Dominic Knight is here recording a documentary for his Sunday morning program on ABC Sydney 702. The ex-Chaser man has asked Addi Road CEO Rosanna Barbero for “a royal tour” and he is now absorbing just how varied and dynamic the community centre is.
Rosanna shows him everything from the Hellenic Art Theatre to Radio Skid Row 88.9FM, the old World War One and Two huts that house so many artists and organisations here, the Bush Music Club, our new residents Marrickville Legal Centre, and our Gumbramorra Hall, converted into a Food Relief Hub servicing and feeding the community since COVID hit and lockdowns began last year.
Out on Gumbramorra Green, Rosanna paints a picture of “where the Vikings have their battles”, not to mention our recent Street Paws Festival for our furry friends. By the time Dominic is meeting our volunteers outside our Addi Road Food Pantry, the scope of the place is becoming more than apparent to him. “This place is just incredible. I heard about Addi Road through the food relief program and the hampers you were doing, but I had no idea how big it was and everything that was here.”
It’s a bit of a challenge to picture in sound and words, he laughs. “I’m going to have a lot of editing to do after this!”
At nine acres, with around 170 trees on the grounds, Addi Road’s essential nature as an open and green community space – and a respite from what Dominic describes as “yet more apartments being built” – is that much more obvious and urgent to preserve and respect post-COVID. The health and well-being of the community bound up in our actions and a genuine sense of place.
As Dominic Knight walks away he thanks everyone, still absorbing the world that exists here. We call out after him that we have a hundred more things we can show him! “Another day,” he says, smiling. “I’ll have to come back. There are so many stories here.”
Dominic Knight’s half-hour story on Addi Road will be broadcast on ABC Radio SYDNEY 702 at 11.30am, Sunday, 21 November.