One of Sydney’s most significant pieces of new public art, Place of the Eels, has been officially unveiled in the heart of Parramatta’s CBD.

Created by Western Sydney artists Claire Healy and Sean Cordeiro, the gleaming eight-metre tall, aluminium replica of a vintage bus is now permanently parked in Parramatta Square.

“All great cities have great public art, and Place of the Eels ticks that box. It will be a conversation starter,” City of Parramatta Lord Mayor Cr Donna Davis said.

“Place of the Eels captures the spirit of our City through its intriguing stories. It is a wonderful representation of some colourful moments in Parramatta’s history. This sculpture connects our past with the present while reflecting on the waves of people who make our City so exceptional.”

Artists Claire and Sean said it was surreal to see the larger-than-life artwork at its final home in Parramatta Square. Place of the Eels is a culmination of more than two years’ hard work and took more than 50 people and 7,500 hours to bring it to life.

“We really are proud to play a part in creating an artwork that is so central to this City and really champions it. We hope this artwork will act as a meeting spot and talking point for the community,” Sean said.

“It’s a deceptive artwork in a way – on the surface is a bright, shiny exterior which belies just how multilayered it is, just like this City,” Claire said.

“The City of Parramatta has had such a rich and diverse history; we’ve captured a small cross-section of it and now it belongs to the community. It’s open to interpretation by all the residents, visitors and commuters who cross its path.”

The stories encapsulated in Place of the Eels include:

Premiership-winning Parramatta Eels

The artwork is a replica of the 1960s Leyland Worldmaster bus used by the Parramatta Eels rugby league team to hold meetings in during the 1980s. Coach Jack Gibson bought the bus after the team’s home base at Cumberland Oval was burnt to the ground by overenthusiastic fans celebrating the 1981 premiership victory. Despite the team losing their home ground for four seasons, the Parramatta Eels went on to win two more consecutive premierships.

The Flying Pieman

William Francis King, also known as ‘The Flying Pieman’, was recognised for his feats of speed and endurance. According to local legend, King would sell pies to people embarking on the ferry journey from Circular Quay to Parramatta. Once they were on board and traversing the Parramatta River, King would pack up his stand and race on foot to Parramatta, ready to sell his baked goods to the now disembarking passengers.

Rosie Bint Broheen

The story of Rosie Bint Broheen is a nod to Parramatta’s long and layered history of migration and in particular its connection to Kfarsghab, Lebanon. In 1890s, Rosie Bint Broheen migrated to Sydney after a three-month voyage from her village of Kfarsghab, Lebanon, leaving her husband and children behind in a country experiencing political turmoil.

When she reached Australia, a customs officer misinterpreted her name as Rosie O’Brien. She was granted a hawker’s licence and eventually became one of the first Lebanese women to purchase property in Parramatta in 1922. Today there are more than 20,000 people living in Parramatta who can trace their ancestry back to Kfarsghab.

Parramatta Industrial School for Girls

The artwork references coded messages of love and support passed between girls living at the Parramatta Industrial School for Girls, also known as the Parramatta Girls Home. The messages were etched into everyday items like toothbrushes and combs, so the girls could communicate without fear of punishment.

Ms Broheen’s great grandson Len Norman was present at today’s official launch and was touched to have his relative’s story immortalised in the sculptural artwork.

“My great grandmother, Rosie Bint Broheen became Rosie O’Brien, and she was buried as Rose O Norman. To have her true name so proudly displayed on this artwork in the middle of Parramatta, it’s a homage to the real Rosie and all migrants that come to Australia for a better life,” Mr Norman said.

“She was a true pioneer and trailblazer being one of the earliest people to make that long journey from Kfarsghab to Australia. We have such a lovely connection to that village, and it continues to this day through an Australian-based village association.”

Place of the Eels is one of two public artworks chosen for the $2.7 billion Parramatta Square precinct following a competitive worldwide selection process. An independent panel chose from more than 110 submissions including those from international artists from USA, Japan and Spain.

The second artwork, Where Eels Lie Down by Reko Rennie, is expected to be installed in 2023.

Interesting Stats

• More than 7.6 tonnes of Australian aluminium and steel was used to create the artwork
• The artwork was fabricated by Urban Art Projects in their Brisbane workshop
• More than 50 people worked to design, fabricate and install the artwork
• More than 7,500 hours to create, transport and build the artwork in Parramatta Square

Artists' Bios

Claire Healy and Sean Cordeiro are Western Sydney-based artists who first met at the University of New South Wales while completing a Bachelor of Fine Arts. They have been exhibiting collaboratively since 2001 and are known for their extraordinary sculptures and installations, including their public work Cloud Nation, which is in the Green Square Library Tower. They have held solo exhibitions locally and internationally in China, Germany, Japan, Malaysia, Singapore, Switzerland and the USA. In 2009, their installation Life Span was part of the Australian representation at the 53rd Venice Biennale. They were recently awarded the 2022 Sir John Sulman Prize for their artwork, Raiko and Shuten-dōji.

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The City of Parramatta is awash with blue and gold as the Parramatta Eels prepare to create rugby league history on Sunday, with both the club’s NRL and NRLW teams to star in the 2022 Grand Finals.

Blue and gold flags will deck the streets of the Parramatta CBD, while the Parramatta River foreshore and the City’s new community, cultural and civic hub PHIVE will be illuminated in the team’s colours every night this week.

City of Parramatta Lord Mayor Cr Donna Davis congratulated the Parramatta Eels, who could become the first club in history to win both the NRL and NRLW titles in the same season.

“We are so proud to support the Parramatta Eels – our entire City is behind you in a blaze of blue and gold,” Cr Davis said.

“Our congratulations to the players for making it through to the Grand Final – in the club’s 75th year, no less. You’ve done us proud and now it’s time to make history!

“The excitement already has Parramatta buzzing, as we deck the streets with flags and celebrate pride in our local team and great City. I encourage everyone to get behind our players, who we are confident will be bringing home two trophies from Grand Final Day – go the mighty Eels!”

On top of decorating the City, Council is also hosting ‘best dressed’ competitions for local businesses and local fans with special prizes on offer, including tickets to the grand final and prizes donated by Parramatta Leagues Club.

Lord Mayor Cr Donna Davis has invited Penrith City Council Mayor Cr Tricia Hitchen, backing the Penrith Panthers in the NRL Grand Final, to a friendly photo opportunity as the two Western Sydney teams face a showdown.

“We’re backing the Parramatta Eels for the win,” Cr Davis said. “Accor Stadium at Sydney Olympic Park is in the Parramatta Local Government Area, so I’d like to think we have the home-ground advantage!”

City of Parramatta in collaboration with Western Sydney University's Launch Pad have two great Masterclasses coming up in October:

Startup Masterclass #1 – Pitching Your Business

Date: Wednesday 5 October

Time: 5.00pm to 6.30pm

Speaker: Entrepreneur and investor Jamie Pride

Learn how to package your business idea and communicate it well for the investor. There will be a time for Q&A and networking with other like-minded founders. Spots are limited. Click here to register. 

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Date: Wednesday 12 October

Time: 5.00pm to 7.00pm

Speaker: Entrepreneur and investor Jamie Pride

This masterclass will dig deep into what investors are looking for and arm you with lots of practical tips and tools to get investors over the line. There will be an extended time for Q&A and networking over drinks. Spots are limited, so register now to secure your place. 

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Powerhouse announced a four-year partnership with ground-breaking production company Co-Curious (producers of critically acclaimed drama Here Out West), to showcase and celebrate the stories of Western Sydney, titled In The Room. Powerhouse has commissioned Co-Curious to develop four connected 20-minute films using Co-Curious’ unique model of development and production, which supports writers to bring stories to life with their own sense of authenticity. The commissioned films will premiere at Powerhouse Parramatta in 2025.

This innovative collaboration will provide a platform for writers and film makers from diverse backgrounds across Western Sydney. This major commission will ensure diverse voices, stories and Western Sydney histories are embedded into Powerhouse Parramatta. Once completed, the films will be acquired into the Powerhouse collection.

Applications to be part of the program are now open, for more information visit here.

“Co-Curious is thrilled to be embarking on this exciting new partnership with Powerhouse designed to support, celebrate and showcase the stories of Western Sydney. Our model supports writers from under-represented backgrounds to develop and deliver rich culturally significant stories demonstrating the lived experience of contemporary Australia. This important collaboration will provide a platform for writers to tell their stories with scale while focusing on the diversity of the histories and stories of Western Sydney,” Co-Curious CEO Annabel Davis said.

“We are excited to be announcing our first major commission for Powerhouse Parramatta. In The Room will support Western Sydney storytelling, bringing new voices to the screen sector and supporting a vibrant screen culture. Powerhouse and Co-Curious share a fundamental commitment to developing under-represented talent and sharing the diverse stories of the communities of Western Sydney. We look forward partnering with a leading cultural organisation that is working in unprecedented ways to tell new stories,” Powerhouse Chief Executive Lisa Havilah said.

A smorgasbord of street food, live music, outdoor karaoke, and free desserts are just some of the treats on offer at this year’s epic Parramatta Lanes as the flagship event celebrates a decade of fun.

This year marks the festival’s 10th anniversary, with a jam-packed and free four-day program of eats, beats, and art, from Wednesday 12 October to Saturday 15 October.

“Our much-loved Parramatta Lanes event was created to highlight the diversity and vibrancy of our city and tempt people who work in the CBD to stay after dark. It has truly achieved its goal,” City of Parramatta Lord Mayor Cr Donna Davis said.

“Lanes has grown year-on-year and is now our flagship event bringing together amazing food, music and art in the heart of Western Sydney. This year’s program features some of the best bits of the past ten years with some added extras to mark this wonderful milestone. If you’ve never been to this incredible event, this is the year to lose yourself in Parramatta Lanes.”

Over four nights, local restaurants, food trucks and pop-up stalls will offer some of Sydney’s most delicious and Instagrammable dishes across ten sites. Newcomers Tokyo Lamington, Firepop, The Pharoah BBQ, Pocket Rocketz, Satay Bros, Burger Head and Hyderabad House will join old favourites including Butter Parramatta, Lilymu, Koi Dessert Bar and Mrs Wang’s Dumplings.

There will be a mix of music on show, including Parramatta Lanes regulars and locals DJ Levins, Bodega Collective and Planet Trip & Beat Kitchen Records. Some of Western Sydney’s best talent will take to the stage including rapper Mung Mung, Mike Champion, Nicole Issa, Liyah Knight, Good Pash, Rainbow Chan, Boy Soda, Jade Kenji, and DJ Fried Pork Chop.

Visitors can make their own musical contributions with an outdoor karaoke stage set up in Parramatta Square – complete with disco ball and multilingual song selection. If singing isn’t your thing, over in Centenary Square, you can join a drumming circle playing beats as the sun sinks each night.

Across the City, it will be hard to miss Fantastic Planet by Parer Studio’s larger-than-life glowing ‘humanoid’ inflatables, as they loom over crowds and peek around corners. Visitors can also interact with 3D-printed model avatars known as ‘Flower People’ created by Parramatta Artists’ Studios alumnus Kalanjay Dhir.

You can’t have a birthday without cake, and Parramatta Lanes will be sure to satisfy any sweet tooth. A dessert giveaway in Centenary Square will offer mouth-watering baked treats from a different vendor each night.

Archie Rose is toasting the occasion with two bespoke Parramatta Lanes cocktails – ‘Red Centre Negroni’ and ‘Espresso Martinique’ – incorporating native ingredients like riberry and strawberry gum. Renowned multidisciplinary artist and Parramatta Artists’ Studios alumna Rosie Deacon has created bright and cheerful street banners marking a decade of Parramatta Lanes.

On Friday 14 October, a special Diwali event will take over Centenary Square to mark the Festival of Light. International Bollywood actress and model Kangan Sharma will emcee the night which will include local dance groups and entertainment.

There will be a stage dedicated to featuring Western Sydney artists at Parramatta Lanes. This is proudly funded by the NSW Government’s CBD Recovery Grants in association with City of Parramatta Council.

Parramatta Lanes was recently awarded the RH Dougherty Award for Innovation in Special Events at the Local Government Week Awards, recognising its creative approach to adapting the event post lockdown.

Parramatta Lanes is a free event. To find out more information, visit atparramatta.com/lanes

Parramatta Lanes

Wednesday – Saturday, 12-15 October, 5pm to 10pm

Free event

There is no doubt what motivates the thousands of Australians who ride in Great Cycle Challenge each year – knowing that fundraising for cancer research can save children’s lives.

Great Cycle Challenge is now in its 10th year and has raised more than $34m for the cancer research being done at Children’s Medical Research Institute. Every October participants choose how many kilometres they want to ride then ask their friends to sponsor them. Every rider has the same mission: to fight kids’ cancer.

Mum, Sheridan, has learnt in the last six months just how vital research is. In April, her four-year-old daughter, Quinn, was diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukaemia.

“I noticed this spot on her neck, then one on her armpit, then a rash all over her back,’’ Sheridan said. “When I Googled the type of rash I was seeing – leukaemia came up and I had a bit of a panic attack. I nearly fainted at that moment, but I knew I just had to get her to hospital.’’

At first all Sheridan wanted was for Quinn to be cured, but then when she saw the impact of chemotherapy, blood and platelet transfusions, and lumbar punctures she realised that more still needs to be done for kids with cancer.

Quinn is now one of the faces of this year’s Challenge, to inspire the riders.

“The only way they know how to treat Quinn is through research. We have signed Quinn up to be part of a trial to learn about the impact of chemotherapy on her organs. At the beginning, you think ‘right let’s just get rid of this cancer’ but then you realise these drugs are having a huge impact on her body. Whatever we can do to help the researchers find out more about that, we will do.’’

Cancer researcher at Children’s Medical Research Institute, Dr Daniel Bucio-Noble, has participated in Great Cycle Challenge for the last three years and greatly appreciates the Australian public’s support.

“It has been a great channel to raise funds for cancer research but also to communicate to wider audience the work that we do at Children’s Medical Research Institute to combat cancer,’’ Dr Bucio-Noble said.

“Our institution depends greatly on funding from the community. The work that we do in the lab is very important to understand this disease, and it would be impossible without the support of the Great Cycle Challenge. We are very thankful for that.’’

The Great Cycle Challenge can be done anywhere, anytime throughout October! You can hit the road or do it inside on an exercise bike. You choose how many kilometres you aim to ride and how much money you’d like to raise to help kids like Quinn.

Register at greatcyclechallenge.com.au

Following the recent federal election which returned the Labor party to power for the first time in 9 years, focus turned to the question of what changes the government was likely to make to the existing workplace and industrial relations landscape.

During the election campaign, federal Labor promised to focus on increasing worker protections (including workers in the ‘gig economy’), simplifying the enterprise bargaining system, improving workplace productivity, and increasing immigration pathways for skilled workers.

In advance of announcements about these changes, the government held a Job and Skills Summit on 1 and 2 September 2022. The summit was attended by representatives from a range of stakeholders including the government, business/industry, and trade unions.

Areas of Focus

The areas of focus of the summit (and its resulting outcomes) consisted of:

• a better skilled, better trained workforce
• addressing skills shortages and strengthening the migration system
• boosting job security and wages, and creating safe, fair and productive workplaces
• promoting equal opportunities and reducing barriers to employment
• maximising jobs and opportunities in our industries and communities

Within each of these areas, summit attendees considered potential immediate outcomes, areas for further work, and complementary existing commitments.

Flagged Industrial Relations Changes

Of these specific areas of focus, a substantial majority of the summit was dedicated to the highly contentious and political subjects of workplace protections and industrial relations. As expected, the summit resulted in limited consensus on these subjects.

Despite this lack of consensus, the government proclaimed the summit a success, and announced the following immediate and forthcoming workplace and industrial relations changes.

Enterprise Agreements

In the area of industrial relations, the government announced plans to implement the following immediate changes to the existing enterprise bargaining system within the Fair Work Act:

• simplifying the procedures involved in bargaining and approving enterprise agreements;
• removing unnecessary complexity around the Better Off Overall Test (BOOT);
• empowering the Fair Work Commission to provide practical assistance to parties during the bargaining process; and
• simplifying the process for terminating enterprise agreements that have passed their nominal expiry dates.

Workplace Protections

In addition to these planned enterprise agreement changes, the government also announced plans to immediately introduce the following workplace protections into the Fair Work Act:

• greater rights for employer bargaining representatives and union delegates;
• improved access to flexible working arrangements and unpaid parental leave;
• stronger adverse action, discrimination and harassment protections.

Beyond the immediate introduction of these planned protections, the government announced further future plans to:

• introduce a federal ‘unfair contract’ jurisdiction; and
• implement further improvements to the modern awards system and the National Employment Standards.

Complementary Existing Commitments

The above proposed changes have been announced in light of complementary existing commitments and recent legislative changes, including:

• criminalising wage theft;
• prohibiting pay secrecy clauses, and a corresponding statutory right for employees to disclose their remuneration;
• introducing an objective statutory test for determining whether work is casual or part-time;
• establishing a right to superannuation within the National Employment Standards; and
• extending the jurisdiction and powers of the Fair Work Commission to hear disputes involving ‘employee-like types of work (e.g. workers in the gig economy).

Next Steps

As most, if not all, of the announced changes are legislative in nature, business and industry will need to wait for relevant legislation to be introduced into parliament before the nature and scope of the changes can be clearly ascertained.

Nevertheless, it is anticipated that many of the changes are likely to be reasonably worker-friendly, and that they will pass both houses of parliament with the support of the cross-bench.

Whether the changes result in an increase in enterprise bargaining remains to be seen.

In anticipation of these changes, employers and businesses generally should:

• closely monitor news and industry updates for further reporting about new workplace and industrial relations legislation as it is introduced; and
• seek professional legal advice as such legislation is introduced, particularly in relation to potential compliance issues as between the terms of the legislation and the contents of existing contracts, policies and procedures.

Questions/Assistance

If you have any questions in respect of the above or would like any other employment related assistance, please contact the Matthews Folbigg Workplace Solutions employment law team:

DISCLAIMER: This article is provided to readers for their general information and on a complimentary basis. It contains a brief summary only and should not be relied upon or used as definitive or complete statement of the relevant law.

Liability limited by a scheme approved under Professional Standards Legislation

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