In the green lane
Pictures by Laura Reid
Sebastian Vasquez has a simple but profoundly true philosophy: “Plants make people happy.” The proof is laid out along Darlinghurst’s Hayden Ln, a once notoriously grubby nook that he and his partner, Mike Heenan, have transformed into an inner-city oasis.
Fed up with the relentless detritus of transient and drug-addled city dwellers using the laneway behind the pair’s apartment as a dumping ground, they decided to take matters into their own hands.
It was mid-pandemic and multiple attempts to have the area cleaned up through official council methods had yielded little results. Exasperated, they changed their strategy and placed plant pots along the curb to deter dumping. To their surprise, it only took a matter of days before the illegal rubbish stopped accumulating.
While their intent was to create a safe, clean and enjoyable passage for residents, Hayden Ln soon became a pandemic project for the pair, with far-reaching benefits for the community that bloomed alongside the growing garden.
“The project kept our minds busy during the darkest times of the pandemic,” says Vasquez. “The lane helped keep us and others sane during COVID. We all need open spaces.”
They took to the Darlo Darlings Facebook page and distributed flyers to share their regeneration plan for the lane and to request donations. The response was so swift and generous that some days Vasquez and Heenan couldn’t get out their door without tripping over gifted potting mix, pots and plants in various states of health.
As the laneway flourished, nature returned and so did community spirit. People began to arrive to amble the cool, green sanctuary, lush with plants, alive with bees, birds and geckos, and vibrant with donated murals. Since its makeover, the lane has hosted a wedding shoot, a magazine cover shoot, and will soon be the location for a fashion shoot. It has become a space of connection, joy and, for some, even healing.
One day, while working in the lane, a passer-by told the pair the tragic story of 18-year-old Rebecca Bernauer, whose body was found in the laneway in 1997. To commemorate the young woman, they created ‘Rebecca’s pot’ and have since received messages from her family and friends thanking them for honouring her life. Hayden Ln’s future has been diverted from tragedy to beauty.
Another upside of the laneway’s reclamation has been the revival of neighbourhood values and a sense of camaraderie. Although Vasquez and Heenan have lived in the area for 20 years, since beginning the project they have found new connections with people they never knew were right on their doorstep.
“We’ve met countless amazing people whom we did not know or interact with,” says Vasquez. “These spaces provide a sense of community and belonging for everyone living around them. That means the world to us.”
Instagram: haydenlanelife