Named after the colonial-era surgeon William Redfern, Redfern lies just south of Sydney’s CBD. It’s renowned for its fine Victorian terraces and sporting clubs, with both the South Sydney Rabbitohs and the Redfern All Blacks based here. Redfern was once a hub for migrant communities who made it their first home in Australia and has retained its cultural richness with global eateries and eclectic bars.
Things to do in Redfern
Stroll through Redfern to admire its historic buildings, such as the Old Redfern Post Office and the Victorian Regency-style Redfern Town Hall. Also of note is the Redfern Court House, with its rendered brick facade designed in a Federation style by the government architect Walter Liberty Vernon. Among the colonial buildings are vibrant street art murals, including an iconic painting by Blak Douglas on the side of the Redfern Community Centre.
Redfern is home to the New South Wales Mounted Police, who run guided tours of their facilities and on-site museum. Learn about the daily life and running of the stables as you meet the friendly troop horses and hear about the training that’s required of the mounted police.
Interested in Australia’s Indigenous heritage? Pay a visit to the Yerrabingin Rooftop Farm, a sprawling urban farm that draws on Aboriginal knowledge and native permaculture. Since being established in April 2019, it’s grown to include around 2,000 plants that include warrigal greens, sea figs and saltbush.
Getting around Redfern
Redfern is 10 minutes' drive from Sydney’s CBD and 15 minutes from Sydney Airport, with buses connecting to destinations across the city. Trains come and go from the Redfern railway station on the western edge of the suburb and most of the area’s sights can be explored on foot from here.