The Block (Sydney) facts for kids

The Block is a special area in Redfern, a suburb of Sydney, New South Wales. It's a group of homes on streets like Eveleigh, Caroline, Louis, and Vine. Since 1973, a group called the Aboriginal Housing Company (AHC) has been buying these houses. Their goal was to create homes managed by Aboriginal people for their community.

Where is The Block?

The Block is a very well-known part of Redfern. It's located on the western side of the suburb, close to Darlington. The main street in The Block is Eveleigh Street. This street runs alongside railway lines. The Block is also very close to Redfern train station.

The Aboriginal Housing Company's Story

This area was important because it offered affordable homes for Aboriginal people who needed them.

In the early 1970s, people who owned houses in the area tried to make all Aboriginal residents leave. This led to big protests. A group of activists, including Bob Bellear and his wife Kay, worked hard to get help. They convinced the government, led by Gough Whitlam, to give money to the Aboriginal Housing Company (AHC). This money allowed the AHC to start buying houses in 1972. Many other important people were involved, like Sol Bellear, Colin James, Lyall Munro Jnr and his wife Jenny Munro, Gary Foley, Paul Coe, Isabel Coe, Billy Craigie, Gary Williams, and Naomi Mayers. In 2017, it was said that only Lyall Munro was still alive from the first eight founders.

The Block is a unique project. It's the only place like it where Aboriginal people manage housing in the middle of Australia's biggest city. It means a lot to many Indigenous people, especially those from country areas in New South Wales. They see it as a "home away from home" and a spiritual place in Sydney.

In 2004, the Aboriginal Housing Company decided to fix up some parts of The Block. These areas had become run down and needed a lot of work.

The 2004 Redfern Events

On February 14, 2004, The Block was the scene of some difficult events. This happened after an Aboriginal teenager named TJ Hickey died. TJ Hickey was riding his bike and was trying to get away from police. He had an accident, hitting a gutter and falling onto a fence. He was taken to the hospital but sadly died the next day, on February 15.

The community was very upset about TJ Hickey's death. This led to protests and some damage. Redfern railway station was damaged by fire. The ticket area and station office were badly affected. The windows at the front of the station were covered for almost a year to prevent more damage. Later, new glass windows were put in.

The Pemulwuy Project

The AHC has a plan to redevelop The Block. This plan is called The Pemulwuy Project. It's named after Pemulwuy, a brave Bidjigal warrior from the 1700s. In 2008, the state government had some concerns about the plan. When the demolition of some parts of The Block was announced in late 2010, a newspaper in London said that many non-Aboriginal people saw The Block as a place with problems.

In 2014, the Redfern Aboriginal Tent Embassy was set up. This was inspired by the original Aboriginal Tent Embassy in Canberra from 1972. Lyall Munro Jnr, his wife Jenny Munro, and other activists started it. They protested against the redevelopment plans.

In 2017, about 200 people met at the Redfern Community Centre. They wanted to ask the AHC about their plans to make the development bigger. At that time, Alisi Tutuila was the head of the AHC, and Lani Tuitavake was the general manager. Many people disagreed with the AHC's new plans. Lyall Munro, the only founder still alive, spoke out against them. It seemed there were disagreements between the AHC and parts of the community. Some critics said the AHC, as a private company, was no longer acting like a community organisation as it did in the beginning.

As of 2022, the Pemulwuy Project is moving forward. Its design even won an award for excellent development in 2021.

Images for kids

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  A prominent mural on the Block photographed in 2008, located on the corner of Lawson Street and Eveleigh Street.