An Ode To Parramatta Road (Naked City)

Former NSW premier Jack Lang described it as the “varicose vein” of Sydney and for most present-day Sydneysiders it spells endless traffic congestion, billowing diesel fumes, gaudy advertising signage and the occasional semi derelict building. Parramatta Road, which links our CBD with the would-be metropolis of Parramatta, is probably the most maligned stretch of road in greater Sydney.

Yet beyond that popular stigma there is a real and engaging tale to be told – and social researcher and author Heather L. Jones does just that in her brand new book Parramatta Road: Dark Tales, Vanished Icons, History and Legend.

Heather is no stranger to exploring the means streets of Sydney and has previously written about King St Newtown and Glebe Point Road. I asked her why she now chose to write about a ‘leviathan’ compared to the more boutique thoroughfares of the past. She explained:

“It was a big and scary project because I wanted to do it justice and bring the road to life, not just recount historical facts. Parramatta Road is such a hated thoroughfare, but it is also one of Australia’s oldest roads and a significant First Nations track. Every bit of Australia’s history has been written along its length – from the scary days of colonist travel in a new and uncertain land, to its celebration as an entertainment destination, to the rise of Americana with drive throughs and milk bars, and its slow decline as a once bold and brash commercial hub.

The result is a fascinating excursion into the history and culture of the road, written with a great deal of affection and backed up with lots of detective-like research. It’s not all hugs and kisses, of course, and Heather is quick to point out the dark side. She notes:

“I set out with the central ethos of ‘make me love you’ and I uncovered a silent stalwart, a road that asks for nothing back, but which had a major role in supporting Sydney as it grew into a major world city. On balance, the good far outweighs the bad, but as with all things, crime did darken its length.”

There’s a good historical background to the road which Heather notes as being born “as an ancient path trodden by the countless Eora and Dharug Nations for countless generations”. From there we learn of its growth in the 1800s as a major transportation route and the various commercial enterprises that sprung up alongside in the ensuing decades.

Heather writes of the many wonderful milk bars and picture theatres that fronted the thoroughfare in the ’90s and the influence of post war migration that led to the incredible cultural diversity of the surrounding suburbs today. No history of Parra Rd would be complete without coverage of the motor dealerships, flogging both new and used vehicles as well as the motor inns and hotels. Many of the latter, including the ‘iconic’ Marco Polo, were often the location of nefarious activity and Heather recalls some of the infamous incidents that took place.

Not surprisingly she devotes a good chunk of the book to the rock pubs and other warehouse style venues which once dotted the road and its immediate side streets – the Annandale Hotel, the Landsdowne, the Phoenician Club, the Petersham Inn and the Bald-Faced Stag – to mention just a few.

“I spoke to a range of people who had been instrumental in creating and supporting the Sydney music scene in its last heyday of the 1990s and early noughties, and felt a sadness that only a few strands of this vibrant culture still remain. There were such intriguing clubs, such as the Marquee Club, a western themed bar and complete madness going on at the Petersham Inn, as well as underground affairs such as the Mu Mesons Archives.”

Books such as Heather’s are an essential part of preserving the history of Sydney, much of which we seem to lose daily. I put it to her that as buildings are demolished and areas redeveloped, aren’t we losing not only the bricks and concrete but much of the history behind it? She replied:

“That is part of the reason I wrote this book – there are huge development changes coming to Parramatta Road and I wanted to preserve an accessible record of what it had been and some interesting points of interest. If done sensitively, the new development could help to preserve the old, while blending it with new ways of living and giving the road new life – think about the apartment blocks that are built within and behind the facades of old buildings now.”

In books like Heather’s, there are often surprises, those little gems of new information that are uncovered along the way. One such revelation involves anti-development campaigner Juanita Nielsen, who disappeared in 1975 with her body never found. Heather recalls what could be a missing piece in that mystery, noting:

“Juanita had declined a meeting with some of the chief protagonists in her disappearance at a motel at Camperdown. I ended up finding a fair few articles from around that time about the corruptions at the Builders’ Labourers’ Federation and the fact that they had secured a motel room in Camperdown to carry out intimidation of those who stood up to them, and which held a stash of unlicensed weapons in a cupboard. Could this have been the original plan for Juanita’s demise?”

Rather than rely on photographic records, Heather has chosen to illustrate with her own engaging pen and ink drawings, evoking a real nostalgia for the old movie houses and milk bars that were once the prominent landmarks.

Heather obviously has a great passion for Sydney’s Inner West, admitting she “never grows tired on unearthing new dark history nuggets from Sydney’s Inner West and sharing them with others.” She is already planning to make her next book another self-guided walks book like ‘Ten Walks of Terror’, which she wrote for those walking around Leichhardt, Annandale, Lilyfield.

If you would like to pick up a copy of this highly entertaining book, ‘Parramatta Road – Dark Tales, Vanished Icons, History & Legend’ is available from Berkelouw Leichhardt, direct from the author at or via Amazon.

You may also want to sample some of Heather’s other books – ‘Dark Tales of Lost Leichhardt’, ‘On the Edge – More Dark Tales of Sydney’s Inner West’, ‘Ten Walks of Terror’, ‘Dark Tales of King Street, Newtown’, and ‘Dark Tales of Glebe Point Road’.