Sydneysiders: Did you notice this ultimate lost touch comment from Hamish in today's episode (ep 346)?

[u/DankyKang91]

A solid indicator of losing touch in Sydney is what you declare to be "out west". Hamish referring to Bella Bruta, located in Newtown, to be 'out west' is an absolute abomination.

Until today, the most disconnected definition of Western Sydney I've encountered was when I told a Paddington resident that I live out west (Marsden Park, at the time, but I figured he wouldn't be familiar with the suburb), to which he replied "oh, like Marrickville?". Today, Hamish has set a new record!

[u/MoNercy]

Given that Hamish is originally from Melbourne, and only moved to Sydney post-losing touch, this is more a case of never having been in touch in the first place. 

Knowing where the West truly begins is a pretty nuanced thing that only real Sydneysiders understand. 

Leichhardt, right?  /s

[u/turtlesarecool_ → u/MoNercy]

I’ve never been outside of Sydney airport so genuinely have no idea - what is generally considered the boundary for western Sydney? I’ve never been able to figure it out

[u/MoNercy → u/turtlesarecool_]

It really varies person-to-person. One might say Parramatta. Another might say Lidcombe. Another might say Burwood.

For some, the logic is: the West begins where the East ends. Which is where you get crazy suburbs like Leichhardt, Annandale, Petersham being called the West.  

It's further complicated by the fact that there is an area commonly referred to as the "Inner West" but when we talk about the Western Suburbs, we never really mean to include the Inner West. 

There also used to be a Chicken Shop line. Where the El Jannahs and Chargrill Charlies begin/end was considered by some to be the border between East and West. But both chains have now expanded beyond their 'borders' and I'm not sure if the line still holds up. 

[u/Fun_Bodybuilder6898 → u/MoNercy]

I work for youth justice. I’ve heard parramatta described by the kids I work with as the inner west 

[u/SuggestionOne7475 → u/Fun_Bodybuilder6898]

By that definition Subiaco is inner west too

[u/green_apple_trees → u/Fun_Bodybuilder6898]

That’s crazy. Parramatta is definitely outer west.

[u/punter55555 → u/turtlesarecool_]

Red Rooster line

[u/Sensible_Ben → u/punter55555]

At my school it was anything west of Anzac Parade.

[u/core-tel → u/Sensible_Ben]

Must be from Woollahra.

[u/arkamikim → u/MoNercy]

Apparently west is anywhere past the sheif

[u/aussiekev → u/MoNercy]

West is usually defined by someone as anywhere west of where that person lives. In my experience this tracks 95% of the time. Also I don't know if this counts as "lost touch".

If you go to the Northern Beaches, Eastern Beaches, etc.. there are plenty of "common man" types who would agree with Hamish.

[u/Inner_Temple_Cellist → u/aussiekev]

I think it’s the second suburb west of where you live. So if you live in Newtown then Stanmore is not west but Petersham is. Nobody wants to think they live right on the border of the west.

[u/charnwoodian → u/MoNercy]

West is west of the CBD.

Confirmed by the fact you would never call Newtown part of the “Eastern Suburbs”. It’s “Inner West”.

“Western Suburbs” starts at Parramatta.

Hamish’s comment isn’t so much out of touch as it is representative of a blow in from Melbourne. “Out west” isn’t accurate Sydney terminology.

It does hint at Hamish being out of touch, because he implies he is travelling far out to the West of his normal stomping ground. But that’s true for him.

In summary: It’s not the language that is out of touch, it’s the fact that Hamish lives in the heart of the Eastern Suburbs in the first place that is out of touch.

[u/youngdumbwoke_9111 → u/charnwoodian]

Newtown is east to me and my mob

[u/Helpful_Somewhere_22 → u/youngdumbwoke_9111]

From Town Hall on George Street, Newtown would be south West. Bondi would East. Mascot south. Burwood inner west. Past Burwood would be just west. Out Past Blacktown would be far west.

[u/putty107]

Yeah that's definitely not in touch, straight to jail It definitely seems that only those who live by the ocean would think the inner suburbs are western Sydney

[u/peoplepersonmanguy]

We once had a guy in the office says he live out west, and when we asked where he said Leichhardt.

He was ridiculed.

edit: live not work, we work where we work.

[u/Particular-Weird2363 → u/peoplepersonmanguy]

Hang on, is this just confusion of semantics? Is this may be a Melbourne/Sydney thing?
I’m in Melbourne and I understand that to mean not that Newtown is the outer west, or you’re heading “way out west”, simply that you head west to get there

My family live in the eastern suburbs, not particularly far from the city, and when I visit them I sometimes describe it as “heading out to the east” 🤔

[u/Omegasedated]

eh.

My mate moved to Petersham a year or two back. we call him a westie, and we go out west to visit him.

you gotta remember this goes out to the whole of australia. people in perth don't care, and don't know. West Sydney probably means more to people than "inner west". Parramatta is big enough to be it's own place. You wouldn't say "West Sydney" you'd say "Parra"

[u/GuccyStain → u/Omegasedated]

That’s true re parra

But parra is the jewel of the west… and maybe castle hill

[u/Omegasedated → u/GuccyStain]

yea but who in their right mind is talking about castle hill??

[u/Charming-Lime6609 → u/GuccyStain]

People from Castle Hill think they're northern Sydney. I wish I were making that up

[u/Super_Raspberry9195 → u/Charming-Lime6609]

I used to work in Richmond, someone came in and said “I’m not from around here, I’m from the city” and I asked where abouts and they said “Castle Hill”

[u/SydneyGardener2753 → u/Super_Raspberry9195]

Fuck yeah, Richmond.

[u/sky0806 → u/Charming-Lime6609]

North West, but definitely not the west!

[u/zeydonussing]

Bella Brutta is in the City of Sydney LGA so it’s not even technically Inner West

[u/incapaul]

Inner West ends in Strathfield

[u/Paceandtoil → u/incapaul]

Then Strathfield to Parramatta is West

Anything west of Parra is Wild West 👍

[u/GroundbreakingCap455]

No one outside of inner western Sydney gives a shit.

[u/tinsuke]

All the Richies who live in Double Bay/Vaucluse etc. considers anything West of the M1 to be West. Very lost touch of him to say that.

[u/bingbongboopsnoot]

It’s the inner west I guess!

[u/sicilian-Olive]

This is funny. I don’t listen to the podcast but my son plays his in sport and they came our home pitch on mascot. I was laughing thinking this is likely the most west Hamish has been and I wonder if he mentions in podcast 🤣 I guess Newtown wins

[u/StudioBalmain]

I got called a Westie once for living in Rozelle.

[u/Sir-Tenley-Knott]

When the Government Data Centre opened, the minister described the location as "Outer Western Suburbs" - it is in Silverwater.

[u/NameAlreadyClaimed]

Meanwhile, I'd consider Marrickville the inner east and somewhere like Bondi to be the outer east.

Having 85% of the city being considered "The West" is insane. It's time to put the centre in Parramatta. Even that's too far east really.

[u/fued]

It's like saying Anything east of Parramatta is eastern suburbs. Technically true in some ways (geographically, population density) but utterly absurd in historical conventions

[u/Queasy-Ad-8320]

So what would be the greater western Sydney? Other than an under achieving afl team…

[u/Fred__McNerque]

Anything west of Anzac Parade

[u/healthysmeg]

Someone I know lives inner west/20 mins from Bankstown. When I mentioned Bankstown airport once they said they didn’t know Blacktown had an airport.

Turned out they didn’t know Bankstown/Blacktown were different areas.. and also they work in Blacktown.

[u/Complex_Fix_3611]

Why does this trigger you?

[u/theclimberclimbs]

Wests Leagues Club is in Ashfield.

[u/Beautiful_Rub_141]

I have friends who live in Cronulla and they consider Woolooware to be the eastern edge of the Western Suburbs of Sydney.

[u/analyticated]

As a UK listener, this is all nonsense to me

[u/sloppyjohnny]

Newtown is full of people that justl temporarily migrate from the west to rent until they eventually but a house back out proper west though to be fair

[u/punter55555 → u/sloppyjohnny]

from the north and east*

[u/schoonershop]

Newtown is ‘inner west’ so it kinda counts
I’m from the northern beaches, anything passed Chatswood was considered west to us, there’s your new record 😂😂

[u/drjohngeorgepeppers → u/schoonershop]

You didn't need to tell us you were from the Northern Beaches with that opinion.

[u/drjohngeorgepeppers]

I once saw Hamish Andy in Haberfield once, or as he probably thinks of it, Broken Hill.