#parramatta — Public Fediverse posts

The Parramatta Powerhouse Museum now has an official opening date: Saturday 7 November.

https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/parramatta-powerhouse-opening-date-revealed-20260815-p60okh.html

"Most of the exhibitions held at the new museum will be free, with the opening program of five including a celebration of the world’s aviation and space history, and a major exhibition chronicling the evolution of shopping centres.

"With a construction price tag of $915 million, plus pre-opening expenses including a documentary on its opening costing about $1.7 million, the building on the banks of the Parramatta River is one of the most significant new museum projects in the world. The opening comes more than a decade after plans for the western Sydney museum were announced in 2015."

#Parramatta #NSW #Australia #Museum #art #culture #WesternSydney

Heads up to vinyl collectors around Parramatta and in Western Sydney.

There's a vinyl and retro market in Parra Square, on Saturday 15 August, from 10am to 4pm:

"Bringing together the best collectors, dealers and creatives for a one-day celebration of all things retro and collectable, right in the heart of Parramatta. A must for music and vintage lovers, this market is packed with vinyl crates, rare retro finds, music memorabilia and delicious food, with live DJs spinning tracks across the day in a buzzing, high-energy atmosphere."

https://atparramatta.com/whats-on/parramatta-vinyl-retro-market

Parra Square is also home to Beatdisc Records, which is definitely worth checking out for anyone coming along....

#vinyl #CD #music #audio #DVD #Sydney #Parramatta #NSW #Australia

Tickets are now on sale for Parramatta Open on 29 August, and the list of buildings that are open to the public has been officially announced.

And it looks like an especially great day out for anyone interested in Australian history:

https://www.parramattaopen.com.au/

First, there's an impressive list of all-day events, as well as talks and experiences that are planned.

They include the chance to ring the church bells at St John’s Anglican Cathedral, tours of the holding cells at the Sydney West Trial Courts, a Fijian choir performance, tours of one of Australia's oldest colonial cemeteries, and history talks:

https://www.parramattaopen.com.au/talks-tours/

Given Parra is Australia's second-oldest colonial settlement after Sydney, and Australia's original seat of colonial government, there's a *lot* of early colonial buildings to explore (along with some newer ones).

The buildings that will be open to the public include:

Governor Lachlan Macquarie's dairy: https://www.parramattaopen.com.au/program/building/the-dairy-and-rangers-cottages/

The home of Australia's early colonial governors, including Captain Arthur Philip: https://www.parramattaopen.com.au/program/building/old-government-house/

The 44th floor showroom at LG's Australian headquarters: https://www.parramattaopen.com.au/program/building/6-8-parramatta-square/

One of Australia's oldest boarding schools for girls: https://www.parramattaopen.com.au/program/building/brigid-shelly-building-our-lady-of-mercy-college-parramatta/

The Lancer Barracks and Museum, home to the famous WW1 light horse brigade: https://www.parramattaopen.com.au/program/building/nsw-lancer-barracks-and-museum/

The Parramatta Female Factory, which was a labour site for female convicts who were sent to Australia. It was later repurposed as one of the country's first asylums:
https://www.parramattaopen.com.au/program/building/parramatta-female-factory/

And also St John's Anglican Cathedral, which is Australia's oldest currently-used church:
https://www.parramattaopen.com.au/program/building/st-johns-anglican-cathedral/

There's a host of other buildings on the program here: https://www.parramattaopen.com.au/program/

#aushistory #history #Parramatta #NSW #Australia #events #auspol

Looks like Parramatta is getting its own open day event this year, following similar successful events in the Melbourne and Sydney CBDs:

"The one-day event will take place on Saturday 29 August, offering visitors rare access, expert insights and new ways to experience the places that have shaped Parramatta’s past, present and future.

"Sixteen buildings and spaces will be open across the Parramatta CBD and surrounds, including the UNESCO World Heritage-listed Old Government House, Australia’s oldest surviving public building.

"Architectural highlights in the program include award-winning buildings Phive, designed by Design Inc, and Lacoste and Stevenson, with French firm Manuelle Gautrand Architecture, and Parramatta Aquatic Centre, designed by Grimshaw with Andrew Burges Architects and McGregor Coxall."

https://architectureau.com/articles/new-parramatta-open-event-set-to-debut-in-august/

Tickets available here on Tuesday 21 July: https://www.sydneyopen.com.au/

#Parramatta #NSW #Australia

@vandenberglegs @ajsadauskas It looks like the ICAC inquiry into everyone's favourite property developer is officially on.

Among other things, the inquiry will look at Mr Nassif's alleged friendship with former NSW State Premier Dominic Perrottet's brothers, Jean-Claude abd Charles Perrottet:

"The Independent Commission Against Corruption has announced a blockbuster public inquiry in its long-running investigation into Sydney property developer Jean Nassif’s links to Liberal Party figures, councils and Catholic schools.

"The watchdog on Wednesday confirmed that chief executive of Catholic Schools NSW Dallas McInerney, Nassif, hotelier and banned political donor Michael O’Hara, and “certain Strathfield councillors” would feature in the long-awaited inquiry.

"In a statement, the ICAC said it would probe whether Liberal party figures, including Christian Ellis, Jeremy Greenwood, Robert Assaf and Jean-Claude Perrottet (the younger brother of former premier Dominic Perrottet) “solicited or accepted political donations, including from prohibited donors, in amounts that were not declared and exceeded applicable donation caps”.

"It is alleged that this scheme was designed to recruit party members or renew their memberships.

"ICAC will also investigate whether between 2020 and 2023, political donations were made by or on behalf of Nassif and his company Toplace, which are prohibited donors under the Electoral Funding Act 2018 (NSW), and were “solicited or accepted” by Ellis, Jeremy Greenwood and Charles Perrottet, another brother of the former premier.

"It has been alleged that these donations were to do “damage to the political career” of the former police minister David Elliott MP and the removal of the then-building commissioner, David Chandler OAM, from public office.

"Catholic Schools NSW has also been drawn into the inquiry, with allegations that the organisation made political donations which McInerney – a long time right-wing Liberal powerbroker – “arranged and approved” to recruit members to the party."

https://www.smh.com.au/politics/nsw/icac-reveals-long-awaited-inquiry-into-liberals-councils-and-catholic-schools-20251119-p5ngm6.html

#auspol #nswpol #capitalism #politics #WesternSydney #Parramatta #australia

UNSW has announced it's going to open a new campus in Parramatta.

"In a major milestone to strengthen tertiary education in Western Sydney, UNSW Sydney has announced its plan to extend its presence in Parramatta, having just signed a new lease as part of the expansion.

"Over 10 years, more than $65 million will be invested in a multi-faculty campus in Parramatta which will accommodate up to 350 students daily."

"The first offering at the expanded Parramatta location will be in 2027, a Juris Doctor postgraduate program delivered by UNSW’s Law & Justice. The faculty is the highest-ranking Law and Legal Studies program in Sydney, say the QS and Times Higher Education rankings."

https://www.unsw.edu.au/newsroom/news/2026/06/unsw-to-invest-65m-for-new-campus-in-parramatta

#UNSW #Parramatta #NSW #WesternSydney #Australia #education #highered #uni #university

Kids, don't send sensitive emails from your work account...

But seriously, it sounds like Parramatta City Council was a seriously toxic work environment.

"Former Parramatta Council boss Gail Connolly has admitted to lying to the lord mayor and was accused of sending a false report to the corruption watchdog, as her appearance at an anti-corruption inquiry came to an end.

"On Connolly’s seventh and final day as a witness at the Independent Commission Against Corruption, the sacked Parramatta chief executive was accused of “historical revisionism” as she explained the reason she sent an anonymous email she wrote purporting to expose fraud and corruption at the council.

"Under cross-examination from the council’s barrister, Arthur Moses, SC, Connolly was asked about an email sent to the lord mayor at the time, who asked if she had seen the anonymous email. She told the mayor she had not.

"'You lied to the lord mayor,' Moses asked.

"'That’s correct.'

"Connolly was also accused of lying to the ICAC when she referred concerns to the watchdog about “fraud and corruption” by former staffer turned council candidate Justin Mulder. Moses said she misled the ICAC in several ways, including that she did not identify herself as the author of the anonymous email.

"The ICAC’s public inquiry had been slated for four weeks but stretched into week six. It is investigating whether former Parramatta staff members, central among them Connolly, misused public funds by having staff leave through deeds of release (agreements made between staff and the council upon a departure), subverted the council’s recruitment and other processes, disclosed confidential information to third parties, and spied on staff and a councillor.
...
"Moses accused Connolly of trying to use the anonymous email to undermine Mulder’s campaign for the council, and to drive a wedge between him and councillor Kellie Darley. Connolly denied this.

"Moses asked if the email was designed to undermine his candidacy given his position on the council could have attempted the make-up of votes in the event of a plan to terminate her employment; Connolly denied this.

"Moses then asked what Connolly meant on Tuesday when she claimed Darley had been working in “collaboration” with The Sydney Morning Herald (in fact, Connolly said there was “collusion”).
...
"Connolly later said she had all City of Parramatta email accounts, including those of councillors and 1200 employees, searched by the council’s IT department in an effort to find if anyone had been leaking information to the Herald. She agreed she did not inform councillors of the search before conducting it."

https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/icac-operation-navarra-live-sacked-parramatta-council-ceo-faces-cross-examination-20260617-p607gs.html

#auspol #politics #Parramatta #nsw #australia #workplace #LocalGovernment #Government