History Lab
Impact Studios
Recent Episodes
In 1887 there were no less than 22 hotels in Darlinghurst. Over the next century and a half, the character, culture and clientele of Darlinghurst pubs evolved. This story explores the impact on Darlinghurst of two episodes of liquor licensing restrictions in NSW: six o’clock closing and the Sydney lockout laws.
Image: Royal Sovereign Hotel, corner Darlinghurst Rd and Liverpool St, 1921 (City of Sydney Archives)
Credits
This audio story is a production of the Australian Centre for Public History in partnership with the Paul Ramsay Foundation.
Producer: Catherine Freyne
Sound engineer: Judy Rapley
Music:
- Blue Dot Sessions
- When Paris is Singing by Dazie Mae licensed under CC by NC-SA 3.0 US
Archival: ABC Content Sales
Featuring:
- Paul Solomon, publican’s son and grandson
- Max Burns-McRuvie, owner of Journeywalks
- Tyson Koh, founder of Keep Sydney Open
Terraces, flats, squats, bedsits, mansions, towers, camps and hostels: in Darlinghurst, housing is a mixed bag. This audio story explores the range of lifestyles afforded by Darlinghurst’s dense diversity of dwellings.
Image: Pad with a View, Kings Cross 1970-71 (Photographer: Rennie Ellis © Rennie Ellis Photographic Archive)
Credits
This audio story is a production of the Australian Centre for Public History in partnership with the Paul Ramsay Foundation.
Producer: Catherine Freyne
Sound engineer: Judy Rapley
Music:
- Blue Dot Sessions
- Sum of My Fears, When Paris is Singing and A New Love Affair by Dazie Maelicensed under CC by NC-SA 3.0 US
- Garage by Monplaisir licensed under CC by CC0 1.0
- Korobushka by the Rosen Sisters licensed under CC by NC-ND 4.0
Featuring:
- Jan Cornall, former resident of Darlinghurst squats
- Paul Solomon, publican’s son and grandson
- Phillip Adams, former owner of Stoneleigh
- Shannon Dalton, former Assistant Manager of the Darlo Bar
In the rapidly gentrifying Darlinghurst of the 1980s, a turf war raged over one of its earliest trades. In this story, we visit the street corners and safe houses where sex workers competed for customers, looked out for each other and stood their ground. Along the way, veterans of the street-based trade describe a changing industry, sharing stories from the frontline of the fight for law reform and workers’ rights.
If you would like to sign the petition to bring the statue of Joy back to Darlinghurst, visit http://tiny.cc/dfhavz
Image: Woods Lane 1968 (Tribune negative; Mitchell Library, State Library of New South Wales courtesy SEARCH Foundation)
Credits
This audio story is a production of the Australian Centre for Public History in partnership with the Paul Ramsay Foundation.
Producer: Catherine Freyne
Sound engineer: Judy Rapley
Music: Blue Dot Sessions
Archival: ABC Library Sales
Featuring:
- Julie Bates, veteran sex worker activist; Principal of Urban Realists Planning and Health Consultants.
- Chantell Martin, veteran sex worker; Co-CEO of Sex Workers Outreach Project.
Darlinghurst has always been a magnet and a haven for exiles and misfits. With writer and Darlo-phile Sunil Badami as guide, this audio story celebrates a handful of local characters and eccentrics, reflecting on the material conditions that enable unconventional people to thrive.
Image: Hare Krishna, Kings Cross 1970-71 (Photographer: Rennie Ellis © Rennie Ellis Photographic Archive)
Credits
This audio story is a production of the Australian Centre for Public History in partnership with the Paul Ramsay Foundation.
Producer: Catherine Freyne
Sound engineer: Judy Rapley
Music:
- Blue Dot Sessions
- I Love Her, She Loves Me by Atlantic City Orchestra licensed under a Public Domain / Sound Recording Common Law Protection License
- Eyes Getting Louder and Hope Its Today by Mod Fun licensed under CC by NC 4.0
Featuring:
- Sunil Badami, writer and raconteur