Sydney Unposed
Candid colour people photography
The following is a gallery of street photographs of Sydneysiders, taken between 1998—2008. They are of complete strangers, photographed in the Sydney CBD and suburbs, with little or no interaction from me.
I didn't use a concealed camera, just Leica Ms or a V Series Hasselblad (see the Hasselblad tab above). Each image was taken from about 2½ metres and (mostly) from the front. To keep the results natural and spontaneous, I seldom asked for permission.
| Location | Description |
|---|---|
| Shoppers | Inside retail environments |
| Work | People at work |
| Play | Relaxation & leisure |
| Street | Street scenes |
| Commuters | Travelling & moving about |
Image Gallery
shoppers
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Bankstown Square manicure
(Apr 2003) • 154.1 KB • GPS: 33:55:00S, 151:02:11E
In the last decade there has been an upsurge in the number of manicure parlours in Sydney. Although there have always been beauty-parlours in the eastern suburbs, the rise in disposable income and (let's be honest) hedonism in the early 2000's intensified the demand for manicures, pedicures and facial treatments in all parts of Sydney.
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Bondi Junction supermarket
(Dec 2004) • 131 KB • GPS: 33:53:28S, 151:15:05E
Keeping children under control while leaving a supermarket at Bondi Junction plaza, in Sydney's eastern suburbs.
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Penrith supermarket checkout
(Apr 2003) • 115.6 KB • GPS: 33:45:27S, 150:41:35E
Waiting for purchases to be scanned at a supermarket checkout in Penrith.
Supermarkets are a rich and untapped source for candid photos. You have to tread lightly though, as shop managers have an intractable hostility towards photographers, mainly to protect their aisle displays from market analysis by competitors.
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Hornsby Mall TV shopper
(Apr 2005) • 117.4 KB • GPS: 33:42:11S, 151:06:04E
A shopper examines bargain TV sets inside the Hornsby Westfields, an enormous shopping centre in Sydney's north [1].
I visited Hornsby with the belief that it would be similar to Penrith — an outlying area suffering from urban decay. Much to my surprise I discovered it actually contains some of Sydney's wealthiest suburbs.
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Penrith Plaza
(Apr 2000) • 180.7 KB • GPS: 33:45:05S, 150:41:34E
While walking through the Plaza one day, I noticed some parents would use shopping trolleys as child strollers.
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Supermarket freezer, Katoomba
(Dec 2003) • 104.1 KB • GPS: 33:42:55S, 150:18:36E
Deciding between brands of frozen sausage-rolls in the freezer section of a Katoomba supermarket.
(This image was included in the 2004 Family of Man 2 selection [1].)
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Department store make-up
(Mar 2003) • 112.8 KB • GPS: 33:45:06S, 150:41:33E
A make-up display in a Penrith department store.
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Penrith Plaza fish market
(Dec 2004) • 95.4 KB • GPS: 33:45:03S, 150:41:29E
Thursday night fish merchants and shoppers at Penrith Plaza.
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Penrith supermarket
(Apr 2003) • 189.3 KB • GPS: 33:45:26S, 150:41:36E
A Penrith teenager hitches a ride on her parent's supermarket trolley.
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Penrith Plaza family
(Dec 2004) • 131.4 KB • GPS: 33:45:05S, 150:41:36E
While Thursday night shopping at Penrith Plaza, I noticed a family had stood aside to administer Asthma medication to their daughter (you can still see the medication applicator in the woman's hands).
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Bookstore magazine browser
(Dec 2003) • 148.8 KB • GPS: 33:52:12S, 151:12:31E
A young girl carefully studies the women's fashion magazines in a CBD bookstore.
(This image was included in the 2004 Family of Man 2 selection [1].)
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Penrith Christmas couple
(Nov 2001) • 125.6 KB • GPS: 33:45:01S, 150:41:27E
A Penrith couple wonder why the Plaza Christmas decorations were already up in November…
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Discount variety store, Katoomba
(Jun 2003) • 157.4 KB • GPS: 33:42:53S, 150:18:41E
A young girl with her pillow in a discount variety store.
Hundreds of these stores have sprung up in the last couple of decades. The reasons appear to be (1) they are a low-capital way for immigrant merchants to start businesses and (2) Coles and Woolworths, who used to have a duopoly in this area, have moved on to supermarkets and Walmart-type department stores, leaving the field clear for smaller entrants.
BTW I had to work cautiously for this shot, for one of the store clerks was watching me closely from another aisle.
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Department store stock-take sale
(Jun 2002) • 113.9 KB • GPS: 33:52:14S, 151:12:26E
In a large Sydney department store, hunting for business-shirt bargains at an end of financial-year sale.
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Penrith Wednesday markets
(Jul 2003) • 183.2 KB • GPS: 33:45:26S, 150:41:21E
A clothes stall at the once-a-week "flea market" at Penrith Showground.
Tech note: the cyan cast is due to sunlight filtering through the yellow/blue tarpaulin covering the stall.
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Penrith supermarket
(Apr 2004) • 165.7 KB • GPS: 33:45:28S, 150:41:35E
Waiting for the rest of the family to return in a Penrith supermarket.
work
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Martin Place station construction worker
(Jan 2002) • 136.4 KB • GPS: 33:52:04S, 151:12:40E
A construction worker waits for an evening train at Martin Place underground station.
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Penrith High Street "carny"
(Mar 2003) • 182.7 KB • GPS: 33:45:11S, 150:41:44E
In March 2003 there was a large parade in Penrith which closed off the main street for an entire day. This "carny" was one of the many sideshow operators trying to entice passers by.
The truncated LHS sign said in full: "Have a punt -
1011 shots for $5.00" -
Pitt Street Taxi-driver
(Apr 2005) • 113.4 KB • GPS: 33:52:06S, 151:12:30E
Taxi drivers face two problems when working in Sydney: (1) everyone looks down upon on them; (2) they look down upon on everyone else.
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Panthers Park Police
(Jul 2003) • 148.8 KB • GPS: 33:45:30S, 150:41:19E
Members of the NSW Police force check their walkie-talkies after a football match.
Surprisingly local police don't appear to mind having their picture taken. If they object they simply ask you to stop or move on. This is unlike other subjects (or even bystanders), who can become hysterical enough to run across a busy street to yell at you.
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Scots College Pipers
(Apr 2003) • 166.5 KB • GPS: 33:52:28S, 151:12:40E
Boys from Scots College [1] take a break from performing on Anzac Day.
Apparently in some parts of Sydney being in the school pipe-band is a prestigious achievement. In 2007 the retiring school captain of Knox Grammar, Mitchell Donaldson, lambasted the parents of his fellow students for scheming to get their children into the top sport teams or pipe-band [2]. Many were shocked at his suggestion that parents may be using their children to status-seek. Surely this would never happen in classless and egalitarian Sydney?…
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Martin place lunchtime office workers
(May 2003) • 122.3 KB • GPS: 33:52:04S, 151:12:34E
Office workers having lunch at Martin Place, in the center of Sydney's CBD.
BTW this is the kind of harmless image which got Quebec photographer Gilbert Duclos [1] into so much trouble in 1998 [2].
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Office workers, Pitt Street
(Jul 2003) • 103.8 KB • GPS: 33:51:59S, 151:12:31E
A couple of office workers return from lunch, outside the "Select House" on Pitt Street.
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Aust. Square fountain
(Aug 2003) • 138.4 KB • GPS: 33:51:54S, 151:12:30E
A lunch break and glass of beer at the Australia Square Fountain, in the heart of Sydney's financial district.
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Motor Show Bentley stand
(Oct 2005) • 125.7 KB • GPS: 33:52:33S, 151:12:01E
The Australian International Motor Show is held every October in the Sydney Exhibition and Convention Centre in Darling Harbour [1].
This is a shot of the Bentley stand. Like other prestige car displays, you could only examine the cars by invitation.
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Anzac Day canine police
(Apr 2003) • 193.1 KB • GPS: 33:52:03S, 151:12:26E
NSW police officers plus dog make their presence felt during an Anzac Day march.
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Circular Quay Violinist
(Jan 1999) • 97.1 KB • GPS: 33:51:33S, 151:12:47E
A young (conservatory?) student busking at Circular Quay East, in front of yet another construction site.
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Swans victory parade
(Sep 2005) • 346.8 KB • GPS: 33:52:21S, 151:12:25E
NSW police officers try to keep the ruckus down on George Street, after the Swans 2005 AFL victory parade.
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Nepean Square trolley pickup
(Apr 2003) • 170.2 KB • GPS: 33:45:28S, 150:41:33E
Shopping trolley contractor at Nepean Square.
Many grocery shoppers don't bother to bring their trolleys back after loading their cars, so men like these are paid to go out and retrieve them instead.
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CBD Charity workers
(Feb 2003) • 150.9 KB • GPS: 33:52:04S, 151:12:33E
Australian Red Cross charity collectors work the lunchtime crowd at Martin Place.
Colloquially known as "Chuggers" [1], such charity collection has earned a poor reputation in recent years [2], either due to worker exploitation, offensively manipulative begging techniques, or the realisation that most of the collectors actually work for third-party fundraising agencies [3], who take a substantial cut before passing the remainder on.
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Train Guard at Central Station
(Oct 2004) • 93 KB • GPS: 33:53:04S, 151:12:25E
A guard rings the bell as the train departs a Central station suburban platform.
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Devonshire Tunnel busker
(Oct 2005) • 149.9 KB • GPS: 33:53:06S, 151:12:21E
The Devonshire Street tunnel connects the southern part of Central station to Railway Square. Hundreds of people walk through it every day, making it an ideal venue for buskers and other street performers.
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Oriental massage, Burwood Plaza
(Jan 2003) • 116.4 KB • GPS: 33:52:29S, 151:06:21E
Taken inside the Burwood Westfield Plaza, a vast shopping complex in Sydney's inner west.
There are a large number of these "oriental" massages throughout Sydney, symptomatic of a rise in popularity for alternative therapies.
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Big Issue seller
(Oct 2004) • 91.9 KB • GPS: 33:52:23S, 151:12:26E
A paper seller across the road from the Sydney Town Hall.
"The Big Issue" was a news-magazine sold by homeless people to (a) prevent them from begging and (b) provide yuppie management with an opportunity to hijack social security funds [1].
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Paddys Markets wig stall, Haymarket
(Jan 2003) • 178.1 KB • GPS: 33:52:47S, 151:12:11E
The wigs and hair-piece stall at the indoor "Paddys Markets" in Haymarket, near Sydney's Chinatown.
There was a large sign (RHS out of frame) which said "Absolutely No Photography!"…
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Town Hall subway
(Aug 2001) • 79.9 KB • GPS: 33:52:25S, 151:12:25E
An office worker with his mobile phone in the Town Hall underground subway.
Tech note: Like "park-bench" or "from-behind" snaps, images of people fiddling with their mobile-phones have become a dull street photography cliché. Despite this, I have included this pic to show that Australia is as much in the grip of the mobile communications craze as anywhere else [1].
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Galleries Victoria lunchtime office workers
(May 2003) • 127.8 KB • GPS: 33:52:22S, 151:12:27E
Lunchtime office workers again, picking through their food at the Galleries Victoria, a collection of subterranean boutiques near Town Hall.
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Paddys Markets Grocer
(Oct 2003) • 183.3 KB • GPS: 33:52:47S, 151:12:14E
Decades ago "Paddy's Markets" used to be the main wholesale distributor of the city's groceries and flowers. This changed in the '80s when the markets were transferred to larger premises at Flemington, leaving behind smaller traders to serve local shoppers.
A note about the price of bananas: back in 2003 it was typically $2/kg, but due to the effects of Cyclone Larry in March 2006 [1], it shot up to $12-15/kg for a few months [2], making them more expensive than many cuts of meat (!)
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Sydney Olympics Guides
(Sep 2000) • 145.1 KB • GPS: 33:52:31S, 151:12:05E
Corporate guides at Darling Harbour during the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games [1].
During the games fortnight, the city filled with lanyard wearing officials and corporate hospitality guides (like these from a US Beverage company).
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Castlereagh Street workers
(Jun 1998) • 172.8 KB • GPS: 33:52:12S, 151:12:35E
After a five year break, in June '98 I grabbed a couple of cameras and headed into Sydney to shoot a few people candids.
Unfortunately most of the results were dull, but I did manage to fluke this one of a couple of workers re-paving a section of Castlereagh Street.
play
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HSC Art Express student, AGNSW
(Feb 2003) • 127.2 KB • GPS: 33:52:07S, 151:13:02E
Art Express
is a yearly exhibition held in the Art Gallery of NSW, showcasing the best entries in the previous year's HSC Arts exam [1]. Every year it is quite crowded, usually with students seeking inspiration for their own works for the following year's HSC. -
Aust. Day skater
(Jan 2005) • 162.9 KB • GPS: 33:52:15S, 151:12:46E
A skate boarder has a break among the vintage car displays at College street, on Australia day.
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Coogee beach baths
(Mar 2003) • 182 KB • GPS: 33:55:22S, 151:15:28E
A swimmer having a break from doing laps in the Ross Jones Memorial Pool, at the southern end of Coogee beach.
Owing to attempts by Waverly Council to ban beach photography in Jan 2005 [1], this kind of shot was almost a thing of the past!
(This image was included in the 2003 Family of Man 2 selection [2].)
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Balmoral beach sleeper
(Apr 2005) • 269.5 KB • GPS: 33:49:37S, 151:15:08E
A week after this photo was taken, Mosman Council erected signs along Balmoral beach to prohibit fishing, jogging, "boot camps", personal trainers, bicycle riding, commercial photography and even unspecified "group activities"…
Presumably the sunbather was so overwhelmed by the list that he fell asleep.
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Balmoral Baths Structure
(Apr 2005) • 175.5 KB • GPS: 33:49:37S, 151:15:11E
Late on an Autumn afternoon, a couple of boys relax after a swim, on the steps to the Baths at Balmoral beach.
In case you're wondering, the LHS white spot in the sky is actually the moon =)
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Mobile Phone photographer
(Jan 2005) • 162.4 KB • GPS: 33:52:19S, 151:12:46E
Taking candid snaps of vintage cars with a mobile phone, outside St Marys Cathedral on Australia day.
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Rosehill Race goers
(Nov 2005) • 224.1 KB • GPS: 33:49:21S, 151:01:25E
Rosehill racecourse. During the afternoon, many who paid for the more expensive Members Stand (balcony above), drifted downstairs to the more-relaxed public enclosure.
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Panthers Park grandstand
(Jul 2003) • 256 KB • GPS: 33:45:32S, 150:41:17E
The Panthers v. Roosters game again, ten minutes before the final whistle. Penrith supporters watch the home team lose.
(Elsewhere on this site there is a 360° interactive panorama taken in this stand a couple of months later, during the Panthers v. Broncos semi-final [1].)
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Vaucluse Beach stairs
(Dec 2000) • 164.3 KB • GPS: 33:51:03S, 151:15:60E
Sunbathing on the steps at Nielsen Park beach [1] in Vaucluse, eastern Sydney.
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Panthers Park spectators
(Jul 2003) • 134.5 KB • GPS: 33:45:30S, 150:41:13E
Spectators barrack on a small hill at Panthers Park in Penrith. A record 22 000 people squeezed into the oval that day, to watch the Panthers v. Roosters NRL game.
Tech note: although this looks like it was taken "from the hip", it was actually done at eye level. The people were on a small hill above me, hence the upward tilt.
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Darling Harbour promenade
(Dec 2003) • 157.4 KB • GPS: 33:52:25S, 151:12:02E
A couple share a tender moment on the Cockle Bay promenade at Darling Harbour.
Originally created as a shopping precinct in the 1980s, Darling Harbour is also a romantic place for couples to meet and socialize on weekends.
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Panthers Park spectators
(Jul 2003) • 172.7 KB • GPS: 33:45:30S, 150:41:18E
The Panthers / Roosters game again — teenagers grow uncomfortable at the home team falling thirty points behind.
I was surprised by the large number of young women at the game that day. You would think "The Footy" was a blokes-only thing, but not so.
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Aust. Flag Seller
(Jan 2005) • 142.8 KB • GPS: 33:52:18S, 151:12:42E
One of the many flag sellers in Hyde park, in central Sydney.
Australia day is a national holiday celebrated on January 26th, the anniversary of the 1788 founding of the penal colony of New South Wales.
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Randwick racecourse punters
(Apr 2004) • 102.8 KB • GPS: 33:54:28S, 151:13:45E
A couple of punters [1] watch the start of the fifth race at Royal Randwick Racecourse [2], in Sydney's eastern suburbs.
Sydney horse racing has undergone an amazing transformation over the previous decade. Back in the 1980s it was mostly a place for Blokes In Hats to launder money and swill beer. Nowadays the stands are filled with young men and women, all looking for a relaxed alternative to the meat-market atmosphere in pubs or night-clubs.
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Panthers Park spectators
(Jun 2005) • 144.2 KB • GPS: 33:45:32S, 150:41:13E
Enthusiastic spectators on the southern hill, at a Panthers vs. Eels match at Panthers Park in Penrith.
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NYE revellers, Circular Quay
(Jan 2003) • 140.1 KB • GPS: 33:51:42S, 151:12:38E
Circular Quay, 1AM on New Year's morning. People were starting to go home when I noticed these blokes sitting on the edge of the road, enjoying a nutritious snack from a US franchise.
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Aust. Day couple
(Jan 2005) • 184.3 KB • GPS: 33:52:15S, 151:12:43E
A couple enjoy each other's company during Australia Day celebrations at Hyde Park in central Sydney.
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George Street amusement arcade
(Sep 2003) • 154.3 KB • GPS: 33:52:32S, 151:12:23E
An lunchtime electronic shoot-out in one of the many amusement arcades in Sydney's multiplex cinema strip.
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Zoo ferry couple
(Apr 2005) • 111.5 KB • GPS: 33:51:08S, 151:13:59E
A couple enjoy the view on the Taronga Zoo / Circular Quay ferry.
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Martin Place Olympics Live-Site
(Sep 2000) • 405.9 KB • GPS: 33:52:04S, 151:12:42E
A 360° panorama of office workers at the Martin Place Live-Site, taken during the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games [1].
These "live-sites" were for most people the only way to participate in the Games. The actual Sydney Olympics Precinct at Homebush Bay [1] was completely locked-down, meaning non-ticket holders could only watch the show on TV at home, or else on large video screens in the CBD.
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Waterloo Gallery opening
(Sep 2006) • 128.9 KB • GPS: 33:53:51S, 151:12:35E
Patrons exchange views over a glass or two during an exhibition opening-night at the Danks Street gallery complex in eastern Sydney [1].
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Olympic Torch Chariot
(Sep 2000) • 165 KB • GPS: 33:45:43S, 150:41:24E
The Olympic Torch Relay [1] at Jamison Park in Penrith. The chariot contains the Mayor (red cape, back to camera) holding a flag bearing the name of a corporate sponsor. The Mayoress (?) smiles and holds the Official Olympic flag [2].
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Stadium Australia Open Day
(Feb 1999) • 420.7 KB • GPS: 33:50:50S, 151:03:49E
A 360° panorama of Stadium Australia [1], taken during the public open day, a month before its official opening.
The stadium was the main venue for the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games [2], and security was so tight that I had to discreetly hand-held shoot the panorama. (Unauthorised photographers with professional-looking equipment were barred from taking pictures due to bogus "copyright restrictions" [3].)
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MCA lawn lunchtime
(Nov 2004) • 228.6 KB • GPS: 33:51:37S, 151:12:34E
Visitors versus Locals, wilting in the sun on outside the Museum of Contemporary Art in Circular Quay.
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Randwick racecourse aftermath
(Apr 2004) • 126.5 KB • GPS: 33:54:28S, 151:13:44E
Randwick Racecourse again. The fifth race was over and "Lonhro", the heavily-backed pre-race favourite, lost. Not everyone seemed to mind (or even care).
BTW I have no idea who these people are. I took the shot when I noticed the woman perched on the man's shoulders. Since I only raised the camera for a moment, I didn't notice the man or other woman smiling into the lens. It isn't surprising though, since many people go to the races to be seen and photographed!
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Collaroy beachgoer
(Mar 2003) • 152.7 KB • GPS: 33:44:01S, 151:18:12E
A woman walks along the promenade of Collaroy Beach in Sydney's northeastern suburbs [1] (popularly known as "The Northern Beaches").
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Opera House tourists
(Dec 2001) • 224.3 KB • GPS: 33:51:28S, 151:12:54E
Bizarre tourists at the Sydney Opera House forecourt.
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Rosehill Melbourne Cup
(Nov 2005) • 243.2 KB • GPS: 33:49:22S, 151:01:25E
Race Day chic. Ladies in the public enclosure enjoy themselves during the Cup aftermath.
I found out a week later that "Cup Day" in Sydney also doubles as an informal
Hairdressers Picnic
. Apparently a lot of salons close for the afternoon to let employees attend Cup celebrations. -
Bondi beach surfers
(Mar 2003) • 138.6 KB • GPS: 33:53:28S, 151:16:43E
A couple of sufers about to enter the water at Bondi beach.
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Melbourne Cup punters, Katoomba
(Nov 2003) • 119.4 KB • GPS: 33:42:42S, 150:18:37E
Punters in the Katoomba hotel, watching the closing stages of the Melbourne Cup on an overhead television.
A horse-racing tradition for more than a hundred years,
The Race That Stops The Nation
is held on the first Tuesday of every November, on a track just outside Melbourne [1]. -
Entrance Hall, AGNSW
(Jan 2002) • 123.7 KB • GPS: 33:52:07S, 151:13:01E
Brushing up on Buddha at the entrance of the Art Gallery of NSW.
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Rugby World Cup spectators
(Oct 2003) • 118.9 KB • GPS: 33:50:51S, 151:03:57E
Australian "Wallabies" supporters in the crowd at Olympic Park, prior to the Rugby World Cup 2003 opening ceremony.
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Bondi beach waterline
(Mar 2003) • 204 KB • GPS: 33:53:29S, 151:16:40E
Teenagers muck about in the sand on Bondi beach.
(In an age of hysterical paranoia over lone male photographers [1], taking this photo was begging for trouble…)
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Rosehill Punters
(Nov 2005) • 194 KB • GPS: 33:49:22S, 151:01:23E
Rosehill Racecourse near Parramatta, just before the 2005 Melbourne cup. Since the race is held hundreds of kilometres away, Sydneysiders have to watch it second-hand via TV.
street
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Westpoint Plaza atrium, Blacktown
(Jul 2003) • 142 KB • GPS: 33:46:12S, 150:54:19E
On the indoor escalator of a large shopping centre in Blacktown, on the western edge of Sydney.
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Martin Place homeless person
(Aug 2002) • 108.4 KB • GPS: 33:52:02S, 151:12:26E
I generally avoid photographing homeless people as they already have a hard enough time without some clown exploiting them for a cheap shot.
However I did take this photo because: (1) the subject was completely unidentifiable, (2) I liked the incongruity of how warm he looked in an otherwise cold part of the city and (3) I wanted to exploit him for a cheap shot.
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Swans victory parade
(Sep 2005) • 179 KB • GPS: 33:52:23S, 151:12:27E
Standing on a traffic barrier on Park street near Sydney Town Hall, a family watches the presentation speeches after the Sydney Swans victory parade.
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Christmas Beggar
(Nov 2004) • 148.7 KB • GPS: 33:52:15S, 151:12:29E
Celebrating a decade of economic growth at a bank entrance in Pitt Street, four shopping weeks before Christmas.
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Martin Place spectators
(Apr 2006) • 245.1 KB • GPS: 33:52:03S, 151:12:25E
People gather on the steps of the former CBC Building to admire the size of the Great Australian Property Bubble, along with the debt required to sustain it [1].
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Flag bearer leading an Anzac Day battalion
(Apr 2003) • 111.9 KB • GPS: 33:52:06S, 151:12:35E
A flag-bearer at the head of one of the battalions participating in the Anzac Day march.
I have included this image to show there is more to Anzac Day than just marching, games of "two-up" or old blokes swilling beer. Alongside the imperialist overtones, from the beginning it has also been a day of patriotism and national pride.
BTW few people are aware the word "ANZAC" has been protected by legislation since 1920 to prevent its unauthorised use in trade or entertainment [1].
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Kings Cross musician
(May 2003) • 161.1 KB • GPS: 33:52:22S, 151:13:30E
On a park bench next to the El Ala mein Memorial fountain in Kings Cross.
A controversial shot — was he strung-out or just having a break? I don't know, and I didn't hang around to find out since a street person was yelling obscenities at me from the other side of Macleay street.
BTW I usually avoid park-bench shots as they can be such a tired Street Photography Cliché. What intrigued me here though was the tattooed hand, overturned guitar and mysterious white paper bag…
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George Street crossing
(Dec 2008) • 176.6 KB • GPS: 33:51:56S, 151:12:26E
Office workers rush around near Wynyard Station, trying to complete their chores during a typical half-hour lunch-break.
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Town Hall subway
(Jul 2001) • 115.3 KB • GPS: 33:52:25S, 151:12:25E
A couple of women waiting for friends (who arrived after I took this shot) in the Town Hall underground subway.
Despite a reputation for being knock-about and carefree place, suburban Australia is actually deeply conformist. I'm always fascinated by examples of this, here for example the inclination of many young women to dress alike.
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George Street pedestrians
(Jun 2002) • 117.4 KB • GPS: 33:52:15S, 151:12:25E
CBD Office workers hoping for a chance cross George Street.
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Danks Street Cafe
(Mar 2006) • 124.6 KB • GPS: 33:53:52S, 151:12:35E
Danks Str Waterloo [1] used to full of warehouses and small factories, but slowly they are being transformed into chi-chi apartments, galleries and cafés [2].
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Anzac Day RAAF marchers
(Apr 2005) • 237.1 KB • GPS: 33:52:12S, 151:12:37E
WW2 RAAF veterans start their Anzac Day march, near St James on Elizabeth street.
Anzac day — "The one day of the year" — is held on April 25th to honour soldiers who served or died in the nation's wars [1]. The actual date was chosen to commemorate the anniversary of the Gallipoli landings in 1915 — the first time Australian troops, as a federated national force, participated in an international war.
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Sussex + Market Streets
(Dec 2003) • 145 KB • GPS: 33:52:15S, 151:12:19E
Late on a Thursday afternoon, Christmas shoppers rush down Market Street on their way home from work.
A funny thing about the Sydney CBD is how rapidly it empties after hours. By 19pm entire blocks can be practically deserted.
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St Marys driver
(Dec 2005) • 128.6 KB • GPS: 33:45:51S, 150:46:28E
A BMW driver prepares to leave the Queen Street St Marys Town Centre, in Sydney's West.
Sydneysiders love their cars — in this case almost literally…
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Swans victory parade
(Sep 2005) • 247.2 KB • GPS: 33:52:21S, 151:12:25E
In September 2005 the Sydney Swans won the AFL grand final [1]. To celebrate, a victory parade on George Street was held a week later [2]. When the parade was over, many people grabbed handfuls of "ticker tape" and threw it around.
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Australia Day flag-wearers
(Jan 2007) • 246.7 KB • GPS: 33:51:21S, 151:12:34E
Celebrating Australia Day near Sydney Cove.
Although many people like to display their national pride on January 26th, ever since the Cronulla Riots in Dec 2005 [1], the use of patriotic symbols have also acquired an unintentional double-meaning [2].
In recent years Australia Day has acquired the darker undertones of Anzac Day in the 1960s [3]. Although the men in this photo wear the flag innocently, similarly attired teenagers tend not to be so good-natured [4].
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George Street pedestrians
(Apr 1999) • 130.4 KB • GPS: 33:52:28S, 151:12:25E
A couple of teenagers (sisters?) horsing around while waiting for the traffic lights to change, near the Sydney Town Hall.
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Hunter Street pedestrians
(Jul 2004) • 173 KB • GPS: 33:51:57S, 151:12:30E
Office workers and a man with his teddy bear make their way down Hunter street, in the heart of Sydney's financial district.
(This image was included in the 2004 Family of Man 2 selection [1].)
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EIIR Punters
(Mar 2006) • 190 KB • GPS: 33:52:24S, 151:12:22E
Spectators wait for a glimpse of Queen Elizabeth II [1] at Sydney Town Hall.
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St Andrew's Square churchgoers
(Mar 2006) • 260.5 KB • GPS: 33:52:25S, 151:12:22E
A well-dressed couple go for a stroll after the Commonwealth Day Observance at St Andrew's Cathedral [1], next to Town Hall.
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Anzac Day spectators
(Apr 2004) • 139.5 KB • GPS: 33:52:29S, 151:12:33E
Spectators on Bathurst Street, watching the end of the Anzac Day march. The man facing the camera is wearing an Australian flag vest — note the prominent (and controversial) Union Jack emblem.
commuters
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Bankstown station platform
(Apr 2003) • 114.4 KB • GPS: 33:55:04S, 151:02:05E
Waiting for the city-bound train on Bankstown station, in Sydney's southwest.
These outlying areas, well away from the cafés and cool breeze of the eastern seaboard, are seldom photographed as they tend to far from where most photographers live. ( Ever wonder why there are so many Oxford Street, Paddington or Bondi Beach pictures?… )
Forty years of Australian immigration policy in a single image: 1950s and 60s — mostly European; 70s and 80s — southeast Asia; from the 90s onward, predominantly from the Middle East.
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Town Hall station shoppers
(Jun 2003) • 159.4 KB • GPS: 33:52:25S, 151:12:25E
End-of-financial-year stock-take shoppers, waiting for suburban trains at Town Hall underground station.
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Athol Wharf tourists
(Apr 2005) • 241.4 KB • GPS: 33:50:47S, 151:14:22E
An ironic end to a day at the zoo — tourists and day-trippers wait to board the Taronga ferry to Circular Quay.
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Penrith station skateboarders
(Jun 2000) • 130.1 KB • GPS: 33:45:01S, 150:41:47E
Skater "dudes" waiting for the train at Penrith station.
At the time there was a lot of construction for the 2000 olympics, hence the apologetic wall-poster in the background.
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Bundeena Ferry parasol
(Jan 2005) • 206.7 KB • GPS: 34:03:25S, 151:08:54E
A mysterious woman on the Bundeena ferry shields herself from the late afternoon sun. A little earlier I overheard her telling the ticket-seller she was going "night clubbing", and that the parasol was her proudest possession.
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City Circle suburban train
(Jul 2001) • 116.4 KB • GPS: 33:52:44S, 151:12:33E
"Punk-not-dead" fashion statement on the city-circle train between Town Hall and Central station.
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Country terminal, Central station
(Jul 2000) • 116.7 KB • GPS: 33:52:58S, 151:12:23E
A winter tea break at the interstate terminus at Central railway station. The beret is a unusual in that few Sydney women wear any kind of headgear.
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Inter-urban train commuter
(Oct 2000) • 122.1 KB • GPS: 33:47:54S, 150:57:13E
Oversized sunglasses on the Central to Lithgow train. Usually for older people these things aren't worn as a groovy fashion statement [1], but rather to protect the patient's eyes after cataract surgery [2].
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Central station school kids
(Mar 2003) • 136.7 KB • GPS: 33:53:02S, 151:12:28E
School students mucking around on the Bondi Junction platform, at Central underground station.
The boy was reacting to the good-humoured abuse a couple of schoolgirls were yelling at each other, one of whom can be seen ascending the LHS escalator.
(This image was included in the 2003 Family of Man 2 selection [1].)
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Central station commuters
(Jun 2004) • 124.9 KB • GPS: 33:53:00S, 151:12:24E
Commuters check the overhead "train departures" monitor at Central railway station.
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Wynyard Station commuter
(Oct 2001) • 103.8 KB • GPS: 33:51:58S, 151:12:22E
At about 8pm on a normal weekday, an office worker waits for a suburban train home.
With the gradual disappearance of manufacturing over the last twenty years, an increasing number of Sydneysiders were employed in white-collar jobs such as: Audit and Assurance managers; Change and Relationship managers; Learning and Development managers; Business Improvement managers; Business Development managers; Group Financial controllers; Internal communications managers; Recruitment consultants; Franchise consultants; Relationship counsellors; Applications Evangelists; Corporate Social Responsibility managers; Marketing Account managers; Marketing co-ordinators; Corporate Brand managers; Business, Life, Relationship or Wellness coaches [1].
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Penrith station schoolboy
(Sep 2003) • 100.6 KB • GPS: 33:45:01S, 150:41:46E
Horsing around after school with a super-sized drinking straw.
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Manly Ferry
(Nov 2001) • 117.5 KB • GPS: 33:48:02S, 151:17:01E
Riding out a summer storm on the Manly ferry.
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Artarmon station commuters
(Jun 2006) • 106.7 KB • GPS: 33:48:30S, 151:11:04E
Another example of demographic-shift, this time in the pristine WASP enclave of Willougby City in Sydney's north [1].
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Bundeena Ferry passenger
(Jan 2005) • 100 KB • GPS: 34:04:49S, 151:09:04E
A passenger at the stern of the Bundeena ferry, on her way towards Cronulla in Sydney's far south.
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Central station delays
(Mar 2004) • 128.1 KB • GPS: 33:53:02S, 151:12:23E
Stranded commuters wait for the late-running Blue Mountains train at Central station.
For a couple of weeks in March 2004, many of the city's trains ran hours late or else were cancelled. The problem was due to industrial militancy by a handful of train drivers, who objected to proposed drug testing and personal fitness criteria.
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Private school commuters
(Feb 2000) • 129.9 KB • GPS: 33:44:60S, 150:41:44E
Every day hundreds of students on Sydney's outskirts travel vast distances to attend private schools near the city's center.
Here the girl on the left is one of a pair of Tara Anglican School [1] students I saw on the train for over seven years.
In her case, assuming a 65km return trip between Emu Plains and Parramatta, five days a week and forty weeks a year — means she travelled at least 91 000km by the time she finished high school (!)
