporting 20 projects to deliver reliable, affordable renewable energy and more than $600 million in local community and First Nations benefits.
The projects include energy rebates for locals, financial support for biodiversity and revegetation projects, and partnerships with local TAFEs and schools
Three projects include First Nations revenue sharing agreements, while others have committed to First Nations subcontracting, training and workforce development
Twelve projects include delivery of large-scale batteries, enough to support the peak load of over 2 6 million households for four hours.
Combined, these projects will deliver more than 12,000 construction jobs and over 1,000 long-term maintenance roles during the 20-year life of the assets In total, they will generate enough power for three million additional households by the end of 2030.
Expanding the EV charging network
We’ve delivered more choice of cheaper-to-run electric vehicles and now we’re making it easier to charge in the suburbs and the regions
We’re kickstarting kerbside charging on poles to expand our EV charging network.
The Albanese Government is providing $40 million to help deliver nationwide public kerbside and fast EV charge points as part of its Net Zero Plan
More public charging capacity will support the growing adoption of EVs, especially among Australians without access to off-street parking
Cheaper Home Batteries Program
Households and small businesses may be eligible for a discount of around 30% on the upfront cost of installing a small-scale solar battery
The discount will be based on the solar battery’s usable capacity and will gradually decrease until 2030
From just 17 batteries connected to solar in 2020, the Sydney electorate now has 147 businesses and homes with solar connected to batteries Nationally an additional 80,000 homes got batteries in just the last 2 months
Pay rise for aged care workers
The Albanese Labor Government has delivered a fourth increase in award wages to the dedicated workers who provide aged care services to older Australians
For example, for a registered nurse on the most common pay point it means an extra $60 20 per week When added to our previous increases that nurse will be more than $28,000 a year better off
Enrolled nurses and personal care workers will see similar increases
Bulk billing
GP practices around the country are preparing to sign up to deliver fully bulk billed services
On 1 November 2025 the Albanese Labor Government is rolling out its expanded eligibility for bulk billing incentives and additional incentive payments to GPs so that 9 out of 10 GP visits will be bulk billed by 2030
Baby Priya’s bill
Parents grieving the loss of a child will be able to access their employer-funded paid parental leave entitlements, under our Fair Work Amendment (Baby Priya’s) Bill 2025
Named after Baby Priya who heartbreakingly died when she was just 42 days old, the Bill makes clear that without an explicit agreement, employer-funded paid parental leave cannot be cancelled when a child is stillborn or dies
This Bill delivers on our commitment to provide certainty for grieving parents in circumstances like those of Priya’s mum whose pre-approved paid parental leave was cancelled after the loss of her child
Authorised by Tanya Plibersek MP, ALP, 1a Great Buckingham Street, Redfern NSW 2016
PET FRIENDLY PLACES
NNEWTOWN is home to people who are happy to be and express themselves; where beings of all shapes and models mix freely — and that includes non-humans. There are lots of dog-friendly cafes and bars. Here are just a few:
BANK|324
Right in the centre of Newtown, close to the station and the Enmore Rd/King St intersection, The Bank happily welcomes locals, visitors and doggies into their airy, spacious beer garden. Great food and friendly atmosphere and lots of other pups to play with.
A delightful little cocktail bar serving vegan Mediterranean tapas-style food and lots of warm vibes. Enjoy bespoke, artistic cocktails in the courtyard or inside (dogs allowed in both areas) while listening to the juke box and imbibing the funky decor.
Get your pup on the leash and visit one of Newtown’s beer success stories. Young Henry’s brewery is a proud local craft brewer whose selection of beers can be found in pubs all over this city. It’s also a great place to hangout with friends and fur-babies.
Get your pup on the leash and visit one of Newtown’s beer success stories. Young Henry’s brewery is a proud local craft brewer whose selection of beers can be found in pubs all over this city. It’s also a great place to hangout with friends and fur-babies.
Down “the other end” of Newtown, towards Sydney Park, the Botany View is a classic Aussie pub with pinball machines, pool tables, velvet sofas and armchairs, beer garden, balconies, retro chic and loads of charm. They welcome dogs with open paws.
This big country-style hotel on a corner welcomes canines with open arms. Dogs are allowed in every part of the venue — inside the front bar, out in the courtyard, or enjoying the view from one of the upper level balconies. Lots of terrific fun and entertainment to be had here.
Newtown’s little sister, Erskineville, is host to lots of pet friendly pubs and cafes, including this little gem. The menu features delicious, Instagrammable brekkie and lunch dishes for you, and their special Doggie Waffle for your furry friend.
We never forget the pets who share our lives and give us their unconditional love. The bond we share with them, and the love we feel, is like no other. Including a gift in your Will to RSPCA NSW allows you to give back and say thank you to the special pets who enrich your life. Find out how your love for all animals can live on through a gift in your Will to RSPCA NSW. Visit rspcansw.org/wills or call 02 9782 4419.
PUZZLES
City where Eliza Donnithorne’s father worked before emigrating to Australia.
Reggie Watts describes himself as a playful _________.
Rising talent who took the No.1 jersey for the Newtown Jets after Liam Ison’s injury.
Home park of the Newtown Jets.
___ Theatre in Newtown hosting The Laramie Project.
A Western-themed show playing at The Seymour Centre.
Danny Lim served as a progressive independent councillor for which Sydney council?
Across
3. City where Eliza Donnithorne’s father worked before emigrating to Australia
Australian band whose album cover featured Danny Lim.
7. Reggie Watts describes himself as a playful .
13. Danny Lim served as a progressive independent councillor for which Sydney council?
Art installation inspiring Tra Mi Dinh’s choreography.
8. Rising talent who took the No.1 jersey for the Newtown Jets after Liam Ison’s injury.
Newtown Jets player awarded the Coach’s Award for 2025.
17. Australian band whose album cover featured Danny Lim Down
Type of enterprise Beyond Best Before is described as?
9. Home park of the Newtown Jets
10. Theatre in Newtown hosting The Laramie Project.
First name of the man who lived in Newtown, and wrote the Aeroplane Jelly jingle.
Integrative
6. City hosting Reggie Watts’ 2025 Just For Laughs show
11. Newtown Jets player awarded the Coach’s Award for 2025
The name of Danny Lim’s small dog who also appeared in Three Thousand Years of Longing.
1. First name of the man who lived in Newtown, and wrote the Aeroplane Jelly jingle.
2. Art installation inspiring Tra Mi Dinh’s choreography.
Local cemetery where Eliza Donnithorne is buried.
12. A Western-themed show playing at The Seymour Centre.
14. The name of Danny Lim’s small dog who also appeared in Three Thousand Years of Longing
Street where Beyond Best Before’s new Newtown store is located.
4. Type of enterprise Beyond Best Before is described as?
City hosting Reggie Watts’ 2025 Just For Laughs show.
Women’s Health in Newtown
5. Local cemetery where Eliza Donnithorne is buried.
15. Street where Beyond Best Before’s new Newtown store is located.
16. Number of distinct tracks in Bonachela’s score for Spell.
Number of distinct tracks in Bonachela’s score for Spell.
Supporti
WET YOUR WHISTLE WORDSEARCH
Wet Your Whistle Wordsearch - Newtown
Vanguard Huelo Astro’s Arcade
Hive Bar
Golden Barley
Midnight Special Queen’s
Fortunate Son
Earl’s Juke Joint
Baby Dragon Bar Enmore
Corridor
Mountain Goat The Warren View ANTE
Uncanny Buddy’s Bar Bar Planet Town Hall Coopers Carlisle Castle Botany View Kellys on King Websters Union Newtown Courthouse The Marly Bank
11TH SEASON JAN 23Ð25,
EDUCATION
INTERNATIONAL
GRAMMAR SCHOOL SYDNEY
A unique independent, coeducational, secular school offering quality teaching for early learning, primary and high school students through to Year 12. IGS opened its doors in 1984 with a unique vision to provide its students with a globally-focused bilingual education, rich in the study of music and the arts.
4-8 Kelly St, Ultimo - 9219 6700
THE UNIVERSITY OF NOTRE DAME AUSTRALIA
A leading national university known for its personalised approach to education and strong community values. Located in the heart of Sydney’s Broadway precinct, Notre Dame offers a vibrant campus life and a wide range of undergraduate and postgraduate programs across health, arts, business, law, and education. Discover everything the university has to offer at their upcoming Open Day on Saturday 30 August — a great opportunity to explore the campus and meet staff and students. 128/140 Broadway, Chippendale | (02) 8204 4400 Notredame.edu.au
HEALTH & WELLNESS
Marli
Rose
MARLI ROSE HAIRDRESSING
Making the local community feel confident and beautiful for over 10 years! Head into Marli Rose and let their friendly, professional team help you look and feel your best in a relaxed, welcoming space. Whether you’re after a quick refresh or a bold new look, they can make it happen!
Reset! An integrative 4-month health program designed to help you regain control of your health. Whether you’re in perimenopause navigating the initial hormonal shifts, deep in menopause, or till 3 years postmenopausal. From hormonal balance and physical strength to emotional well-being, the Papaya Clinic has built a holistic program delivered by pelvic health physiotherapists, acupuncturists, and naturopaths.
Translating to King St in Spanish, Calle Rey is a cosy retro Mexican bar dishing up happy hours, art exhibitions, tarot reading and a menu for everyone - vegan, vegetarian, gluten-free, nut-free, dairy-free and meat lovers alike. Their famous $8 tacos (Tuesday–Thursday and Sundays) come with fillings like eggplant, jackfruit, shrimp, chicken and beef, and $12 happy hour cocktails are guaranteed to keep spirits high. Come and experience Calle Rey for yourself and see why it’s fast becoming a Newtown institution.
62-64 King St, Newtown | 0475 587 074 callerey.com.au
THE ITALIAN BOWL
Italian food at its best! This restaurant serves authentic Italian Cuisine with a menu that allows you to pick and choose your own pasta, risotto or protein combination. It’s an iconic institution in Newtown that is loved by locals, there’s often lines out the door of customers waiting to be served.
255 King St, Newtown | 02 9516 0857 theitalianbowl.com.au
SPON WINE BAR
Newtown’s favourite bottle shop and bar, known for its unique wines, crafted beers, and rotating 12-bottle board. With daily happy hour (3-6pm) everyday and a choose-yourown-adventure tasting style, it’s a local favourite for sipping, snacking, and discovering something new in a relaxed, welcoming space.
256 King St, Newtown | spon.bar
THE STINKING BISHOPS
Nestled in the heart of Newtown, this unique restaurant is a haven for cheese-lovers seeking an extraordinary cheese experience. Built on a foundation of passion and expertise, you’ll find a selection of the finest local and international cheeses, along with cheese-laden dishes like mac n’ cheese, cheese souffle and baked camembert. You can also book corporate or special events with vibrant grazing tables, and a variety of hampers and grazing boxes. Prepare to be enthralled by the world of cheese!
Each year the Cat Protection Society of NSW helps thousands of cats and the people who love them. They take in homeless cats and kittens and provide them with all the veterinary care and rehabilitation they need before finding them the loving and responsible homes they deserve. The Cat Protection Society of NSw also helps cats in the community with their discounted feline health services including discount desexing, vaccination and microchipping as well as providing free information and education for cat owners and people working with cats. If you’re in the area drop by their Cat Boutique 85 Enmore Road Newtown, open 7-days a week, 10am to 5pm, for all your cat care essentials including cat food, litter, flea and worm treatments, toys and much more for your feline friend plus great gifts for cat-lovers.
The Cat Boutique - Open 7 days (10 - 5pm) - 85 Enmore Road, Newtown. Office - 103 Enmore Rd - 9519 7201 info@catprotection.org.au
SYDNEY UNIVERSITY VET
Offering 24 Hour Emergency Care) - Acclaimed internationally for its exceptional health, care and welfare of animals. It is a general practice veterinary clinic, a referral centre for other vets to send complex cases and a teaching hospital for veterinary science students to learn the practical components of the veterinary profession.
65 Parramatta Rd, Camperdown - 9351 3437
SYDNEY DOG AND CATS HOME
Sydney’s only charity pound and community facility. The Home has been taking care of Sydney’s lost, abandoned and neglected pets since 1946. We provide shelter, food and veterinary care to thousands of animals each year, servicing multiple council areas across Sydney.
Operating by appointment only - sydneydogandcatshome.org
THE WILD VET
Run by Dr Emma Hall, also known as ‘The Wild Vet’, this practice is experienced and equipped to deal with an extensive range of species. In addition to dogs and cats, they have a special focus on birds, rabbits, reptiles, rodents, and other pocket pets. They work with state of the art diagnostic, laboratory, surgical and clinical settings enabling them to provide the highest standard of care for your pet - every time.
22a Bridge Rd, Glebe - 1300 945 383
ARTS + ENTERTAINMENT
SEYMOUR CENTRE
Seymour Centre is a vibrant, multi-venue performing arts centre located in inner-city Chippendale. We champion new voices, inspire wide-ranging audiences, and invigorate the artistic life of our city through our annual independent theatre season, our dynamic education program, and our presenting partnerships with major cultural events and festivals.
Coming Soon: “Cowbois”20 November - 13 December 2025
Cnr City Rd and Cleveland St, Chippendale, NSW 200802 7255 1561 – seymourcentre.com
ARTS + ENTERTAINMENT
NEW THEATRE
Established in 1932, is the longestrunning community theatre with continuous productions in NSW. Renowned for its commitment to diverse and engaging performances, it continues to offer a platform for both emerging and established talent.
Coming Soon 11 November – 13 December 2025
542 King St, Newtown - 02 9519 3403newtheatre.org.au
FLIGHT PATH THEATRE - Located at the Addison Rd
Community Centre in the heart of Marrickville in Sydney. In operation since 2019, Flight Path Theatre continues to offer a platform for independent productions in the Inner West. Run by Siobhan Lawless and Kate Bookallil, it is a space of diversity, comfort, acceptance, creativity and vitality. After a difficult few years, Flight Path is so proud to still be operating and the best way our community can ensure we continue to survive is by coming along and seeing a show.
SYDNEY DANCE COMPANY - Beyond performances nationally and internationally, Sydney Dance Co offer the largest public dance class program in Australia and an exceptional education program for school students and pre-professional year dancers.
Coming Soon: “New Breed” 3-13 December 2025
15 Hickson Rd, Walsh Bay Arts Precinctsydneydancecompany.com
