Birdhouse: Arncliffe

We now settle in for another round of "random Sydney suburbs there's no real reason to write about, and less reason for you to read about". Here's 

Arncliffe

As a suburb Arncliffe, sits a 13 minute train ride southwest from Central, bordering the airport and my first ever suburb, Banksia. 

The other way to get into Arncliffe is to catch a bus to the airport (avoiding those pesky airport train surcharges) and not press the "stop button" because "surely the bus is going to stop at the international terminal already". Well it didn't, I ended up in Arncliffe and Mrs Completing Sydney got mad at me. 

Anyway, this time I arrived by train.

Like many suburbs, the station plops you out in the town centre, and like many suburbs, that town centre is an assorted selection of takeaways and services with a heritagey looking streetscape.

For instance, the first thing you see is this chemist in a reclaimed bank building,

as well as the usual smattering of stores with vintage facades lining the top. 

Heading up the reasonably-treed street, 

reveals more of the same, 

as well as this very cool heritage post office. 

That's one thing I do like about Sydney suburbs. Even when the town centre isn't particularly exciting, it can still be interesting to look at with the old streetscape maintained. 

Anyway, I reached the top of the road, 

and turned right onto the major Forest Road. 

Up here, I found a herbal healer, 

and some anarchist posters. 

I've gotta be honest, I do enjoy me an anarchist poster or two, even if I don't see myself yeeting any billionaires in the near future. 

Anyway, I carried on. 

Past this cute, old house tucked onto the main road, 

I turned off into a side street into suburbia. 

Surprisingly green suburbia too. 

Not unlike many suburbs in the area, out here is a mixture of redeveloped houses, 

and older twentieth century classics. 

They also have this Coptic Church, which is not that notable, 

other than these impressive religious mosaics chilling outside (albeit blocked by cars and fences). 

It turns out that I'd been looking at the back of the building through, because on turning the corner and going around the block, I found its impressive front. No mosaics up here though. 

Across the road from the church is Arncliffe Park. 

This is a pretty park with some paths through it, 

and these cockatoos. 

This one was eating some leaves. 

Caught in the act.

They also have this war memorial, although I'm a little confused by the decision to partially fence it. If you're happy for people to come up to it, why the fence?

The park also features a sporting field which I forgot to photograph because it doesn't interest me. 

Anyway, leaving the park,

returned me to the mean streets of residential Arncliffe. 

Which I continued through,

looking at the weird and wonderful hodgepodge of houses, 

before I reached this street corner. This is where Arncliffe ends and the next suburb begins.

Arncliffe: Anarchists, Copts and cockatoos living in harmony.