Redfern, Cleveland Street & Waterloo
The Redfern and Waterloo region has long been industrial, although it was once the domain of sandhills and swamps and, later, market gardens and a large Chinese population.
Famous Redfern residents have included Caroline Chisholm, pioneer of women’s welfare, and today the suburb is the heart of Aboriginal Sydney.
While the region, including Cleveland Street and nearby Green Square, Zetland, Beaconsfield and Rosebery, is the location for many warehouses and business centres, there has been a great deal of residential development in recent years and its character is changing.
Leisure
Parks & Open Spaces
To book a City park or open space:
Tel: 02 9265 9550 / 9265 9946 / 9246 7805
Email: openspacebookings@cityofsydney.nsw.gov.au
Beaconsfield Park
This neighbourhood park features a fenced playground, barbecue facilities, half-court basketball and tennis courts.
Prince Alfred Park
South of Central Station, 4.5-hectare Prince Alfred Park is best known for its outdoor swimming pool. There are also large grassed areas, a playground and tennis courts.
Redfern Park
This popular park is currently undergoing a $19 million upgrade with a new oval to be built.
Turruwul Park, Rosebery
A venue for local sport, leisure and entertainment, with tennis courts, a fenced playground, handball wall and sporting field.
Waterloo Park and Oval
The 920m2 street plaza-style park is Sydney's newest urban skate park.
Swimming Pools
Prince Alfred Park Pool, Surry Hills
Tel: 02 9310 3641
Chalmers Street, Corner of Cleveland Street
Surry Hills NSW 2010
Prince Alfred Park Pool has closed for the approved redevelopment of the park and facilities.
More Info >>
Tennis
Beaconsfield Park Tennis Courts
Tel:
02 9246 7805
54 Queen Street
Beaconsfield NSW 2015
More Info >>
Turruwul Park Tennis Courts, Rosebery
Tel: 02 9246 7805
115 Rothschild Avenue
Rosebery NSW 2018
More Info >>
Library
Waterloo Library
Tel: 02 9288 5688
Email: library@cityofsydney.nsw.gov.au
Fax: 02 9288 5677
Waterloo Town Hall
770 Elizabeth Street
Waterloo NSW 2017
Monday to Thursday: 10am - 6pm
Friday: 10am - 5pm
Saturday: 11am - 4pm
Sunday: Closed
More Info >>
Entertainment
Museums, Galleries & Attractions
Movies
Theatres & Performance Venues
Shopping
Cleveland Street is the Redfern area’s main retail strip, with the large Surry Hills Shopping Village catering for most everyday shopping needs, and many stores selling items such as clothing, homewares, delicious Indian sweets and Lebanese fare.
There is a good variety of shops, including a smorgasbord of bargain factory outlets, in Redfern and Regent Streets, Redfern, while Danks Street, Waterloo has a superb gourmet Italian fruit and vegetable and produce warehouse, with an excellent upstairs cafe.
Dining
Danks Street offers a couple of excellent daytime Italian-style cafes, but the region’s main dining precinct is undoubtedly around Cleveland Street.
Well known for its excellent Lebanese and other Middle Eastern restaurants and cafes in the area near the intersection with Elizabeth Street, this thoroughfare also has a good range of Italian, Indian, Malaysian and many other ethnic eateries around Crown and Bourke Streets.
There’s some good cheap pub fare too!
Did You Know?
Redfern was named in honour of Ship’s Surgeon and former convict Dr William Redfern, who became Assistant Surgeon at Sydney Hospital in 1808.
Sydney’s first railway ran from Redfern Station to Parramatta in 1855.
Redfern is home to the Rabbitohs, the South Sydney rugby league team. This unusual name is derived from the time when players caught and sold rabbits, calling out ‘Rabbitoh’ as they walked through the district.
Last Updated: Tuesday 26 February, 2008
