At the Little BIG Foundation, we are excited to share the Flour Mill District’s completion of the transformative Uptown Accelerator program this week!
As part of this innovative initiative, the Flour Mill District team formed with representatives from all the businesses that surround Harvest Park. Together we embarked on a journey to reimagine ourselves as a thriving hub of community life, creativity, and opportunity.
About the Uptown Accelerator
The Uptown Accelerator, an initiative led by the Office of the 24-Hour Economy Commissioner, is designed to empower districts across Greater Sydney by helping them unlock their full potential as vibrant destinations. This year’s program has brought together a diverse cohort of local districts, all working collaboratively to define and develop their district identities.
The Flour Mill District team was thrilled to be one of 24 districts chosen to participate across NSW. Alongside other District Teams, our group has been attending workshops and receiving valuable coaching to gain the skills and networks needed to enhance our historic area, drive business activity and support our local community.


Our district
For over 200 years, the Flour Mill stood as an economic engine for the Inner West, and now it’s alive again with the grain silos repurposed into apartments, commercial space and retail shopfront. Six small and mighty businesses and one community hub, The Little BIG House, surround a central ‘piazza’ and welcoming park, half-way along the Cooks to Cove Greenway.
Our collective goal is to build a community for anyone and everyone. And it is working. We have over 90 community events a month including lazy Sunday markets, a vibrant night food festival, a range of creative workshops and niche interest groups – all meeting here.
Pitch Night
The culmination of our efforts was showcased at the Uptown District Showcase this week, where Sarah Mathews from the Little BIG Foundation presented the district vision and key stratgeies on behalf of the team.
- We asked the Department of Transport to rename the Lewisham West light rail stop the Flour Mill light rail stop and to announce our markets, festivals and events over the speaker to patrons on the train.
- We ask the Inner West Council to name The Flour Mill as the official “half-way rest stop” on the Greenway. We are, after all, exactly 3km to Iron Cove Bay and 3.3km to the Cooks River. We are obvious choice to grab a coffee, eat some lunch, rest your legs or cool off with ice cream under a shady tree.
- Finally, have invited policy makers, developers, media to come and see what we have collectively created at the Flour Mill. It is rare that great urban design, community building (and now with the help of Uptown) business engagement can come together so seamlessly and we want others to replicate what we have been able to achieve.




The room was packed with potential collaborators, investors, government and community partners and we are excited to see what happens next.
Sarah Mathews said, “This program has been instrumental in fostering collaboration and creative thinking between our businesses. We now having regular discussions about what we can do together to connect better and support this community and each other. We see how we are an integral part of Sydney’s ever-evolving urban landscape”.
The Flour Mill’s participation in the Uptown Accelerator program marks a significant step forward for local businesses to align to create a district that truly reflects the needs and aspirations of its community.
This journey has been an opportunity for the Flour Mill District to build on our rich history while embracing new possibilities. Once a bustling flour mill, our district has transformed into a vibrant mix of retail and commercial spaces with a deep connection to the local community.
We have a lot of ideas and are working to make them a reality!