Roslyn Street is buzzing with activity. It has a proud heritage dating back to the early nineteenth century and is part of Australia’s first suburb, Potts Point. It meets Darlinghurst Road at a T-intersection where Mr Barker’s famous landmark windmills once stood. Some of their original huge sandstone blocks were later used to build other buildings nearby in Kellett Street.

It is a boomerang-shaped, one-way street heading east-west and is named after the former Roslyn Hall, a mansion on the site where St Luke’s Hospital is today.

It intersects with Ward Avenue and also creates a minor intersection with Kellet and Barncleuth Lanes.

On the southern side on the Darlinghurst Road corner is the Five Star Kebab shop next to the Arani Money Exchange, the Mad Monkeys Backpacker Hostel, the Macleay Street Pizza and the Pad Thai restaurant, itself a local staple for locals since 1992.

An interesting quote by author, poet and artist, James Gleeson  AO (1915 – 2008) is engrailed into the footpath where people can linger longer.

The Jack Rabbit Slims men’s barbershop and Lady Chu French Vietnamese restaurant both sit below a series of apartments above. Opposite, the Lido Suites, a boutique hotel, sits beside the new Queensgate apartments now under construction. Oversized historic photos of the area on the hoardings of the development site provide a retrospective point of interest.

Large London Plane trees opposite provide dappled shade in Summer and golden Autumnal leaves.

On the comer of Kellet Lane is an unusually-shaped building looking like a flower vase designed by Durbach Bloch, Architects. Its facade, which uses a mixture of seemingly randomly applied different-shaped tiles, is designed using an unusual technique called trencadis.

Further along on the northern side are the Barrel One bagel and cheese sandwich shop, Tetas Lebanese Delicatessen with its authentic speciality coffee, Claudio’s Hairdressing Salon, the Piccolo Bar, a local institution since1950s with mosaic entrance tiles and walls festooned with historic photos which is next to Somewhere hair salon – all opposite Kellet Place. The new Paradise boutique bar on the corner of Ward Avenue with its enigmatic black venetian blinds is opening next week. It is an invitation to locals with its wall of wines, Bentwood chairs, French parquet flooring and homely Italian dishes, all made famous by the Challis Avenue Fratelli Paradiso Restaurant brothers. Ballotine de Poulet (stuffed chicken) is a specialty on the daily chalk board.

The little pocket park opposite was created by the former South Sydney Council and incorporates a massive granite boulder installation fronted by tables and black and white umbrellas of the Bloom Italian restaurant and Aperitivo Bar facing the park.

Both its Chef and staff are from Milan, Italy. Things are done here with vivace and Italian flair con brio.

One of their authentic dishes is a  truffle injected Burrata with roasted pumpkin.

Combined with the colourful umbrellas, the relaxed ambience and vista have echos of Piazza Mercanti, a picturesque square in Milan located near the famous cathedral.

Beyond Ward Avenue are 19th century terrace houses, The Cross art + book shop at 33 Roslyn Street, specialising in design and Australian studies, opposite St Luke’s Hospital, the original site of the grand Roslyn Hall after which the street is named.

St Canice’s 19th century sandstone church bookends the street and sits nobly at the approach to Rushcutters Bay Park which fronts picturesque Sydney Harbour.

Roslyn Street is certainly not moribund. It is an active, cherished streetscape and warrants a visit when next ambling around this fascinating neighbourhood.

by Andrew Woodhouse

Heritage Solutions