billrider2013

I have been thinking about why I think Balmain is a good place.

Put simply it has many of things that people want in a place to live  today.  Most people want to live in city.  Sydney is a great city. If you live in city it is better to live close the centre.  Balmain is only 10 klms from the centre.  As with most inner city suburbs in any big city, Balmain has great public transport; ferries and buses.  It may soon get get light rail.  The housing in the suburb is fairly diverse.  There are the old and new mansions in areas such as Birchgrove. There are the modest workmans’ cottages, both ‘originals’ and those that have been renovated.The latest addition to the housing stock are flats and units ranging from luxury to modest.

The combination of housing and transport has meant that a range of residents across a broad demographic.  World famous actors and musicians, highly paid business people and public servants, professionals, middle and lower income people all live in the suburb.  There are are also young through to old.  It is  great mix.  It does, however, appear to predominately Anglo Saxon.

A great thing about Balmain is the you see people on the street.  This statement comes from someone brought up in Canberra. My Mother (a real city person) was unique in Canberra in that she walked.  She often said she could go for days without seeing anyone else walking. In Balmain you always see people walking in the streets.  Obviously that occurs more in the shopping strip (Darling Street), however, you see people on the streets all times of the day.

On the day I arrived  0n 31 August last year, I went on a jet lag suppressing walk with my host. In a short walk I ran int0: a former boss (GM of the Sydney Harbour Foreshore Authority), a  friend of my ex-wife, and a delightful English girl (with connection with Sunderland) who worked for me briefly about three years ago. It made me feel very much at home.

Such encounters such as above do not happen very day, however, it highlights the benefits of relatively dense living.  One day a couple of weeks ago, I noticed a very attractive woman, of an appropriate age, having coffee in Darling Street.  As I approached it was clearly (I do has sight problems) Rachael Ward.

I first became aware of Rachael Ward when she was in the worst TV epic based on the even worse book, ‘The Thorn Birds’.  However, notwithstanding the quality of the TV show, she was ‘as hot as !!!!’.  It transpired that Byran Brown, was also of that opinion and he and Rachael became an item.  About five years g after the TV show was aired, I was in London on a Department of Foreign Affairs trip.  In the QANTAS Captain Lounge (what a wank that was) I noticed Bryan Brown facing towards me.  There was the back of a ‘long haired’ head between me and him.  The excitement was hard to contain.  It had to be Rachael Ward.

After a beer to contain the excitement I casually walked in the direction of the couple.  I was mortified to find that the owner of the ‘long haired head’ was Mel Gibson.  I vaguely recall that he was in a film called ‘Brave Heart’ around that time which obviously necessitated growing the hair.

After all that, 25 years on, I finally got to see Rachael Ward.  Thank you Balmain.