“Even though it was ugly, it had this kind of beauty shining through.”
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
The creator of The Vault cabaret, Anne-Louise Rentell has made it her passion to showcase the charm Port Kembla has to offer, and prove its days of riff-raff are long over.
Saturday saw the first of a series of walking tours she has planned to highlight the rich history and warm community spirit of her favourite steel town.
“I’m not an expert, I just love it,” she said.
“It’s about going looking for things or discovering things that you don’t expect to be beautiful, or surprising in places that other people might have neglected or dismissed.”
The sold-out tours take groups from one end of Wentworth Street to the other with “conversations” about the history and people along the way.
“I definitely found beauty in Wentworth Street … and it’s not to ignore some of those less savoury elements with the street because I think they form part of that picture.
“But I think too much focus has been on that instead of what it has to offer.”
The often ignored historic architecture of different buildings was highlighted amid old memories some members of the group offered to share.
“Architecture is like a time capsule, it shows a journey of discovery for Port Kembla,” said Rentell.
Stories of buying “a penny’s worth of smashed biscuits” in a giant tin from the former JG Fairley’s Universal Provider was swapped with tales of when the dream building later became a furniture store.
Talk of the “six o’clock swill” was joked about when standing at the foot of the Steelworks Hotel - that was the time when you’d want to go home to get out of harm’s way.
Participant Dawn reminisced about her husband working at the old telephone exchange in the building next to Mac’s Pie Factory, while others told of how Maritime Union officers would often march down the street with their flags held high.
Art was another clear theme to wind its way through the street, with mosaics and sculptures noted to add to the landscape, as well as a hidden wall mural of the town tucked behind a shed belonging to NASA Batteries.
Stepping inside the Duck Print Workshop, owner Tom Goulder spoke of his love for the town and why he relocated from Sydney 16 years ago.
The fine art printer is one of about 12 in the country, with a niche market for his services. The big city eventually became too expensive to house his business.
When driving down to the coastal suburb around to share his new found love with Sue, he took a turn through the steelworks on Military Road.
“She started crying,” Goulder laughed. “I said ‘just wait til we get to the main street’. She [hesitantly] said ‘okay’, then I said wait til we get to the beach. She saw the water and said ‘when are we moving’?”
Rentell is yet to set dates for upcoming tours, but with the success of Saturday it has boosted her confidence that others will share in her love for her favourite steel town.