But what was Sliwa doing in Parramatta?
Newspaper archives reveal Sliwa came to Sydney in 1992 to establish an Australian chapter of the Guardian Angels, the red beret-wearing volunteer vigilante group he founded in 1979 to conduct “safety patrols” on New York’s subways.
His attempts to mirror the group’s impact in New York in Sydney were less successful. The state’s police minister at the time described the group as “loonies”.
Liberal Ted Pickering said he would “come down on them like a ton of bricks if they step out of line”.
“We don’t need your kind of assistance and as far as I am concerned you can go home. Anyone who takes the law into their own hands can clearly be described as loonies and will be dealt with according to the law,” Pickering said, according to a news report from 1992.
The group staged a protest outside NSW parliament in a last-ditch attempt to gain official recognition. Sliwa left Sydney the next day.
In their brief time in the city the “Angels” could be seen “trudging through carriages and hanging out of doors at each stop”, the Herald reported.
The Guardian Angels patrolled Sydney’s train network – but still had to purchase tickets.Credit: Michele Mossop/The Sydney Morning Herald
Parramatta Lord Mayor Martin Zaiter was a child living in the suburb of Harris Park when Sliwa visited. He said that “there may have been little youth groups” but he had never witnessed any gangs on the streets.
“You can’t compare the Parramatta of today to the one of 1992,” he said, inviting him to visit.
“It won’t take one hour to get here any more. With our improved public transport it’s only half an hour away.”
And when Metro West is finally operational in 2032, the Sydney CBD will be about 22 minutes away.
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