Systems

from THE ART OF SYSTEMS THINKING - Jason O'Connor & Ian McDermott

“A system is an entity that maintains its existence and functions as a whole through the interaction of its parts.”

“Systems have emergent properties that are not found in their parts. You cannot predict the properties of a complete system by taking it to pieces and analysing its parts”

“Systems thinking is thinking in loops rather than straight lines” 

Basic democratic rights....

'We failed to ask - How would I feel if this was done to me?

Paul Keating- The Redfern Address

An excerpt from 'Rebuilding the Block' Redwatch:

In 1973, Prime Minister Gough Whitlam provided the initial grant to the Aboriginal Housing Company (AHC) to allow the first housing purchases on this parcel of land in Redfern and the Block became the birthplace of urban land rights in this country. At that time, there were 102 houses in and immediately around the Block. Now, only 19 inhabited homes remain. While some have fallen victim to arson attacks by disgruntled tenants, others have been razed by the AHC to prevent their use as drug houses. More than anything else, drugs have been the scourge of this place, bringing unemployment, crime, poverty, sickness and death.

The land itself is just under 8000 square metres. But what the Block lacks in size, it makes up for in significance. For the people who populate it - whether residents or visitors - it is the cornerstone of an Aboriginal presence in our biggest capital city, a meeting place for indigenous people from across the country and a landmark that serves as a reminder of our native people to the other 98 per cent of the population.

Shane Phillips lives on Holden Street. He is a long-term resident of the Block, having moved in at the age of five with his father, Dick Blair, one of the founding members of the AHC, his mother and his eight brothers and sisters.

His father went on to become the local pastor, a community role model; his eldest sister died of a heroin overdose. His experience of the Block illustrates its polarity - the way it can give hope and take it away. "It's been tough," he says. "We've learned the hard way, that's for sure."

The 41-year-old skipper of the Tribal Warrior vessels - two historic boats that host cultural tours on Sydney harbour - is desperate to find a way forward. "I'm passionate about change because generations of our people will survive because of it. If we can't have one community in Sydney - the front-line of the colony - that can be a positive place for our people, then they might as well just shoot us all."

The answer, he says, is to give successful Aboriginal people the opportunity to reshape the Block from the inside out. "Now is the time to give us a real chance," he says. "If you were to put working people in here who want to raise their kids and not worry about drugs in the street, who care about neighbourhood watch and cultural values, you'd see a vast change coming about."

That would be a major turnaround to what exists now. To many Sydneysiders, the Block is a no-go zone: a drug-, alcohol- and crime-ridden ghetto across the road from Redfern train station. Some consider it a blight on the landscape and want it bulldozed; others suspect developers have plans to seize it and exploit its obvious commercial potential.

Few seem to know that for the past six years, the AHC, together with some of the city's leading architects, has been working on a $60 million redevelopment plan to regenerate the Block into a thriving urban centre for Aboriginal people and for visitors, including tourists. They want to demolish the Block and replace it with 62 residential dwellings - two-thirds of which would be sold to owner-occupiers. The Pemulwuy Project, named after the first Aboriginal freedom fighter, would include an indigenous business college, student hostel, gym, retail outlets and an art gallery. A communal meeting place called Red Place would incorporate a playground, giant television screen and a park.

In the AHC offices on the top corner of the Block, between Lawson and Caroline streets, the housing company's CEO, Mick Mundine, speaks passionately about the plans. "This is going to give our people a bit of self-esteem and hope for the future," he says. "Our people have lived without hope but I think with this project they will be able to see a bit of hope coming to reality."

Part of the formula, he says, is that the plan would be entirely self-funding, via money raised through home sales and private equity. "We aren't relying on any government funding," he says with pride.

http://www.redwatch.org.au/media/061130smhtsm/

New Minister for Planning and RWA

Kristina Keneally MP
NSW Parliament

Member for Heffron

She offered the following words in response to:

Elizabeth Farrelly's press conference question about 'the block' 2/3/06:
'....when you asked a question about the Block and I pointed out that, as the local member, I knew of many local Aboriginal people and groups who had concerns, or just did not support the Aboriginal Housing Company's proposal.'

http://www.parliament.nsw.gov.au/prod/parlment/hansart.nsf/V3Key/LA20060302040

Perhaps a sign of the same stance as Sartor....

Aboriginal child abuse 26/6/07:
Today the Premier indicated that the issue is beyond politics and that nobody—neither Labor, Liberal or Nationals at either State or Federal level—can be proud of the response to this crisis. What concerns me about the speech of the Leader of The Nationals is that it seems to suggest there is an easy answer to this issue. As a member of this House who has actually taught in a rural and regional area and worked with indigenous families, albeit in the United States, and who has had children in her classroom who at the age of 12 have had their lives ruined by the foetal alcohol syndrome and has had children in her classroom who show the signs of abuse, I know that there is no easy answer to this problem.

I encourage all members on both sides of this House to work constructively, without politics, to ensure that the right of children to grow up free of abuse, to be free to learn, and to be free to celebrate their culture, which should be kept sacred as part of the community, is upheld, protected and supported. That responsibility falls to all of us.

http://www.parliament.nsw.gov.au/prod/parlment/hansart.nsf/V3Key/LA20070626025

At least theres a chance of empathy.....

About Heffron (Electorate)

Metropolitan, residential suburban. Located Sydney, southeastern.

Principal suburbs: Alexandria, Beaconsfield, Daceyville, East Botany, Eastgardens, Eastlakes, Erskineville, Eveleigh, Kensington, Kingsford, Mascot, Pagewood, Redfern, Rosebery, St Peters, Sydenham, Tempe, Waterloo, Zetland.

Area: 33 sq km.

Population: 68,592. Enrolment: 47,479.

Replaces Frank Sartor

http://www.parliament.nsw.gov.au/prod/parlment/members.nsf/0/5E484D096C7002CECA256CFA00125119

how will this effect the redfern-waterloo developments ?


http://www.smh.com.au/news/national/i-feel-cheated-sartor/2008/09/07/1220725832874.html

Government policy in relation to Aboriginal people

http://www.cityofsydney.nsw.gov.au/Barani/themes/theme3.htm

The NSW Land Rights Act 1983 was an important milestone. The dispossession of Aboriginal people from their land is acknowledged in the Act’s preamble, which states:

• Land in the State of New South Wales was traditionally owned and occupied by Aborigines:
• Land is of spiritual, social, cultural and economic importance to Aborigines;
• It is fitting to acknowledge the importance which land has for Aborigines and the need for Aborigines of land:
• It is accepted that as a result of past government decisions the amount of land set aside for Aborigines has been progressively reduced without compensation.

Infiltising // guerilla activism with slight untruths to generate maximum reactions

"Integration" complete says GG

The article:

ABORIGINAL leaders have scoffed at suggestions that most indigenous Australians are living "integrated, normal lives" and that disadvantage is confined mostly to remote areas. Outgoing Governor-General Michael Jeffery, who leaves office on Wednesday after five years, said there are about 520,000 people with "indigenous blood" in Australia. 

"I suspect that about 350-400,000 of those are already integrated satisfactorily into the country," Major General Jeffery said in a farewell interview on Sky News.

"Integrated to such an extent that you don't hear about them, they're doing what we would look upon as normal jobs, living normal Australian lives." 

About 100,000 Aborigines mostly living in the remote north have been "doing it hard for many years", he said. 

Mr Dodson, a fierce critic of the Howard Government, which appointed Maj Gen Jeffery to the position, scoffed at the suggestion that disadvantage is concentrated in remote areas. 

"We're not living normal lives - we're totally over-represented in the social indicators, we're dying a lot younger, we don't have the education opportunities, (people are living) below the poverty line in many parts of Australia. It is not just those in northern Australia who are battling to make ends meet." 

Aboriginal leader Pat Dodson told Fairfax the head of state's remarks were superficial and suggested that all that was needed was to "force these (remote) people out of their communal ways".

"It really denies the uniqueness of who the indigenous people are and what their contribution to this country can be in their own right, as if they have nothing to contribute except the absorption of the culture that the West has offered to us. It's a pretty damnable statement if that's the case."

Earlier this year, Maj Gen Jeffery supported the apology to Aborigines removed from their families as children and he has spoken often of the need to teach more indigenous history in schools.

But his remarks are sensitive because of the debate sparked by the federal intervention in Northern Territory remote communities.  Critics called the intervention "paternalistic" and a continuation of the mindset that led to the stolen generations in the first place.

Lowitja O'Donoghue, the first head of the disbanded Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission, said Maj Gen Jeffery's figures are "questionable" and imply that urban Aborigines are doing fine.

"It really promotes the urban-remote divide, and that is really quite wrong," Dr O'Donoghue, herself once touted as a potential governor-general, said. 

"I'm just disappointed that he should go out on a note like that when we know there's been a lot of emphasis on remote areas and the difficulties there, but there are huge, huge difficulties in urban Australia, and we need to bridge that gap." 

Governors-general have often used their position to speak out on Aboriginal issues.

Sir William Deane promoted reconciliation and the incoming Governor-General, Quentin Bryce, has said one of her priorities will be Aboriginal affairs.

http://www.news.com.au/story/0,23599,24273545-421,00.html

Redfern, ever hear of it?

Poetry found on Yahoo poetry, found it interesting.

Source -
http://au.answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20080804150340AAgg10v

Redfern, ever hear of it?
Redfern, Iv'e been there. Derelect houses for the Aborigine. Burned out rooms. junk in the back gardens. Tight lipped, blank eyes when a white passes, but you will not find a closer knit people.

The Lucky Country

Redfern, that place for you black fella.
Council givum you plenty good condemned
house to live in with wife, and piccaninnies.
Good house still plenty shelter, meby no window,
better you live here than in humpy in Outback.
City Council good to black fella, give money
every month to live like white fella.
Redfern, good place for black fella, no white fella
live there, all for black fella to live.
No bog? White fella fix bog, use outside dunny
for now, maybe three month get new bog. Council
short of money, you pay little bit rent for house, then
get bog.
This your country? You got no more country black fella,
‘cept what white fella give you back. Uluru, Big Rock
up the Territory, bring in tourist for black fella. You
lease to Government pay you back little bit dollar, good
for all black fella’s.
Black fella die in gaol? Sorry fella. you steal, get drunk,
sniff glue, beat up on wife and piccaninni, white fella
got to keep law, black aborigini got to go to gaol.
You got vote now, you got say in white mans
government.
Meby one day black fella politician get in.
Live like white fella, all good friends in Lucky Country.

You want a job? Clear off, you black fella.
This is white fella country now.

Redfern.- Distict in Sydney.
Humpy - Temporary aboriginal shelter.
Bog – Toilet.
Dunny - Outside bucket toilet.
Aborigine- First Australians
Uluru- Great Monolith in Northern Territory.
Said to be largest single standing rock in the world.
Given back to the Aborigine in 1984 then leased back to government.

Community consultation

Hey Sarah - I was thinking I really like the way your project offered a different form of community consultation/feedback system to the regular planning community forums (or lack of system in Frank Sartor's case). Your proposed system also
sends up the way in which community consultation is done - it highlights that systems are open to error, easily
manipulated and research findings can be heavily biased. It could also be read as saying to Sartor - Mate you could have at
least conducted a vox pop!

Crime info mapped?

Hey does anyone know where I can find crime/violence data mapped geographically for Redfern?

RBL rap film clip at the Block

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_BgWxSWiqxc

History of the block via Michael Mundine Interview

http://www.redfernoralhistory.org/Default.aspx?tabid=163

Michael Mundine's open letter to Frank Sartor 2005

http://www.cpa.org.au/garchve05/1246letters.html

A, B, C, Nigger

Very articulate- well written article. Pretty much sums up my experience.

http://carolom.wordpress.com/2007/12/21/nigger-and-the-a-b-c-of-racism-here-in-australia/

International Indigenous News Service

A provocative blog/site representing indigenous people worldwide.

Erik- check the tent embassy article...

http://angryindian.blogspot.com/2007_09_02_archive.html

any objections ???

Urban spelunking

Urban exploration (spelunking) is the examination of the normally unseen or off-limits parts of urban areas or industrial facilities. Urban exploration is also commonly referred to as infiltration, although some people consider infiltration to be more closely associated with the exploration of active or inhabited sites. It may also be referred to as "draining" (when exploring drains) "urban spelunking", and "urban caving", "vadding", "trolling", "building hacking", "reality hacking" or "roof and tunnel hacking". This form of hacking can also take place in 'active buildings'.

Check out:
http://weburbanist.com/2007/08/05/urban-exploration-beginners-guide-to-adventures-in-building-infiltration/
http://www.infiltration.org/abandoned.html

Hey can i get some feedback please, as you know I was struggling and would appreciate some comments to see if i'm finally on the right track...

Thank You!

Argument
Outsiders believe redfern is a scary and unsafe place. They fear this area mostly from what they have heard in the media about the indigenous Australia that reside in the area and the way some parts of the area look.

An interview with a non indigenous resident has said “that they don’t think redfern is a scary and dangerous place”. This was furthered by an interview with an indigenous local who also said “there is nothing to fear in Redfern”. The research and interviews with indigenous people as part of this assessment has made us face this fear and spend time in the area and i have come to realise that it isn’t as bad as we hear from the media. Certain areas may be run down and people may hang out on the streets in groups but when approaching these people for a chat we found that they were actually very friendly and talkative.

Method
This activism method aims to investigate the opinions of redfern local, indigenous and non indigenous regarding the above issue. The investigation aims to convince people (people outside the area) that redfern residents feel safe so why don’t you!!! Especially since they actually have firsthand experience with being in the area.

HOW- blank sheet with catchy title and brief explanation(to be designed). On the Left Side there is a pocket of stickers(to be designed) that people are to stick on the blank sheet if they agree with the statement/argument.

Viable and effective method
Optional to participate in and the results/ outcomes can be seen (if participated in).

interesting precedent

CORDOBA

Muslim Spain was a land where Muslims, Jews and Christians
co-existed in relative peace and harmony.
Its capital, Cordoba, although not unique amongst Spanish
cities, became the centre and focus for generations of
revered and respected philosophers, physicians and scholars. By the 10th century Cordoba was one of the largest cities in the world.

Was this period of apparent tolerance underpinned by a
respect for each other’s sacred texts?
What led to the eventual collapse of Cordoba and Islamic Spain?
And are we guilty of over-romanticising this so-called golden
age of co-existence?

listen to BBC live interview

http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/history/inourtime/inourtime_20021121.shtml

street art- reawakening a sense of connection to the environment

" In an urban environment it becomes necessary to form a direct connection with the landscape , with aspects of the natural world, or with a greater community. Creating street art is one way to foster that connection. By adding to the landscape I am reclaiming it as my own-- I am now an active participant in how it operates and a partial creator of its complex language. "

from \ The Guerilla Art Kit by Keri Smith
princeton architectural press, NY 2007

Redfern is kick'n

LET ME TELL YOU A STORY
One of the things characteristic of this community is the telling of stories. The stories can be anything - the sublime, terrible, funny, shocking, sad or too long, every story is received and acknowledged. Chatting to the hardware owner about his retail neighbour I heard the story about the shoeman and how he had changed. Ever since his wife died 5 years ago he has never been the same. "If you ask to interview him he will be cranky and abusive - I warn you now" said the shopowner. Hand in hand with storytelling goes laughter. Beneath and through the overwhelming heaviness of past injustices in Redfern is a constant river of laughter. It can break out at any time, suddenly, unexpectedly.

GLORY, GLORY TO SOUTH SYDNEY
Founded in 1908 at Redfern Town Hall, South Sydney football club has been a personified member of the Redfern community. People talk about the team as if it were a character that they knew, an old friend...someone that their father, grandfather and their father knew.

Like horseracing - a popular community activity in colonial Sydney - barracking for the Rabbitohs is a social leveller. Supporting the South Sydney Football team is a common bond shared amongst people living in the area as well as with people outside of Redfern. When you ask a local about the Rabbitohs they always have an in depth opinion on the game, Russell Crowe, the players or the good old days. This subculture is encapsulated in sites that exist around Redfern such as "The Raging Bunny" a pub near "the block".

Wearing supporter gear may be a great way to connect with the the local community in your interventions, just as in the video we saw of interventions with the construction workers connecting with the students wearing hardhats.

STRONG HEARTBEAT BENEATH THE SURFACE
"Redfern has a REAL...STRONG heartbeat beneath the surface" - Debbie Anne Evans, Manager Redfern City of Sydney, One Stop Shop.

Chatting to Debbie about the local community, herself a resident, it became evident that a strong community spirit where people really look out for each other exists in Redfern. The number of local community groups and organisations that cater for all sectors of the Redfern community and the frequency of activities came as a shock. Whilst there are various community groups in other suburbs of the inner city I have not heard of a community so 'activated'.

On surface value, which is often the impression you get when you 'visit' a suburb, Redfern can be violent, people are dislocated and disadvantaged. These surface conditions are regularly on display in prominent public areas such as outside Redfern railway station.

MAPPING THE LOCAL
Putting an ear to the ground - what do the locals say about Redfern? What are the daily rituals witnessed, what are the idiosyncracies that people notice in the comings and goings of Redfern... who are the characters, what aspects do locals acknowledge and celebrate with humour. This list for a map bookmarks the local...

"Cheapest meat in Sydney" - butcher shop claiming to sell the cheapest meat in Sydney (also the cheapest display in Sydney)
"Last legs" - fruit and vegetable shop that stocks very cheap produce that only lasts for a day when you take it home.
The unspoken rule of the "alley giveth and the alley taketh away". If you want to throw something out - leave it at your back entrance to the laneway. If you want to find something you might need - walk the laneways to see what there is.
Russian Women - group of elderly women that live in the waterloo towers. Every week on pension day they catch the bus to go shopping. It holds the bus up because they take a while to get on and off. Thanks to this small demographic though there is a continental deli nearby stocking Russian fare.
The shoeman in the main street of Redfern - will tell you that the sole he puts on will outlive your shoe.
The resident that hates dogs - everytime he sees one he yells out "Doggggcatcher!" I think he also suffers from dementia.

DEVELOPER GREED
This is a big issue in Redfern. People are seeing the planning practices of local community involvement become merely token. In the end it doesn't really matter what locals say because decisions are being made at higher levels and out of control of local council. The perception is that Developers want to put skyscrapers everywhere. The most recent approved proposal was for a tower to replace the Redfern rsl club behind the TNT tower.

Last week I saw a program on the ABC about the Blacksmith located at The Eveleigh Railywards. The business owner has been there for 18 years and maintains and runs the original blacksmith works of Technology Park. Now the managing authority want to end his lease and not replace his services... no doubt a higher rent can be obtained with development of this part of the site.

Parking for white cars only

An intervention precedent people may find useful:

Parking For White Cars Only is a temporary project by Helmut, which took place in a parking garage in 2006. The best parking-spots were accessible for white cars only.

My Thoughts So far

Redfern a place where there is a perplexed idea of the danger, the perilous mentality of a visitor, the feeling of ‘alien’ in a place portrayed as unsafe.

A community of mixed culture, a place of diverse corridors of society, a enraged place, a nervous place, a fascinating place, a welcoming place, a city within the city.

A place of Art, of culture, of community, of people, a place of poverty and of riches. This place is Redfern, a place of heritage, of history, a place of controversy.

A quiet transition of the neighbouring CBD, visited by cars only to pass through, visited by people only to pass through, a city at peak hours, with only one goal to get to the station, to get to work, to go home, to get out of there as soon as they can. A place of desertion after six o clock , the bee line on the streets slowly disperse, the dangerous city is in play.

The Block, the intersection passing the station, you don’t dare look, you wouldn’t dare enter, its is a no go place for the visitor, the outsider, the know only would travel through.
This is a place of destitution, a place of one welcomed community, a place of suspicion if a unknown entered, a frightening place, a watchful place, a curious place, a culture, a fascinating urban block.

Art and expression, the streets of Redfern communicate its idea, its feeling, its vulnerability, its culture. Discovery of a place, where street art shows community, shows ideas, shows protest, shows the situation which has problematically idealistically became the perception of Redfern.
A street gallery, a nomadic art, ever changing artwork, transforming over time. The controversial war with council, wiping clean this expression, one day its there the next its taken away with a fresh coat of paint.

Why is expression so important in a city of such controversy?
Why is this expression not know to the frequent visitor of Redfern?
Why is this expression hidden and only found by the ‘investigator’?

सम events coming up

REFERENCES

HEY - HERE IS A BIBILOGRAPHY FROM AN ESSAY I DID LAST YEAR ON REDFERN
ITS GOT SOME HANDY TEXTS + WEBSITES...

land ownership in redfern

HEY THERE ARE GREAT MAPPED OUT STATS ON REDFERN ON

http://www.abs.gov.au/ +

http://www.redwatch.org.au/redw/aboutredw/stats


THOUGHT SOMEBODY MIGHT FIND THESE USEFULL...

Demographics + Democracy + Gentrification = ?

Many say that in its essence gentrification is the process of replacing the socially impoverished/disadvantaged with yuppies.

What kind of homogenous, bland, singular culture do we as a democratic nation wish to allow?

We vote the politicians in, but it is often the property developers money that pays for the
marketing campaigns that facilitate their election. Therefore, who are they really working for?

history lesson

its not the first time they kick people off the land in Redfern..

From Wikipedia:
"The notorious Redfern Mail Exchange was built in 1965, after 300 people were evicted from their homes on the 2.15 hectare site. It became the scene of many industrial disputes when the automatic mail-sorting machinery which was supposed to sort efficiently, actually destroyed many letters. It became known as the Redfern Mangler."

Pemulwuy project plan (for Scott and Jess)

Here's a link to development drawings of the block you might want to take a look it if you havent already..

http://www.redwatch.org.au/RWA/statesignificant/eveleighstreet/ahc/061115ahc/view

Media & Historical Analysis

Redfern riot – between indigenous youth and police on 15th February 2004

Redfern – Strong and bold indigenous community and identity on the block.

Consideration for Redfern:
‘Black heart; of Australia – Black Power movement
Strong political, spiritual and cultural significance to indigenous people from all of NSW and across Australia
Birthplace of many indigenous organizations and many activisms since 1970s

the 1970 establishment of the Redfern Aboriginal Legal Service; the 1971 Springbok rugby tour; and the Aboriginal Embassy in 1972. These three events helped define the ideas, personalities, actions and alliances that formed the Redfern Black Power movement, which in turn influenced indigenous political notions and actions for more than a decade. Indeed, today as significant sections of indigenous communities become disaffected with the illusions of progress represented by the era of Mabo and the Native Title Act, many are beginning to call for a return to the political strategies and tactics of the Black Power era. Thus there is a considerable residual perception in indigenous Australia that remembers the Black Power era as a time of greater social, political and economic gains than at any time since.

Identity
Crime – outside moral community – by means enemy
Salvation of the Sport; created as savior from crime.
‘Aboriginal Australians are the most gifted athletes on this earth. Therein lies their chance of survival and advancement’, Priest, T. 'The Australian' (Sydney) 18 Feb 2004, p.13
Survival and advancement refers to assimilation to culture and sport as vehicle accomodation of it. By means its linked to criminality


3 major factors from history that Indigenous Australian community that was bastardized by white:
‘Terra Nullius’ or land belongs to no one (by settlement) lead to land taken
Stolen Generation by white
Reconciliation

Victims Vs. Threats
Police act to protect white but the black people with their cultural power is believed as threat. This means the status of Aborigines never be possible regard as victims.
Implication to the future: Ambiguous and uncertainty to represent the Indigenous and Australian identity. Racial discrimination is believed the result from the past injustice about denial indigenous communities that remove their influence from the lives of Indigenous Australian in the present and future.

As Cathy already mentioned the media concern, here I want to stress that the ambiguity is more or less important struggle to generate the identity. Just to feel and think if we are one of them ‘How can we live in the compilation memories of theft, crime and murder?’. Blaming, threat that constructed and hand wash are the only concern by media and will never lead to fairness to Indigenous communities.

To be continued....(researching still in progress....)

be careful what you wish for

as architecture students, I believe we have a responsibility
not just to naively wish everything to be 'aesthetically pleasing' +
and 'beautiful' somethings may be more important than that...

here is an interesting quote I have found...


'One must think of the issue in Redfern Sydney which is purely about yuppie housing and greed. Refurn is tribal land aboriginal land not just another suburb like all the rest in Sydney town.'

from ''http://www.pnp.org.au/folios/2006ref/2006Page0.aspx

Redfern Interview with a local

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4XwdHTWHlbo

An interview with a local, asking him about the area and what he thinks of it.

Special thanks to Tribal Warrior (www.tribalwarrior.org)

note: video is still being processed by youtube, and may take a while to be viewed

Pedestrian Routes

http://oldsite.vislab.usyd.edu.au/about/local_info/map/footmap.html

Check out this Pedestrian route with instructions on the "safe" way to travel to Redfern Station. The notion that redfern is not the friendliest place has created a restriction of exploration of the area through this route being the busiest streets of the suburb. making them the safest walking route, if there was a puropse to be able to explore the rest of the streets talking people off track... would more of redferns streets be considered safe?

Redfern interview with a policemen

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VgEe7GoOAes

An interview with a policeman, asking him about the area and what he thinks of it.

Special thanks to Seargent W. Baxter

check it 2

http://www.theregoestheneighbourhood.org

check it

http://www.2016archiveproject.com

to be or not to be

approx 2-5% of the population of redfern is of indigenous decent...

however 90% of Sydneys indigenous population lives in redfern....

this leads us to the following questions;

should we focus on 'other' issues in redfern?

if we do not focus / pay attention to the indigenous issues, are we
avoiding the obvious? being disrespectful etc??

if we do focus on the indigenous issues, are we just covering
well chartered territory, that most of us are not educated in
aboriginal affairs enough to do so??

is it better for us to focus on the bigger picture?? ie the whole of redferns population? to evolve a more holistic vision? or is this just a cop out?

Media shapes people's perceptions

I believe media is partly responsible for shaping the general public's image of Redfern in a negative aspect. Sure, the media is not entirely wrong in recognising that there are problems in Redfern and in The Block - drugs, alcohol and crime. But it is clear that when a problem arise in Redfern or when there is a riot etc. and if an Indigenous was involved, the entire Indigenous community would be put in the spotlight creating a negative image for its people. The media is a powerful tool which does contribute in shaping the individuals perception in which people will believe and assume that all Indigenous people in Redfern are drug addicts, alcoholic and nothing but trouble. It is unacceptable to criticise another person because they belong to a particular group. The media should focus on the crime or issue that involved the particular person or people but not pulling the whole - it's race and community.

I believe the media has focused far too much on the negative side of the Indigenous people in Redfern for many years. I will not be suprised to get a response from the public that when they think of Aboriginies in Redfern they associate them as trouble, no-go zone, drug addicts etc. To assume someone is nothing but trouble because they are an Aboriginal, to assume someone is a terrorist because they are Muslim etc. is wrong and it damages our social fabric. There are many great successes in the Indigenous community of Redfern where many Indigenous people are contributing to our society but the media fails to focus on the other side of the story. If the media continues to portray the negative side of Redfern, then I'm not suprised to see the problems in Redfern and The Block not clearing up. If you see your people in the news all the time and being called useless, nothing but trouble etc. and for the general public to believe that too, you will start to loose motivation to be good, to be that someone else because your not getting the chance.

The media should be careful in what they present as they have caused disharmony in the Indigenous community of Redfern where they are responsible for inciting racial hatred and violence.

dispersing information

Watching youtube it became clear that videos with racist intent in their title recieve a far greater number of views
(i.e. 600 vs 14000 with similar post dates) than those with clear educational intent.

Perhaps mislabelling / decieving titles engange a wider audience- especially those with misconceptions they are seeking to justify?

NATURAL COLLECTIVES

'NATURAL COLLECTIVES'
Humans of similar race, religion, economic status and cultures naturally band together and like to live within communities of common interests. This is a basic human instinct to be near your friends. Redfern's Aboriginal community is comparable to Chinatown's Asian collective, Mosman's yuppie collective, Bondi's creative good-looking collective, etc.

It seems to me that Sartor wants the Aboriginals and drugs out of the area to remove the 'fear' of potential apartment purchasers in the newly developing southern corridor. It wouldn't surprise me if Sartor has many property developer friends (in fact it would shock me if he didn't) that own a lot of the recent development in the area- the value of that property would rise enormously if the drugs and crime were to be removed from that area. So, I'm suggesting that he is hugely biased in the interest of his friend's & benefactor's pockets. It would be nice to expose this if I can prove it's truth.

I am STRONGLY OPPOSED to the idea of disallowing the Aboriginals to do what they please on their site. They own it!!!!
TO ME, THE ABORIGINAL OWNERSHIP OF THE BLOCK IS A SIGNIFICANT SYMBOL OF ABORIGINAL ADOPTION OF WESTERN CULTURE, FENCES, MONEY AND AND THE FUTURE OF THEIR RACE. TO ERADICATE THEIR RIGHT TO CONTINUE A STRONGHOLD IN REDFERN IS ANOTHER STEP TOWARD PASSIVE GENOCIDE BY OUR GOVERNMENT.
The Pemulway project seems like a valid idea. However, I am yet to fully examine its architectural resolution.

In 1778 England claimed the land Terra Nulius ' - land belonging to no-one. Now, even after all we have been through- recognising Aboriginals as humans (as opposed to 'fauna' until 1970), allowing Aboriginals to vote, paying Aboriginals equally, giving Aboriginals Land Rights, finally recognising the issues of easy dole payouts and education, etc, it seems we are about to go back to the start and claim TERRA NULIUS ON THE BLOCK!!!

The Block could be a very important turning point for the future of Aboriginals. With it's accessibility to education, surrounding artistic and upwardly mobile communities it could inspire new life among those Aboriginals wishing to escape the cycles of alcoholism & boredom that do exist in many outback communities. It's hard to talk about these things without sounding like a dickhead but one thing is for sure- if you continually give someone money and they get hooked on drugs out of the boredom of not working, without guidance or encouragement to grow, learn and flourish as a person then they will become a part of the vicious cycle. Money to drugs to money to drugs to addiction to dependency to crime to death. Forever!!
TO ME THE HUGE DOLE PAYOUTS ARE THE GOVERNMENTS WAY OF KILLING OFF THE ABORIGINALS... ITS LIKE-
'HERE, TAKE THIS MONEY, SHUT UP AND GO ROT YOUR BRAINS!
A drunk /addict is no longer a contributing member of society and and the culture they could have passed on will be lost. It's like passive genocide.
I've been to some remote Aboriginal communities west of Alice springs and that is seriously what happens!!

WHAT IF THE BLOCK WAS MADE BIGGER? Say 62 family residences + 150 studio apartments for students + a school + a hospital.
The Natural Collective of hard-working families and students looking to break into money grabbing capitalism that cannot reasonably be ignored (since there is no going back to hunter gathering now we have $$$$!!!!!- unless you want to live in the outback- many of the young Aboriginals out there are dreaming of what they see on Mtv... $$$$).
Surely the presence of these upwardly mobile citizens alone will remove many of the 'dangers ' of the block.
Moreover, could it be better for the crime and drug dependant Aboriginals to be around upwardly motivated people of their own race so they can see the possibilities are there!!??

As for the 'dangers' of the block at night...
I went there last night at about 9pm and hung around for an hour. I had a chat to the people gathered around a fire near the AHC. They were all fine. A little bit of yandi being sold (solely to white customers) but there was no feeling of danger!! Although, I wouldnt have felt comfortable walking into the almost purposefully dark areas alone...

redfern street art2

http://flickr.com/photos/yewenyi/2243988882/

redfern street art

http://flickr.com/photos/71086419@N00/420761646/

redfern panarama

artist : Juilee Pryor

http://www.redbubble.com/people/juileep/art/66263-15-redfern-panarama

Telstra QR Code excursion today

Sarah and I attended the meeting at the Telstra experience centre today. The experience, although sugar coated with Telstra propaganda, was useful in understanding how the QR code technology works and how it might be used in different contexts. 

Here are a few notes that I took:

# QR codes are created using a QR code generator. Telstra will be supplying one for customers or you can find your own on the web such as: http://qrcode.kaywa.com

# Once the code is generated you can then print out the QR code graphic or save it as an image.

# This code can be affixed just about anywhere - on the back of a credit card, to advertising, on a poster, business card etc, shopfront window etc.

# The code can be photographed with a compatible camera and is then scanned to provide TEXT information which could include a link to a website, phone numbers etc for the user.

# The codes should be, will be, international and compatible say with a phone from Japan (and vice versa). The only limiting factor is the resolution of the camera on your phone, eg in japan phones have higher resolution cameras therefore the codes are smaller whereas here they are huge. The amount of information the codes contain will also determine their size.

Hope this helps with any additional research that you may have carried out. Leisa

Redfern on You Tube - a selection

Night walk from Sydney uni to redfern station

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BlLivoQsnSk&feature=related

A major thoroughfare/route am and pm providing lots of 

potential eyeballs and opportunities for engagement.

Redfern Rocks - Kids talk about life in Redfern

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hVrIyd3Jj0g&feature=related

Love how this provides a positive perspective on youth in the area

post Redfern riots.

Redfern to central - view from train

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rnRkAhdvEOU

A captive audience for activism?

Paul Keating - The Redfern Address

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hhqAFLud228

Before Prime Minister Rudd and his sorry speech came this

big moment in Australian political history.

Redfern Waterloo Tour of Beauty

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vVrbiYDpYIs&feature=related

Leisa

The Block

The Aboriginal Struggle for The Block in Redfern
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uSoRHFNMK8g

Redfern 'The Block' Story
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5i7_JIb9Q8E

Redfern Rocks!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hVrIyd3Jj0g

It was very strange today at the block.
As much as i would like to feel safe i felt uncomfortable.

redfern 'tour of beauty'


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vVrbiYDpYIs

some useful websites..

http://www.redwatch.org.au/

http://www.redfernwaterloo.nsw.gov.au/

http://www.squatspace.com/redfern/

art archive 2016 project 2006 maori gallery

Redfern graffiti

Love the experience of art on the street ...

Redfern-Waterloo Authority Map

Welcome to Redfern Live

Redfern Live is a project to find out what 'to be alive' means in the controversial neighbourhood of Redfern, Sydney. What are the deep issues, the myths, the realities?... As architecture activists, we are examining and innovating methods of active design that generate situations for observation, debate and celebration.

We are the Architectural Activism studio in the School of Architecture at the University of Technology, Sydney.

For direct inquiries, contact Joanne Jakovich at Joanne.Jakovich@uts.edu.au