Home to one of Australia's most ethnically diverse communities with 88 per cent of residents' parents born overseas, more than a third of Fairfield's ancestry can be traced from Assyria, China, Vietnam and Iraq.

Fairfield got its name from Colonial Treasurer Thomas Ware Smart, who bought the estate and in the 1860s and built the mansion, Fairfield House.

Fairfield Railway Station, opened in 1856, is the oldest surviving railway building in NSW.

DONG TAM - 187 THE HORSELY DRIVE

KNIFE throwing, high wire acrobatics and obstacle jumping, the Dong Tam Youth Association isn't your average martial arts centre. Turn Ly has more than 400 students come through his doors each week to train in his unique outdoor dojo, but many of them aren't just there to learn self-defence - they want to be movie stars.

With an ABC TV Kung fu series, Maximum Choppage, to be shot in the Fairfield-Cabramatta area next year Ly is helping the upcoming generation of marital arts actors learn all the tricks to make them the next Bruce Lee or Jackie Chan.

He offers more than seven different types of martial arts and said street martial arts, involving a lot of flipping portrayed in most martial arts movies, was by far the most popular.

"This is a martial arts restaurant, you come here and there's a lot more students getting involved in terms of extra activities like movie making," he said.

Maria Tran said there was a sea of talent in the region that they wanted to tap into through the "DYI dojo".

"We want to make this region and martial arts more appealing to main stream Australia because there are more projects that demand those types of skills," she said. "In Fairfield there are a lot of young people with a lot of energy. Now there are lots activities for young people to be a part of and martial arts is one of those.

"There are a lot of young people that didn't have the money for soccer or netball."

The dojo not only helps tailor the martial arts skills required for the big screen but helps steer young people away from the dangerous activity of Parkour, jumping up, on and over buildings, by running safety courses at the dojo.

LITTLE ASSYRIA - WARE/KENYON ST

WALKING down Ware St, known as "little Assyria" or "little Iraq", you will often hear the loud thud of dominoes being slammed down on plastic tables followed by raised voices and then laughter as you pass Kenyon St.

Like clock work, groups of elderly Assyrian-Australians, originally from Iraq, Iran and Syria, congregate to play dominoes at the shaded tables, printed with chess boards on the surface that are rarely used, to share tales during the lighting quick games.

Invited to play a few rounds, it soon became clear we were way out of our league. Through broken English, hand signals and friendly smiles the game moves at a fast pace and players know which domino opponents are going to play before they do, through a calculated knowledge of the game developed over generations.

Asked why they come to the tables each day they say "it's just friendly", but despite no money changing hands the matches are played with nationalistic passion with the wrong move or underhanded play rewarded with stern words and accusations.

Assyrians are a people without a country in the Middle East but have found their place in Fairfield's rich and diverse cultural make-up.

AFGHAN AND ARAB BAKERY - 2/13 NELSON ST

BREAD doesn't come by the loaf in Fairfield it comes by the Aiysh (Egyptian), Ciabatta (Italian), the Samoon (Iraqi) or the Lavash (Persian).

Reflecting it's multitude of cultures Fairfield has a wide variety of bakeries to choose from, each with their own handmade offerings to choose from.

Fairfield Council has even produced a "bread brochure" and labelled itself the "city of many loaves".

Afghan and Arab Bakery owner Habib Afghan Baig, 37, fled Afghanistan in 1999, and has been baking since he was a teenager.

He turns out more than 3000 pieces of Arabic, softer Lavash bread and thicker wholemeal and sesame seeded Afghan bread each day from his traditional gas-powered clay ovens.

His bread is not only popular with the steady of stream of customers that frequent his store but restaurants from the eastern suburbs have got word of how good his bread is.

"When I first come here I was tired of bakery but then I see it's a good job and now I am happy," he said.

"Fairfield has every different culture here, from all corners of the world."

GREEN PEPPERCORN AT THE FAIRFIELD HOTEL - 1-3 HAMILTON RD

THIS funky Laos/ Thai restaurant wouldn't look out of place in Surry Hills or Bondi and that's the trendy atmosphere Tona Inthavong and his family want to bring to Fairfield.

The 31-year-old and hisIraqi-Australian wife Sara reflect the cultural melting pot of the area.

"We are trying to create a family friendly dining experience in a modern, sleek atmosphere. Out west there are a lot of mum and pop restaurants that have great food but aren't that inviting," he said.

"It's Thai design but has that modern feel. We have an open plan kitchen because with all the cooking shows people like to see what's going on."

Open for just 18 months there are lines out the door from Thursday through the weekend and Mr Inthavong said he wants to reinvigorate Fairfield.

"I want to give back to community and invite more people out this way. I want to introduce music, art, fashion and food to Fairfield. With all the big shopping centres places like this starting fading," he said.

"What I like about Fairfield is the sense of community. Even though you hear stories that are bad everyone says hello to each other."

LAU PAULA - 9 BARBARA ST

BEFORE Fairfield was a hub for Indochinese and Arab communities it was home to a sizeable South American population.

While many have moved on to other parts of Sydney if you want something South American and sweet Lau Paula is the place to go.

With more than 30 pastries, hot dogs, as well as the signature Empanada, a Chilean meat pie, to savour Lau Paula has been serving Fairfield's sweet tooths for more than 30 years.

Daniella Casanova said her families business offers customers something different.

"When they come here they are getting a little bit of Chile and other South American things," she said.