The word was written in a perfect copperplate script. At first it was done in chalk, but later with more durable crayon. It appeared around Sydney streets overnight: in the city, in the inner suburbs. Always the same, just one word: Eternity. For over 30 years the word Eternity regularly appeared on the footpaths in inner Sydney. On 2SER this morning with Tim Higgins, we talked about the mysterious chalker who from 1932 hoped to inspire generations of Sydneysiders. The identity of the pavement evangelist remained a mystery for years. It has been estimated the word was inscribed about half a million times. Newspaper writers speculated, and occasionally someone was outed or gave a false confession, which fuelled the story further. Finally, in 1956 a religious minister from the Burton Street Baptist Tabernacle, Lisle Thompson, espied the culprit who had remained anonymous for so long. Thompson caught the man in the act of inscription; it was Arthur Stace - the tabernacle's very own janitor, a reformed drunk turned footpath evangelist. Arthur Stace's story is one of poverty, war, and redemption - and you can read all about it in the Dictionary of Sydney, including where he got his inspiration for writing Eternity on the pavement. Lisle Thompson wrote up the story in a short religious tract. Then the Sunday Telegraph got hold of the story and exposed Arthur Stace's identity on 21 June 1956. With time, the copperplate rendition of the word has seeped into popular culture. It has featured in the artistic works of Martin Sharp, memorialised in Sydney Square, and blazoned across the Sydney Harbour Bridge for New Year's Eve. And it is now the name of the new theatre housed in the Burton Street Baptist Tabernacle in Darlinghurst. The Burton Street Tabernacle is officially re-opening as the Eternity Playhouse this Sunday, 22 September 2013. You can visit the historic building between 11am and 1pm. The City of Sydney Council purchased the tabernacle in 2004 and after extensive restoration and renovations has transformed the building into a modern 200-seat theatre and creative arts centre with a bar and cafe. Don't miss this opportunity to see the building that is intimately connected with one of Sydney's inspiring stories. Please join Tim and I again next Wednesday at 8.20am on 2SER Breakfast 107.3FM for more great stories about Sydney’s past, courtesy of the Dictionary of Sydney.