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1
One girl’s journey to save her memory
…before it’s too late!
2
Lily: Nihao! (That’s Chinese for hello!) My name is 3221491
but you can call me Lily! And I’d like to…

3
Lily: …Welcome you to my pseudo Role Playing Game!!!!
Huhray!! Woohoo!! *the crowd goes wild!!*

4
Lily: Shall we begin our adventure?
Lets GO!
5
 I don’t
remember
anything!

Lily: Recently, I contracted anemenesia*, a rare form of

amnesia. In a desperate attempt to save my memory, I’m
out to record my local area. Join me before it’s too late!
*true fiction 6
Lily: Embedded within this game are wooden mannequins.
They have letters written on them. Collect them all and
answer the mystery question at the end!

7
 1995 2007

Lily: I have lived in Ashfield for over ten years. Ashfield is located
around eight kilometres from Sydney CBD (Ashfield Municipal Council 2007).
It has a distinctive identity compared to its neighbouring
suburbs. Ashfield is a characteristically residential inner-west
suburb with pockets of industrial and commercial development.
8
Lily: Ashfield is also ranked 4th in diversity in NSW (Ashfield Municipal Council
2007). Most people live in peace and harmony with each other. I

think Ashfield is a good example of tolerance, acceptance and

achieve social cohesion at work in a heterogeneous society.
9
Lily: My family likes living here mainly because of the shopping
and travelling conveniences, the established Chinese
community and the friendly neighbours. With these
conveniences comes the disbenefit of high council rates.
10
Lily: Refer to the map of Ashfield. We will start in Ashfield
town centre.
11
Lily: By far the most prominent physical quality in Ashfield is its
town centre on Liverpool Road and Hercules Street. 12
Lily: This retail strip provides most of Ashfield’s services and
employment. This is good because...
13
Lily: …it is reassuring to know that if anything is needed urgently, it
can be obtained quickly.
14
 Q, U

Lily: Ashfield town centre is also where I had my first job as tutor at
James An Coaching College.
15
Lily: The town centre has undergone extensive renewal over the last
five years. The once bleak and dilapidated Hercules Street now
has paved kerb sides, newly planted tress, a statue and street
furniture. 16
Lily: Ashfield Town centre also recently upgraded its street-side
bins and cleaned up graffiti after a damning article in the
local newspaper about the dirty state of Ashfield.
17
Lily: Ashfield mall is a modest 3-storey building located in the heart
of Ashfield town centre. It is minutes away from Ashfield station
and bus stops, with plenty of car park.
18
Lily: The mall covers most of the communities’ needs.

19
Lily: Space in front of the mall often used by people who come from
inside the mall as a meeting point. Also used by charity donation
collectors. 20
Lily: The user pattern varies greatly with the time of the day. In
general, the elderly come to the mall during the weekdays,
middle age and young families during weekends, and
young people and/or students at night.
21
Lily: A significant change to the mall in recent years is the installation
of very fast lifts. As well the mall has opened stores which
seems serves a niche market such as EB Games. 22
Lily: I feel that Ashfield mall acts as a community centre, with people often
stop for a chat. I always see the same faces so there is a sense of
mutual friendship and trust between people. I feel very at ease
shopping here. The mall is almost like a second home because it is
here that I get almost 90% of my foods, clothes, books and more.
23
 Council Chambers

Lily: Adjoining Ashfield Mall is the non-descript beige Council

Building and Ashfield library. Being close to the mall has the
advantage for the council not to provide extra car spaces. 24
 The under used meeting
area
Lily: The disadvantage is that the Council reception entry way is
almost hidden and thus hard to find, and quite meeting area next
to the entry way is almost unused. Recently in conjunction with
the Mall, Ashfield Council submitted plans for a building
upgrade (Ashfield Municipal 2007). 25
 Click

Lily: The most prominent feature of the council building is its town
hall. Public meetings, youth events, local drama production,
community festivals and senior gatherings are all held here.
26
Lily: In recent years, Ashfield Council seems to be marketing its arts
qualities with programs such as Arts in Residence (Ashfield Municipal
Council 2007), murals throughout the town centre and poem placards

surrounding the council building. 27

 My mum with the
then Mayors of
Ashfield

Lily: Two key events in my life involved my local Council.

Firstly, it was in the Council Townhall that my family and
I officially became citizens in 2000.
28
 Me and my team selling our
products at my high school fete

Lily: Secondly, I was part of a Council sponsored business

program called Young Achievers Australia (YAA) helped
me to become a more dynamic and outgoing person.
29
Lily: Ashfield Library is a place that was with me at every stage
of my growth.
30
Lily: It has helped me learn English, complete school
assignments and act as a nice retreat from the hustle and
bustle of Ashfield town centre.
31
Lily: During the day, the main library users are retirees and the
unemployed. It is very quiet, with not a lot of people.
After school, the library becomes busy as it gets flooded
with kids from the local primary schools.
32
Lily: I used to like visiting the library but now I feel the opposite
because it is very small and in my opinion, does not
support the reading needs of its 20 000 residents (2006 Census data).
33
Lily: The only positive aspect is that the library has an extensive
foreign language materials. I think this is important because
close to 50% of the population are born overseas (2006 Census data).
34
 Click

Lily: My wish is to see the library extended so that there are

more books and quiet study areas.
35
 Remnants of the
Italian culture

Lily: Ashfield has an ever-changing socio-cultural identity. The post

World War II years brought an influx of Italian immigrants into
a then almost monoculture Anglo/Irish population (Ashfield Municipal
Council, 2007).
36
Lily: The boom in the Chinese population in the area came
around the early 90s (Ashfield Municipal Council 2007). This correlates
with the time my mum and I came to Australia to join my
dad.
37
 Lots of Chinese
words in the signage

Lily: More specifically, I think that the Chinese living Ashfield

are mainly from Shanghai.
38
Lily: Ashfield is often dubbed “Shanghai Town” because of the dense
cluster of popular Shanghai shops and restaurants in the area,
and the sheer number of Shanghai people that come from all
over Sydney to Ashfield on weekends.
39
 O

Lily: Me being Chinese and from Shanghai, I feel a strong sense

of belonging with Ashfield.
40
Lily: Walking through the town centre feels like being back in
Shanghai because almost everyone around me is talking in the
native tongue. Older migrants often show newly arrived
migrants around Ashfield as a sort of rite of passage in adjusting
to their new life in Australia.
41
Lily: According to Ashfield Council website, there is an emerging
Indian/Bangladeshi population. This sign of cultural change in
Ashfield is evident through the opening of several grocery stores
and restaurants among the Chinese shops on Liverpool Road in
the last few years.
42
 N

Lily: I see this as a threat to the Chinese community. At the

same time, I welcome these stores because they offer
interesting products such as henna skin dye which adds
another layer to Ashfield’s character.
43
Lily: Let’s head East for some education

44
Lily: Ashfield has five education institutions (UBD 2003)- Ashfield
Primary school and Ashfield Boys High east of Ashfield town
centre …
45
Lily: …and private Catholic schools of St Vincent’s Primary School,
De La Salle Boys High and Bethlehem Girls High north of
Ashfield Station.
46
Lily: All five schools have extremely small playground, probably due
to land shortage in the area. Although small, Ashfield Primary
is an important site because it was my first school in Australia.
47
 Me!

Lily: Teachers and fellow students there helped me learn English.

Another memory I have of the school is its uninviting asphalt
playground where running around is an OH&S hazard. (I still
have ugly knee scars to prove this).
48
Lily: Now follow the rail tracks west to Ashfield Station.

49
 Ashfield station

Lily: Ashfield Station is the most important people mover in

Ashfield.
50
 Ashfield station

The station

Lily: During peak hours on weekdays, the station is full of people and
is very busy. Near the station are several large car parks and
numerous bus routes.
51
 Click

Lily: Several years ago, the station underwent an upgrade to its

current modern look. The upgrade included more spacious
interior, lifts, and a brighter, cleaner, safer place to be at during
night times. Perhaps it is for the latter reason that the station has
also a popular meeting place.
52
Lily: Cross the station to the more residential side of Ashfield.

53
Lily: The buildings in Ashfield vary greatly from single
dwelling houses heritage houses to modern large multi-unit
apartments. At some locations it is also possible to see the
Harbour Bridge.
54
Lily: In most areas of Ashfield, the streets are lined with matured trees
that veils the heavily built-up residential developments.
55
Lily: Most developments are well designed thus retaining a
sense of uniformity to the overall streetscape.
56
 (Source of map: Ashfield Municipal Council 2007)

Lily: Until 2000, I also lived in the northeast district of Ashfield. The
1996 Census showed that most of Ashfield’s migrants lived
there because it was close to Ashfield station.
57
 Still in
Ashfield

Me (still in
Ashfield) Moved
to West
Moved to
Ryde Moved to
Burwood
Berala

Lily: This is certainly one of the reasons why my family lived there.
My friends also used to live closed by. We would often go to
each other’s place and play on weekends and holidays. Sadly
however, the housing boom has forced many of them to move
out of Ashfield. 58
Lily: Follow Alt Street, then Chandos Street down to Ashfield
Park
59
 Ashfield Park.

Lily: Ashfield Park is the biggest park in Ashfield (Ashfield Municipal Council
2007). The park has lots of well grown native trees. It has a

public kids play area, a footy field, bicycle tracks,

barbeque area, a nursery and a private lawn bowling area.
60
Lily: For me the park holds precious memories of my childhood.
Countless hours of fun and games lies in this place.

61
Lily: Apart from the occasional high school group and local clubs
using the park as training grounds, weekly Tai Chi group and
mothers with young children, the park does not seem to be
heavily used.
62
Lily: This makes it both a peaceful place to be and also quite
dangerous. However a year Ashfield holds its Carnival of
Cultures in the park.
Picture source: (Ashfield Municipal Council 2007) 63
Lily: This festival celebrates diversity and coming of spring.
There are rides, stalls, international foods, live music and
free fauna for residents. It is always an exciting and a fun
day.
Soucre: Ashfield Council 2005 64
Lily: Ashfield park is currently going through community
consultation about what upgrades are needed to accommodate
the changing character Ashfield.
65
Lily: From the park, turn left onto Parramatta Road

66
 Parramatta Road

Lily: Parramatta Road is boarder of my place that both acts as a route

to other places and one which inhibits travel. Its patronage
varies from private cars to semi trailer trucks to buses.
67
 M4 east
opposition
banners in
2004

Click

Lily: I care a lot about the state of Parramatta Road because it

has been and still is a very important transport route for
me.
68
 G

Lily: On Parramatta Road is a non-descript 461 bus stop. I stood

at this special site rain, hail or shine for 6 consecutive years
because it was the closest and fastest mode of transport to
get to my high school, Fort Street High in Petersham.
69
Lily: I made ‘bus buddies’ which became important friends in my life
and made waiting for buses bearable on the bleak conditions of
Parramatta Road.
70
Lily: Parramatta road also experiences almost daily standstill traffic
congestion during the afternoon peak hours. As well, I perceive
Parramatta Road with its 8 lanes as a physical divide between
Haberfield and Ashfield. 71
Lily: Although I later went to primary school in Haberfield, I never
felt a sense of belonging to the community. I think Parramatta
Road can be partly blames for isolated Haberfield residents.
72
Lily: Come back to my home, have some tea and relax for a
while.
73
 Click

My Street

Lily: My house lies on small no through avenue close to Parramatta

Road. My street has large gum trees, which offer shade in
summer and refuge for native birds, is a stark contrast to the
adjacent barren and concreted Alt Street.
74
 My mum with our
neighbour Lamberto

Lily: There are only 8 neighbours on my street. They range from

young families to retirees. Everyone knows and calls each other
by first names.
75
 A homegrown
loofah in our
backyard

Lily: It feels very much like living in a country village because

everyone helps each other and (annoyingly) knows what they are
up to. We often trade home-grown fruits and vegetables, baby-
sit kids, and offer lifts to the station. 76
 Bunnings
Warehouse
clock tower

Lily: Bunnings Warehouse is located very close to my house. Its

clock tower is a landmark indicating for me that I have
arrived home.
77
Lily: Re-energised? Good. Let’s head uphill along Alt Street!

78
 T,
A

Lily: The quickest way to Ashfield station on foot is through St John’s

Church grounds. To me, this church symbolises the middle
point of my long walk to the station.
79
Lily: Once within its grounds, I mentally feel that I have reached the
half way point. (This helps when I am running late in the
mornings).
80
Lily: The church also has a cemetery, which I think is scary to cross at
night time. In addition, two years ago there was a rape incident
on the site. I avoid crossing it at night if I can.
81
Lily: Phew! All that walking has made me hot. Let’s go for a
swim! Just walk along Elizabath Street
82
 Aquatic centre

R,T

Lily: Ashfield’s Aquatic Centre is located a fair distance away from

Ashfield town centre and public transport. This facility attracts
people from other suburbs to Ashfield. 83
 The indoor pool

Lily: Recently, the Centre installed a heated indoor pool to the three
existing outdoor pools. Since it’s upgrade, I feel disconnected
from the place because of its modern but seemingly colder
features.
Source: http://www.danpalon.com.au/resource_center/Pics1/Ashfield_Panorama.jpg 84
Lily: Nevertheless, the Centre has been part of my life for many years.
As a child, I loved swimming and made many friends there.
Ashfield pool has also been part of my schooling life with
through swimming lessons and annual swimming carnivals.
85
Q U O N G
T A R T

A business man,
entrepreneur, community
leader, social activist and
politician (City of Sydney 2003).

Lily: This concludes the game. Did you get all the letters? The
question is – which famous 19th Century Chinese lived and
died in Ashfield?
Picture: http://nla.gov.au/nla.pic-an23488394 86
 Future

Lily: Ashfield is a suburb that is constantly under transition. I think

many of the well established second generation Chinese
migrants will move out of Ashfield. I certainly don’t see myself
living here in the long term, though I may come back one day.
87
Lily: I think the Indian/Bangladeshi community become the next
dominate community. I also believe that the gentrification
process which is already happening in the Inner-West suburbs
closer to the City will very soon affect Ashfield. 88
Lily: All this will change Ashfield’s character.

89
Lily: No matter what the changes may be though, my connection
with Ashfield will always be strong because this is the
place I grew up in. To me, Ashfield is steeped in
memories. 90
 Bibliography
2003 Sydney & Blue Mountains Street Directory, 2003, Universal Press, Sydney, Map 254
2006 Census QuickStats: Ashfield (State Suburb), 2007, Australian Bureau of Statistics, Austrlia, viewed 8 August
2007,<http://www.censusdata.abs.gov.au/>
Ashfield Panorama, 2006, Danpalon Light Architecture, Australia, viewed 15 August 2007,
<http://www.danpalon.com.au/resource_center/Pics1/Ashfield_Panorama.jpg>
Carnival of Cultures, 2005, Ashfield Municipal Council, Ashfield, viewed 1 August 2007
<http://www.ashfield.nsw.gov.au/carnival/carnival.htm>
Coupe, S and R, 1988, Speed the plough : Ashfield 1788-1988,Ashfield Municipal Council,Ashfield
Demography, 2007, Ashfield Municipal Council, Ashfield, viewed 1 August 2007 <
http://www.ashfield.nsw.gov.au/council/demography.htm>
Digital Collections – Pictures - Portrait of Quong Tart, 1800, National Library of Australia, Australia, viewed 4 August
2007, <http://nla.gov.au/nla.pic-an23488394>
Geography, 2007, Ashfield Municipal Council, Ashfield, viewed 1 August 2007 <
http://www.ashfield.nsw.gov.au/council/geography.htm>
History, 2007, Ashfield Municipal Council, Ashfield, viewed 1 August 2007 <
http://www.ashfield.nsw.gov.au/council/history.htm>
Pratten, C, 1988, A Short Walk Through Ashfield's Past, Ashfield Municipal Council, Ashfield
Profile of the municipality, 2007, Ashfield Municipal Council, Ashfield, viewed 1 August 2007 <
http://www.ashfield.nsw.gov.au/council/profile.htm >
Quong Tart - About Quong Tart, 2003, City of Sydney, Sydney, viewed 4 August 2007,
<http://www.cityofsydney.nsw.gov.au/history/quongtart/>
Tart, Quong - Biographical entry, 2007, Chinese-Australian Historical Images in Australia, Melbourne, viewed 4 August
2007, <http://www.chia.chinesemuseum.com.au/biogs/CH00021b.htm>
unknown, 1999, Ethnic communities within Ashfield, Ashfield Municipal Council, Sydney, viwed 1 August 2007 <
http://www.ashfield.nsw.gov.au/publication_pdfs/socialplan/ethniccommunitiesreport.pdf>

91