Suburbs of Sydney VII: secrets and squeals

LAVENDER BAY

Almost a stone’s throw across the Harbour from Sydney’s Circular Quay lies the oft overlooked Lavender Bay. The shortest ferry ride you can make takes you to Milsons Point and the gaping wide-eyed mouth of Luna Park fairground. But once you’ve negotiated the crowds of thrill seekers, the overhead clickety-clack of the roller coaster cars and their attendant squealing cocktail of terror and delight, the boardwalk leads to a bay of absolute tranquillity.

Here the boats bob lazily in the water, awaiting the whim of their well-heeled captains with crews of fashionistas embarking upon a champagne-soaked afternoon of high jinx on the high seas.

Turn the corner yet again and you may stumble across Wendy’s Secret Garden, the remarkable result of Wendy Whiteley’s guerrilla gardening project started as a response to her grief at artist husband Brett’s death in 1992. Attacking layers of rubbish and thick, uncontrollable vegetation and weeds on disused railway land, Wendy transformed this wasteland into a wonderland.

Read more about Wendy’s Secret Garden at https://www.wendyssecretgarden.org.au.

See also:

Suburbs of Sydney I: Newtown

Suburbs of Sydney: Surry Hills and Chippendale

Suburbs of Sydney III: Carnival 2000, the CBD

Suburbs of Sydney IV: ticket to North Ryde

Suburbs of Sydney V: cafe society and classic cars in Balmain.

Suburbs of Sydney VI: Glebe.