Redfern
Redfern is an inner-city suburb of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. The population of the suburb spans a broad spectrum of socioeconomic characters. This may be, in part, due to the geography of the suburb - long, thin, and centrally-located. To the east of Redfern lies the more affluent suburb of Surry Hills whilst Darlington lies to the west.Eastern Redfern has gone through a process of urban renewal. Unlike its neighbour Waterloo, which is developing into a technology and modern industrial and recreational centre, parts of Eastern Redfern are becoming the bohemian, artistic and stylish district of Sydney - much like neighbouring Newtown. Streets like Kepos, Bourke and Marriott have beautiful historical housing which give the area a really special feeling. There are also cosy corner bookshop-cafÃÂés, giving the area a distinctly European feel.
Redfern is accessible by CityRail trains, one station away from the city, with the station located approximately in the geographical centre of the suburb. East Redfern is also accessible by bus or walk from the city.
The area in the immediate vicinity of Redfern station, known as "The Block", is home to a relatively socially-disadvantaged community. Eveleigh St in particular, to the western side of Redfern station, is known for its community of Australian Aborigines. The crime rate around Eveleigh St and inside the station itself is, if not supported by statistics then by reputation, one of the highest in Sydney. Yet, just 50 metres down Lawson St, the gentrification of Redfern is reflected in the yuppie and student communities living in the terrace-style housing which predominate in west Redfern.
Redfern station, notably, is the closest CityRail station to the main campus of the University of Sydney located across Camperdown and Darlington. Thus a near-constant stream of commuters, mostly students, flows from Redfern station along Lawson St and Abercrombie St towards the university in the morning and back towards the station approximately every hour in the afternoon.
March 2004 Riots
A large riot occurred on February 14, 2004 in the central Redfern area (The Block), sparked by the death of teenager Thomas Hickey. The teenager, riding home on his bicycle from his girlfriend's house, was allegedly chased by a police vehicle and subsequently impaled on a fence. The police deny that they were chasing Hickey and note that they were amongst the first to come to Hickey's aid, who subsequently died. Members of his family were then reported to have started grieving for the child around Eveleigh Street with a crowd gathering commiserating with the family. The police closed the Eveleigh Street entrance to the Redfern train station but youths in the crowd had turned violent and begun to throw bricks and bottles. This violence then escalated into a large-scale riot.
There is some evidence to suggest that the riot was in fact pre-arranged by drug-dealers in the area, in retaliation for earlier raids.
A memorial service was held on February 19, 2004, in Redfern, and in Walgett, New South Wales (Hickey's hometown), on February 22, 2004.
The riots have sparked fresh debate into the welfare of Australian Aborigines and the response of the police to those living in the Redfern area. Redfern police have however called for greater police numbers to quash what was called "civil disobedience", which may further inflame Aboriginal leaders.
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