Stories from Queen Street

Celebrating Queen Street, St Marys

Stories from Queen Street is a documentary and photo series that celebrates the vibrant and diverse mixed business shopping precinct of Queen St, St Marys.

Through sharing the stories of six small business owners, the project aims to amplify the voices of local people, celebrating the unique character and social fabric of Queen Street, while capturing the heart of a place in transition. Stories from Queen Street examines the complex life of an area on the cusp of exponential change. With the building of the new Western Sydney Airport and north-south metro link, St Marys is set to double its population over the next 20 years and is fast becoming a strategic centre. This project builds upon a legacy of socially engaged art projects in St Marys and wider Penrith community led by Penrith Regional Gallery. Stories from Queen Street was developed in response to the exhibition ‘Between Urgency and Leisure’ which presents key photographic works from the gallery collection, each capturing important moments in the social history of Penrith, such as Tracksuits of St Marys, by artists Harold David, and Outside the Stadium, by artist Lyndal Irons.

A Penrith Regional Gallery project, in collaboration with CuriousWorks and artist Karlina Mitchell, supported by the Penrith City Council Magnetic Places grants program.

Participating Businesses: The Big Big Aloha, The Crystal Cafe, Guido’s Hair Care, Lee Nova Haberdashery, Nin Yoga and Rita’s Fashion

Creative Team: Miranda Aguilar, Karlina Mitchell, Diego Murillo, Varuna Naicker, Brittany Nguyen, Hannah Teau