🔵 How did Milson get his point?

HEARD THIS WEEK👂

🚧 Why is one of Sydney’s best harbourside parks a perpetual construction site?

Since construction of the Sydney Harbour Tunnel began in the late 1980s, prime North Sydney parkland under the harbour bridge has been occupied by fences, diggers and trucks.

Thirty-four years after the tunnel opened, some North Sydney residents are wondering if they will ever see what was once the south end of Bradfield Park return to public use.

What happened: North Sydney Council came into possession of Bradfield Park in the 1930s, following the construction of the Sydney Harbour Bridge.

Between that project and the construction of the Sydney Harbour Tunnel, the land served as a park. Kirribilli resident Michael Bracka told the Lorikeet many locals still remember this period.

“Some of our community members have photos of the park as it originally was. It was a fully grassed area, a fantastic park”.

The area surrounding the fences and work equipment has now become a sandy wasteland.

Tunnelling begins: When work on the tunnel began, land was entrusted with the state government.

Council describes the situation as “a complex arrangement”. According to Transport for New South Wales, the land under the bridge it uses “remain[s] in the ownership of TfNSW in order to fulfil its obligations under the Roads Act”.

This includes “delivering improvements and maintenance of the Sydney Harbour Bridge”.

Bracka claims that while this occupation has gone on, the community has been left in the dark about the future of their park. “They’re not tearing up any parks on the southern side of the bridge,” he said.

What now: North Sydney Council is seeking a clear timeline from the Minister for Transport, John Graham, detailing when TfNSW might pull down its fences, leave the park and rehabilitate the land.

TfNSW would not confirm to the Lorikeet whether it had a working timeline to leave the site.

A spokesperson told us: “Transport remains committed to balancing the essential maintenance of the Sydney Harbour Bridge with the community's enjoyment of Bradfield Park and will update the community once plans have been confirmed.”

You can read the full piece here, or watch our video breakdown below.

🍺 Where to head for your next happy hour on the North Shore

Reckon we’ve overlooked your favourite watering hole? Send us an email and let us know [email protected].

Casked in Crows Nest

Spritz it up at the Stoned Crow with $10 cocktails. Friday and Saturday 9-11pm. Regular happy hour is 4-6pm weekdays for house beer, wine and spirits.

Taco Tuesdays at Li’l Darlin means $12 margaritas and $6 tacos. On Wednesdays, house beers and wines are $7 from 4pm on.

If it’s a Thursday, head up to the Crows Nest Hotel for $8 pints of Asahi and Stone & Wood, from 5-8pm.

Over at Japanese-style bar Tachinomi YP, you can get an Orion draft for $10. Monday to Thursday 4-6pm and Sunday 12-4pm.

North Sydney, neat

On weekdays at the Union Hotel, you can pick up select beers, house wines and spirits for $7.50. Runs from 5-7pm.

A little further down at the Old Commodore Hotel, happy hour is from 4-6pm on weekdays, and offers $7 house beer, wine and spirits and $12 margaritas.

At the Blues Point Hotel you can get $7 schooners of house beer and $9 house wines from Monday to Thursday 4-6pm.

Hoppy Hornsby

At the Blue Gum Hotel it’s 20 percent off all drinks from 4-6pm on weekdays.

Over at the Hornsby Railway Hotel, you can get a schooner of house beer for $6.50 between 4-5pm on weekdays and 2pm – 3pm on weekends. You can also get a plate of Nepalese momos with a house beer for $20 all week.

Read the full piece here.

🛤️ How did Milson get his point?

The modern Milsons Point Train Station opened in 1932, but the story of its name goes back much further.

Watch the full video below.

LOOKING NATIONALLY 👀

📝 Australia's biggest survey is coming. Here's what you need to know

People with philosophy qualifications are more than three times as likely to ride a bike to work than other Australians.

These are the types of juicy morsels we are presented with every five years, as the federal government takes a wide pan on Australia - how many of us there are, how old, where we live, where we came from, how much we earn.

And how many philosopher types pedal to work.

The method for this stickybeaking is the Australian Census, and it helps governments work out where we are heading, and what needs to be done to get there.

More than 30,000 people will be employed to make sure as many residents and visitors as possible fill in the questionnaire on August 11.

Do I have to? Yes. Anyone in Australia on August 11 will have to complete the census, and that includes international visitors.

However, if you're overseas on August 11, you won’t need to complete the survey.

What’s new? This year's census will include for the first time a question about sex recorded at birth and gender. The ABS says the data will support the development and delivery of targeted health and social programs and services.

How many riding coaches? Data from the 2026 Australian Census won’t start being published until June 2027, but some of the things we learnt from the last one in 2021 were:

More than half of Australians (51.5 percent) reported either being born overseas or having a parent who was.

Nearly four in 10 Australians (38.9 percent) said they had no religious affiliation, up from 30.1 percent in 2016.

The number of horse riding coaches had grown from 565 in 2001 to 926 in 2021, a rise of 64 percent.

Read the full story here.