Wednesday, October 29, 2025
Technology

It’s the Sydney suburb known for shootings and gangs. Now it’s finding a new identity

“Crime happens everywhere across Sydney, and when something small happens here, it gets a lot of attention,” she says. “What people don’t see is the positive side: the hardworking families, the small businesses, the community centres that help people every day. There’s a lot of good here.” Sitting south of Parramatta, where nearly three-quarters of residents speak a language other than English at home, is a suburb finding a new identity. The old side, shaped by mid-century housing commission homes and waves of migration, is slowly being replaced by families and younger people moving into luxury apartments. One block tells the story. Across from a shopping centre sits a family-owned Lebanese bakery and restaurant, Hrt 2 Hrt. The business has operated from the same location for 30 years, evading development, which has inched right up against its walls.

It’s the Sydney suburb known for shootings and gangs. Now it’s finding a new identity

“Crime happens everywhere across Sydney, and when something small happens here, it gets a lot of attention,” she says. “What people don’t see is the positive side: the hardworking families, the small businesses, the community centres that help people every day. There’s a lot of good here.”

Sitting south of Parramatta, where nearly three-quarters of residents speak a language other than English at home, is a suburb finding a new identity. The old side, shaped by mid-century housing commission homes and waves of migration, is slowly being replaced by families and younger people moving into luxury apartments.

One block tells the story.

Across from a shopping centre sits a family-owned Lebanese bakery and restaurant, Hrt 2 Hrt. The business has operated from the same location for 30 years, evading development, which has inched right up against its walls.

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