Brandon Melton arrived at Macquarie Uni over a year ago from Cowra with little more than $14 in the bank and a couple weeks' worth of rent, having never flown on a plane or even caught a public bus before. “My first time catching the 545 - the bus driver yelled at me to get out... Continue Reading →
Tunnel art a blast from the past
The railway underpass connecting the two sides of Rowe Street in Eastwood is currently getting a much needed makeover from the local council. Popularly known as the "Scary Tunnel" and likened to the tunnel where the Dementors appeared in the Harry Potter movie, it's always dark and dingy even during broad daylight. There are also tales of a murder happening there during the 90s although... Continue Reading →
Golden Memories of the Golden Wheel
Growing up in Eastwood, and as a kid at Eastwood Public School, our family of 10 went to the Golden Wheel for dinner. As teenagers we would go there as a group, with lots of good memories. Knowing it was soon to be closing down, some of us went there other night for dinner. Going... Continue Reading →
Unsubtle Asian Dating
Brandon Lim 18, son of popular local bread shop owners Hay and Yen Lim was surprised to read a note posted by his parents at the shop front. The note read that the bakery would be closed for a few days due to Brandon's sister Julianne's wedding (which of course Brandon knew about). But that... Continue Reading →
Why do people in Oz not wear shoes?
Is there a shoe shortage in parts of Australia? It’s one of the most commonly questions asked by tourists, international students and migrants in Australia when they first see perfectly normal looking people walking around the streets barefoot. But they rarely get to ask these barefoot strangers directly, in case it sounds impolite. And we... Continue Reading →
Checkmate
Born and bred in Eastwood, 22 year old Jack Rodgers has both brains and brawn. If he looks familiar, it may be because of his cameo on Home & Away at the age of 3, back in the days when there was casting done from Eastwood’s Masonic Hall. Aside from his day job as a... Continue Reading →
Eastwood’s couching tiger, hidden dragon
World judo champion Hao Wang migrated from Northern China to Sydney with his wife in 2015, but life wasn’t all smooth sailing. “When I first arrived into Australia, everything was tough. I spoke little English and faced difficulties adapting to a culture that is a stark contrast to mine. I knew nobody and nobody knew... Continue Reading →
R U Ugly?
I taught mathematics at the University of Sydney for over 30 years. I always encouraged my students to come and see me first if they had any problems (so they don't go jump over the harbour bridge). So many of them came to me with their personal issues. One time, a student came to my... Continue Reading →
The way we met
Esther: "I had just arrived from Brisbane, and was coming to the Eastwood Hotel quite often with my friends to chill out after work. It was one cold chilly night in October and I was wanting the outdoor heater turned on. But it was broken and kept switching off. So we had to get the... Continue Reading →