Collecting first-hand accounts of people’s experiences, memories and perspectives is a unique and impactful way to deepen insight and build a detailed and accurate record of people’s everyday lives, their attitudes to social issues, and changes to a community.

North Paddington is an area that is often overlooked. It is fragmented and diverse, it sits shoulder-to-shoulder with neighbourhoods of great wealth, and it has experienced enormous change – through the arrival of major transport infrastructure and generations of migration.

This project aims to commit the voices and stories of people who have lived and worked in North Paddington to the historical archives, to strengthen a shared sense of pride, belonging and connectedness. Interviews were recorded, transcribed, and summarised by Heritage Volunteers.

The selected extracts have been chosen to represent a diverse range of cultural backgrounds, values, and life experiences. Every recording here is in the speaker’s own words.