Darlinghurst Blog: Detritus: Police Action

There was quite a bit of police action on Bourke Street in the early hours of Friday morning and my trusty spy in the Darlinghurst flatlands, Ruby Molteno, was on hand to capture it all. The incident began about 1.15am with the sounds of car tyres screeching and an almighty crash, followed by the thuds of people running and a police siren. The next thing Ruby heard was a policeman yelling, ''Hands behind your head, or you'll get shot''. 

The police had cornered two suspects in an empty lot on Wisdom Lane. After cuffing them, the police made them lie face down on Barnett Lane, aka Ten Buck Alley, as they waited for back-up. 

Soon after, the police dogs arrived and barking like crazy they ran sniffing around the laneways before homing in on another two suspects who had jumped a fence into someone's back yard. 

All four were taken to Kings Cross Police Station.

So what was it all about? According to police sources that Ruby spoke to, the four men (who, incidentally, had shaved heads and mullets) were allegedly travelling in a car on William Street, when they tried to evade a Random Breath Testing stop. They veered out of control - nearly hitting a policeman - before crashing into a bike rack on Bourke Street and then making off on foot.

Night owl Ruby, who was passing by at the time, managed to see most of the action and later captured these pictures of the car being towed. 

I don't know what the men were charged with, but the bike rack no longer exists.

Darlinghurst: People: Michael Kelly

My friend Ruby Molteno was out wandering through the back alleys near her home in the Darlinghurst Flatlands, when she came across this wonderful scene. 

Usually when you come across painters with their easels in public places, the artwork is often dreadful and of a cheap touristic style, never failing to include a well known Sydney landmark. 

But this artist's work, was quite different. It was actually very good, Ruby said. 

Not an Opera House sail in sight, just a romantic depiction of a random Darlinghurst back alley, called Barnett Lane, better known as Ten Buck Alley - after the corner cafe on Bourke Street and the prostitutes who frequent the area. 

There's a picture of the alley on the My Darling Darlinghurst Facebook page here.

The artist's name was Michael Kelly and he told Ruby that he likes to paint old Darlinghurst buildings and streets, but he is worried that these kind of scenes are disappearing. 

Kelly was born in Orange in 1956 and graduated from Darlinghurst's National Art School in 1985. He has since held 11 solo shows and been in countless group exhibitions, and is now represented by Woollahra-based art dealer Eva Breuer. 

Kelly mainly paints en plein air and there is a gallery of his work, ranging in price from $880 to $7700 at the link below. 

*

www.evabreuerartdealer.com.au