Mannequin heads, rubber turkeys and neon signs: Photographer captures the weird and wacky sights on Sydney's eclectic Parramatta Road

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It's the major artery of metropolitan Sydney, connecting the western suburbs to the city centre.

And now Parramatta Road will be preserved in a unique collection of photographs which has brought to life a highway that has been considered 'dead' for the most part.

Rubber turkeys, neon signs and men dressed as pirates are some of the weird and wonderful sights that have been documented over 20 suburbs of Greater Sydney in series 'On Parramatta Road'.

Sydney's ugliest highway has been preserved in a document of the weird and wacky sights of everyday life in a collection of photographs by Lyndal Irons, 33. A man (pictured) seen delivering rubber turkeys are among the images that showcase 20 suburbs of Greater Sydney

The collection will be exhibited as part of the Head on Photo Festival in Sydney and has a patchwork of subjects including Maurice (pictured) dressed as a pirate on the corner of Johnston Street and Parramatta Road in Annandale

Photographer Lyndal Irons, 33, will exhibit her work as part of this year's Head On Photo Festival, one of the largest and most prestigious photo competitions in Australia.

Around fifty images of various sizes will be showcased in the exhibition to tell the 'unique history' of the Australian highway.

Men carrying rubber turkeys, pirates posed by Christmas trees and a slew of neon signs are some of the quirks of the busy Sydney road that have been featured.

The collection is a field study of life on a road considered dead, across car yards, brothels, bed shops and around 20 suburbs of greater Sydney of a stretch of road perpetually threatened by change.

Around fifty images will be shown in various sizes including 'Fiona' (pictured) from RA Motors Granville, an image which has also been seen at the Elizabeth Street Gallery in Sydney's city centre

Danny from R A Motors in Granville (pictured) will be part of the collection that Ms Irons hoped to make into a field study of life on a road considered dead. Photos were taken across car yards, brothels, bed shops of a stretch of road perpetually threatened by change

Ms Irons said that her aim was to 'restore a sense of journey to a road better known for daily transit'.

She said: 'My series preserves today's road for future reference and encourages a deepened experience of everyday life.' 

'Parramatta Road is totally unique in its history, It has an Indigenous history, It's had bush rangers, It's housed many important industries. 

'Today it's not popular with many Sydneysiders but it is very significant as part of Sydney's story. 

A number of animals lay scatterred in the archery store room of Bensons Archery in Granville (pictured) and Ms Irons says these images will helps to restore a sense of journey on a road better known for daily transit

A man stands with bows behind him at The Bass Shop in Stanmore (pictured) showing the changes Ms Irons has seen with area she holds a close bond with. She explained that the western suburbs were a gateway to Sydney for her while growing up

Mannequins play a major theme within the images with one in particular, Fiona, making an appearance in another exhibition on Elizabeth in Sydney's city centre. 

Ms Irons said: 'Six images were included in the Elizabeth Street Gallery launched in 2014.

'I exhibited an initial stage of this work in 2011 - but it has grown a lot since then.

'Since then, the subject of Parramatta Road has proven to be a good one that has taken on new dimensions.'

Danny Lim in Strathfield (right), a known Sydney Icon, reiterates Ms Irons hope to not only exhibit the quirks of her experiences around Parramatta road but the interesting people she meets on the way

Stopping at the Hey Hey Kebab store on Parramatta road in Auburn (pictured), Ms Irons has displayed a slew of neon signs in the collection

Growing up in north-west Sydney, Western Sydney has always been a 'gateway' to Sydney for Ms Irons. 

She said: 'My earliest memories of urban environments were accessed driving up Parramatta Road and watching the landmarks change.

'Many have already gone, but new ones are always emerging.'

Ms Irons is an Australian street photographer who predominantly works with photography, but has started on some video for her On Parramatta Road series.

Ms Irons is an Australian street photographer who predominantly works with photography. Ms Irons said she has started on some video for her On Parramatta Road series (pictured), in a hope to showcase some of the interviews she has had with people during her 'road trip'

Ms Irons was given a $10,000 grant from The Pool Collective to help with the collection of images. Australian history is touched on as seen with a car salesmen in Homebush (pictured) showing how things have changed from a stretch of road that once housed bush rangers

She was given a $10,000 grant from The Pool Collective and received mentoring from artists in the collective which helped with the development of her collection.

Ms Irons said she will probably always work on the On Parramatta Road project intermittently as long as she keeps finding interesting places and experiences to document.

The exhibition will open on Friday May 13 at the Articulate Project Space,Parramatta Rd, Leichhardt and again in May at Depot Gallery in Waterloo.

Mannequins play a major theme within the images and 'Fiona' - the once famous mannequin who advertised RA Motors on Parramatta Road in Granville is later seen without a body and only a head (pictured)

Ms Irons said she will probably always work on the On Parramatta Road project (pictured) intermittently as long as she keeps finding interesting places and experiences to document on the road with hidden beauties