Sydenham Station Creative Hub

Yesterday I attended a talk about the "Sydenham Station Creative Hub" at Batch Brewing Company. This is a proposal to form a creative precinct in the industrial area adjacent to Sydenham Railway Station, to the South West of Sydney's CBD. Council staff talked about the proposed precinct, followed by the brewers on the difficulties of starting a business, and a tasting of the brews.

Being initiated by local government, the Sydenham Creative Hub is essentially a land planning activity. It is proposed to keep the current general industrial zoning, while allowing restaurants, cafes, bars and businesses:

"... but only where the consent authority is satisfied that the business premises and/or office premises will be used for a creative purpose such as media, advertising, fine arts and craft, design film and television, music, publishing, performing arts, cultural heritage institutions or other related purposes...".

What seems to be lacking from the plan is any concept of how to attract or support businesses, apart from helping with planning approval. There do not appear to be any targets for the project attracting business. I suggest the project needs a plan, with a budget and a projection it will be revenue positive for the council within a realistic time-frame.

The Council might want to also involve some local business students in working on aspects of the project beyond zoning. Also a workshop to work out a better name than the "Sydenham Station Creative Hub" (or just drop "Station"). The Council might also catalog the vocational training available in the area: brewers and other creative need training and certification.

ps:  John Whelan, of the Inner West Council Economic Development Unit proved that this local council can, literally, organize a drinking session in a brewery. ;-)

Wayward Brewery Opened in Sydney Inner West

Greetings from the opening of Wayward Brewery in  Sydney's inner west. While the brewery is new, beverage making is not new to the area. The brewery is housed in the old cellar of a wine merchants and the brick wine tanks have been turned into comfortable space for patrons (retaining the wax lined walls). The Leichhardt Fringe Fast Art Competition is being judged in the brewery. Jamie Parker MP for the area and Cr Darcy Byrne Mayor of Leichardt.

Goulburn Brewery

Greetings from the "Goulburn Brewery", or more properly "BRADLEY GRANGE", an historic site near Canberra. This is claimed to be Australia’s oldest surviving brewery complex, with a building claimed to be designed by colonial architect Francis Greenway. Some beer is still brewed on site. Comfortable accommodation is available in the former brewer's cottages. The Maudslay Beam Steam Engine, which operated the mill at the brewery, is now at the Power House Museum in Sydney (it would be good if this could be returned).

The book "Remembering the first time : Francis Howard Greenway at work in Australia" Michael O'Halloran, 2006), gives some history of the
Goulburn Brewery buildings and argues the case for Francis Greenway being the architect.

Boutique Brewery Opens at ANU in Canberra

The Wig and Pen (W&P) Boutique Brewery has reopened in the foyer of the Australian National University School of Music, after some controversy. The W&P had to relocate from Civic (a few hundred metres away from the new location) due to redevelopment of the site. The new locaiton is in what was the "green room" of Llewellyn Hall, where musicians prepared for their performance.

One of the distinctive doors from the old W&P has been retained at the new location, but the bar currently is a little lacking in atmosphere, it is just one big square room.  This should improve with the accretion of posters on the walls advertising musical performances.

The W&P's award winning beer is on tap. I had an excellent low alcohol beer. I suggest W&P investigate a 0.5% " non-alcoholic beer. This could be popular with the thousands of nearby public servants, who are being discouraged from drinking at lunch time, as well as those who avoid acholocol for cultuyral and health reasons.

The selection of food on offer at W&P is limited at present (schnitzels, fish and burgers). AI had a hamburger and chips, which arrived promptly and was good. The conversation was about solar panel monitoring using Linux computers and the application of quantum physics to the functioning o0f the human brain (as befits a university pub).

The new W&P is well worth a visit.

University Graduate Can Organise a Brewery for a Booze Up

There is an old saying "They could not organise a booze up in a brewery", but this does not apply to the Australian National University Alumni, which managed to do just that last night. Graduates of the university met in the Zierholz Premium Brewery, established by ANU graduate Christoph Zierholz. Christopher provided a tour of the brewing facilities last night and a tasting of the beers. My favourite was the  Porter – Zugtrompete, a rich dark beer for a cold Canberra evening, accompanied by the Crackling Roast Pork Belly. The next ANU Alumni Event in Canberra is the ANU Alumni Career Forum, 29 May. There are also events at the Tate Modern Gallery London, Melbourne, New York and San Francisco.  If you are not an ANU graduate, get someone who is to bring you as their guest.

Ultrasonic Wine Barrel Cleaner

One of the more specalised Australian hi-tech exports is the "Cavitus Wine Barrel Cleaner". This uses sounds waves to remove deposits from used wine barrels and kill microorganisms in the wood. They also produce an "Ultrasonic Defoaming System" to allow beer cans to be filled more quickly by suppressing the head. R&D for this is carried out at University of South Australia.