As part of my work for the Biennale of Sydney, Redfern School of Displacement, SquatSpace is presenting the Redfern – Waterloo: Tour of Beauty.

The Tour of Beauty first ran from 2005-2009 and took people on a bus (or bike) tour of these inner Sydney suburbs, it highlighted particular sites which were threatened by the Redfern Waterloo Authority’s plan to “revitalise” the area. Each tour lasted 4-5 hours and tourists were addressed by various representatives of the local community.

These current tours mark their 10-year anniversary. A decade on, some people view the area as gentrified, but the plans for the area have only just begun. The Block – a unique place within Sydney’s urban landscape as a centre for the Indigenous community – is about to have construction begin on a major new mixed-use development and further down the road Waterloo has been earmarked as the site for a new metro station with corresponding high-rise construction, confirming the local area is set for another major transformation.

More on the tour here

Pictures below are from Saturday 9th April, which was the first of these anniversary tours.