Getting To Know Sydney with 52 Suburbs Sydney

Getting To Know Sydney with 52 Suburbs
Sydney

After living in the Sydney area for over 30 years Louise Hawson realised that she had never set foot in most of Sydney's 637 suburbs. A situation that many of us may be guilty of, Louise has set herself a goal to explore the area around her and document it's unique beauty...

Each week for a year Louise will explore and photograph one of Sydney's suburbs. Looking for vintage delights, beautiful buildings and inspiring people, 52 Suburbs documents the unique beauty of each suburb as it's explored. So far the project has explored 3 suburbs and we can't wait to see the next installment. To find out more info or get to know Sydney by visit the 52 Suburbs blog here.

Comments (7)

Wow, thats an inpiring project!
I live so many years in a city but I know so little about this place--and its places, its people... What a shame!

posted by csmoura on September 22nd 2009 at 7:27am
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inspiring*

posted by csmoura on September 22nd 2009 at 7:28am
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Wow! I love this. I lived in Sydney for a couple of years but never got to see much of it (constantly busy, first with uni then work, plus my husband hated it so we didn't do much exploring). Heck, I didn't even know how many suburbs Sydney had. I loved the very different personalities and feel of each suburb, and I really like how this photographer has explored it! So warm and saturated and full of patterns and visual fun in places most people wouldn't look.

Thanks for the link, AT - I'll be following this blog to see more of Sydney through her eyes, than I ever got to see :)

P.S. I am originally from Moscow, which is an even bigger city, and I find it interesting how people view their own parts or neighbourhoods of a city. In Moscow, people might say "oh I'm from this neighbourhood" or "I live near this stop of the subway line", but they still feel a part of the greater Moscow, they don't see their neighbourhoods as separate entities. In Sydney, I found it really funny how a lot of people there spoke about their suburb as if it's not a part of the great big spot on the map that is Sydney! Sometimes I wanted to ask them (never did), "is there any space or break between your house and the Opera House? No? Then you're still IN Sydney!" :P This is completely an outsider's point of view, though, I only lived there for 2 years, and no I never did make the above comment to anyone, as I didn't want to insult someone.

posted by NadyaN on September 22nd 2009 at 8:14am
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Louise Hawson's photographs are really wonderful, but it did strike me as strange how they are casting the suburbs as being in this retro bubble. Never having been to Sydney myself, perhaps the suburbs are indeed all time capsules from the 50s?

posted by home body on September 22nd 2009 at 9:11am
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I've wanted to do this in my hometown too--as so much disappears. Great idea!

posted by jen_g on September 22nd 2009 at 10:33am
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Thanks, Jenny, this is a great post. I will follow the project with interest!

posted by JoJenks on September 22nd 2009 at 11:37am
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That is a great blog! Love the photography so rich and great character.

posted by LoriSF on September 22nd 2009 at 11:45am
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