Back in the day, this stretch of Parramatta Road (opposite Underwood Road) used to be a hotspot for hoons and revheads to congregate ahead of drag races through the old abattoir and brickpit. The most popular meeting spot was Big Chief’s, a burger joint a bit further west of here. Presumably, this tattoo parlour (imaginatively titled ‘TATTOO’, leading one to suspect they only had one design) was a by-product of that era. In an effort to quell bikie activity, it has been rebranded Strathfield Laundry, but there’s no guarantee it’ll work. Bikies need their clothes washed, too.
Past/Lives of the Near Future 
[…] restaurant, a reception centre and a squat before it was finally allowed to rot alongside the other corpses on Parramatta Road. For more on its years as a squatters paradise, check out this […]
I spent a good part of my youth along that strip in the mid 80’s. At that time at least half of those shops were still open. Starting from the top of the street the following were operating: the newsagent on the corner, a takeway (great burgers), the pinball parlour, a trailbike shop and a pizzeria. The pinnie parlour was the main attraction – all the latest games: Gyrus, Xevious, Super Galaxian, Dig Dug, Galaga and Defender. Juke box had latest hit singles and harder stuff like Judas Priest and Black Sabbath.