Kath & Ross’ wedding was a Sydney story. Not a tale about Bondi beach or the gilded, glittering harbor, but set instead in the red-brick alleys of Redfern.
A long time ago I lived in Redfern, and I love the grit and character of the place. Things have changed, but the heart of the block still beats the way it used to: the artist dens, the old hotels, the bruised and proud people who make their lives in the shadow of the city there. And there are old stories there too that go deep under the cracked pavement, deep into the red earth. It’s almost as though the history of the land has seeped up and into the stained bricks of the tenements. Here’s an excerpt from a poem by Kevin Gilbert about the place:
In the savage street of Redfern
Where the cockatoo and Turk
Peer from the doors of porno dens
While dealers do their work
dicing out a score or two
and wait with baited breath
the coins or coppers to descend
in thrills of sudden death
Kath & Ross got ready at the Old Clare Hotel, were married in Centennial Park, and then had their reception at Cake & Wine at Redfern with close friends and family.
