Reminiscing about Strathfield: tell us your interesting stories from the past.
It's been 125 years in the making, and Strathfield has seen a lot of water under the bridge in that time. (See our article: The sweet smell of success)
We want to hear your stories about Strathfield's history, as far back as you can go. Do you have funny memories of the Arnotts factory? Perhaps your parents had a mansion, 10 kids and a servants quarters? What were some of the critical moments in Strathfield's development as the diverse, multicultural centre it now is?
Strathfield has changed dramatically from the 1940s when I first came to live here – in those days, we spoke of ‘going down to the village’ to do our shopping. I remember well Dash’s Pharmacy, Dunlop’s Haberdashery and the wonderful aroma of walking past The Treasure Island Chocolate Shop in The Boulevard where the chocolates were made on the premises. However, I find Strathfield today an exciting place to be with it’s multicultural flavour and I also think that while some of the houses are too big for the land, the development has completely revitalised the area.
For as long as I can remember, Strathfield has always had different cultures present. They all co-existed and complemented each other, which made this a wonderful place to live.
But now, (and I in no way am a racist), I feel sad when I walk through the streets and shops of Strathfield. I feel that I am in a foreign land, with shop signs in Asian languages, cafes, boutiques, etc all Asian. The hairdressers's which I knew for years are long gone, replaced by Asian hairdressers. The sound of voices in the air are not as they used to be, they are a buzz of a foreign language.
Where are at least some of the people I used to know and just recognise as being either an Aussie or other European. I am not attacking the Asian people, I have had some good friends, who are Asian. That is not the problem. The problem is, that unlike other cultures, they don't seem to assimilate, but stay within their own culture and groups. There are so many of them here now, that those of us who lived here for many many years and are not Asian, are totally lost, as small dots, hard to spot in a sea of Asian faces.
I ask of the Council, - don't you think that the signs above shops, etc, should at least be in English first, then in the Asian language. Not as it is now, most times only in the Asian language?
We used to enjoy the "multicultural society" we had and welcomed it. But now, the society is no longer multicultural, it is just of one culture, Asian.
We lived on the mid North Shore close to the railway line. Back in the 50,s we saw and heard many steam trains go past. The electric trains were the old red rattlers.
They made so much noise, compared to these new high tech trains we have now to ride on. At a very early age I fell in love with the steam trains and I was always bugging people to take me out to Strathfield for hours and hours to watch them up close. Now and then I got lucky enough to get a lift up into the engine. I will never forget the thrill. Strathfield then as it still is now, is the major hub for changing trains to almost everywhere except the south coast. It is a hive of activety with so many nationalities happily using the good public transport system now. Smiles everywhere.
A short bus trip from South Strathfield where I live, to the station, and again I am in a train going somewhere. I never thought I would move into this area. Now I am here, I feel like it is truly home. I am much older now.
The friendship with so many from all over the world is a huge plus.
Sure, there are problems that do need fixing, but I am sure that together as a team, we will win in the end.
Lets make Strathfield and the whole region a show-piece for the whole planet in difficult times?
It is a pleasure to be back home.
jpro
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I was born in Ashfield and came here to Strathfield when I was 13 years old. It was very different back then. When I first moved here I started doing domestic work and then I started making shoes and boots. I remember the migrants from Poland and France moving to Strathfield after the war, but we didn’t call them migrants back then – we called them new Australians. I remember feeling so sorry for them. They went through so much during the war, but we would tell them to try and think of happy memories. The sad memories were too much to bear. I would teach them how to make the shoes and they were very good people … I remember one day this young man was being chased through the streets of Strathfield by the police. He thought he was in trouble, so he ran. When they eventually caught him, it turned out they were trying to reunite him with his family. He has been separated from his family, but couldn’t speak English so he didn’t understand why they were chasing him. Strathfield is not the same as it used to be but it’s still my favourite suburb. I still like it.