Revision as of 02:34, 29 May 2003 editMichael Hardy (talk | contribs)Administrators210,264 editsNo edit summary← Previous edit | Latest revision as of 06:50, 23 November 2024 edit undo2001:8003:2631:9f00:b912:343b:688:9743 (talk) →TransportTag: Manual revert | ||
Line 1: | Line 1: | ||
{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2023}} | |||
] | |||
{{Use Australian English|date=January 2012}} | |||
{{Infobox Australian place | |||
| type = suburb | |||
| name = Newtown | |||
| city = Sydney | |||
| state = nsw | |||
| image = Newtown NSW, Cnr King Street & Enmore Road, 2019.jpg | |||
| caption = Intersection of ] & ], Newtown | |||
| local_map = yes | |||
| zoom = 13 | |||
| lga = City of Sydney | |||
| lga2 = ] | |||
| postcode = 2042 | |||
| est = 1812 | |||
| pop = <!--Leave blank to draw the latest automatically from Wikidata--> | |||
| pop_year = <!--Leave blank to draw the latest automatically from Wikidata--> | |||
| pop_footnotes = <!--Leave blank to draw the latest automatically from Wikidata--> | |||
| elevation = 42 | |||
| area = 1.6 | |||
| stategov = ] | |||
| fedgov = ] | |||
| fedgov2 = ] | |||
| near-nw = ] | |||
| near-n = ] | |||
| near-ne = ] | |||
| near-w = ] | |||
| near-e = ] | |||
| near-sw = ] | |||
| near-s = ] | |||
| near-se = ] | |||
| dist1 = 4 | |||
| dir1 = south-west | |||
| location1 = Sydney central business district | |||
}} | |||
'''Newtown''', a ] of ], is located approximately four kilometres south-west of the ], straddling the ] of the ] and ] in the state of ], Australia.<ref>Gregory's Sydney Street Directory, Gregory's Publishing Company, 2007</ref> | |||
'''Newtown''' is a ] close to the centre of ]. It is close to the main Camperdown campus of ], and has gained a reputation as a bohemian area, with a strong student, gay and lesbian population, although it has become ]fied of late. | |||
] is the main street of Newtown and centre of commercial and entertainment activity. The street follows the spine of a long ridge that rises up near the ] and extends to the south, becoming the ] at its southern end. | |||
The main strip of Newtown is along King Street, which is sometimes referred to as "eat-street" in the press due to it's large number of cafes, pubs and resturants. | |||
] branches off King Street towards the suburb of ] at Newtown Bridge, where the road passes over the ] at ]. | |||
Enmore Road and King Street together comprise 9.1 kilometres of over 600 shopfronts. The main shopping strip of Newtown is the longest and most complete commercial precinct of the late Victorian and ] period in Australia.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.marrickville.nsw.gov.au/en/community/business/urban-centres/newtown/|title=Newtown|work=]}}</ref> | |||
King Street is often referred to as "Eat Street" in the media<ref>{{cite news|last1=Jagielski|first1=Jenifer|title=Sydney Eat Street: Ten things to try in Newtown|url=https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/nsw/sydney-eat-street-ten-things-to-try-in-newtown/news-story/ff478632616e5bf643630ce545a45395|access-date=22 May 2018|work=]|date=30 July 2017}}</ref> due to the large number of cafés, pubs and restaurants of various cultures.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.menulog.com.au/takeaway/newtown-nsw/|title=Menulog – Newtown Food Delivery – Newtown Take-Away Sydney|work=menulog.com.au|access-date=14 January 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170812212456/https://www.menulog.com.au/takeaway/newtown-nsw|archive-date=12 August 2017|url-status=dead}}</ref> Cafés, restaurants and galleries can also be found in the streets surrounding King Street. | |||
== History == | |||
===Aboriginal history=== | |||
The area known as Newtown was part of a broader area where the ] tribe of the ] people lived, who ranged across the entire area from the southern shores of ] to ] in the south-east and ] in the ]. | |||
The first ] to receive a Christian burial was Tommy, an 11-year-old boy who died of bronchitis in the ]. He was buried in ], in a section now located outside the wall. The cemetery also contains a sandstone ] erected in 1944 by the Rangers League of NSW, in memory of Tommy and three other indigenous Australians buried there: Mogo, William Perry and Wandelina Cabrorigirel, although their graves are no longer identifiable.<ref>Camperdown Cemetery Burial Dockets, Anglican Archives.</ref> When the names were transcribed from the records onto the monument, there was an error in deciphering the flowing hand in which many of the original burial dockets were written. It is now known that the fourth name was not ''Wandelina Cabrorigirel'', but ''Mandelina (Aboriginal).''<ref name="cityofsydney.nsw.gov.au">{{cite web|url=http://www.cityofsydney.nsw.gov.au/barani/themes/theme1.htm|title=Home|work=Barani}}</ref> | |||
King street, Newtown's main street, reputedly follows an ] track that branched out from the main western track, now beneath ] and ], and which continued all the way to the coastal plains around ].<ref name="cityofsydney.nsw.gov.au"/> This conflicts with other claims that the main western track was a barrier which divided the land. | |||
===19th century=== | |||
] and ] from a coloured postcard. c.1906]] | |||
] 1927]] | |||
{{See also|Municipality of Newtown}} | |||
Newtown was established as a residential and farming area in the early 19th century.<ref> {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070829141333/http://www.sydneyarchives.info/Time_Line/time_line.html |date=29 August 2007 }}</ref> ], the first principal superintendent of convicts called his property Burren Farm, after a region of County Clare in his native Ireland. Burren Farm would later become parts of Newtown and ] (now ]).<ref>{{cite news |title=A ROMANCE OF NEWTOWN |url=https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/16084089# |publisher=The Sydney Morning Herald|date=30 July 1923}}</ref> | |||
Some histories say that the Newtown area took its name from a grocery store opened there by John and Margaret Webster in 1832, at a site close to where the Newtown railway station stands today. They placed a sign atop their store that read "New Town Stores". Captain Sylvester John Browne, father of ] ("Rolf Boldrewood"), built "Newtown House" in the area around the same time, which has also been cited as the source of the name.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article15588024 |title=Mr. Sylvester Browne |newspaper=] |issue=24,204 |location=New South Wales, Australia |date=5 August 1915 |access-date=12 July 2018 |page=6 |via=National Library of Australia}}</ref> The name New Town was adopted, at first unofficially, with the space disappearing to form the name Newtown.<ref> {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070829152326/http://www.sydneyarchives.info/Memories/wmbucknell.html |date=29 August 2007 }}</ref> This account of the origins of the suburb's name has been disputed by other historians, given evidence that the names "Newtown" and "New Town" were in use some years before Webster opened his store.<ref>{{Cite web |title=John Webster and Newtown |url=https://archives.cityofsydney.nsw.gov.au/nodes/view/1909848 |access-date=2024-09-01 |website=City of Sydney Archives}}</ref> | |||
The part of Newtown lying south of King Street was a portion of the two estates granted by Governor ] to the Superintendent of Convicts, ], in 1794 and 1799. Parts of ] (now ]) and ] were also once part of Devine's grant. In 1827, when Devine was aged about 90, this land was acquired from him by a convict, Bernard Rochford, who sold it to many of Sydney's wealthiest and most influential inhabitants, including the mayor. Devine's heir, John Devine, a coachbuilder of Birmingham, challenged the will, which was blatantly fraudulent. The "Newtown Ejectment Case" was eventually settled out of court by the payment to Devine of an unknown sum of money said to have been "considerable". The land was further divided into housing that is now evidenced by the rows of terrace houses and commercial and industrial premises.<ref>Matt Murphy, ''The Newtown Ejectment Case'', Sydney Archives . {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110611073115/http://www.cityofsydney.nsw.gov.au/newtownproject/Memories/ejectment.html|date=11 June 2011}}</ref> | |||
] | |||
Part of the area now falling within the present boundaries of Newtown, north of King Street, was originally part of ]. This area was named by Governor ], who received it as a land grant in 1806 and passed it to his daughter and son-in-law on his return to England in 1810. In 1848 part of this land was acquired by the Sydney Church of England Cemetery Company to create a general cemetery beyond the boundary of the City of Sydney.<ref>Chrys Meader ''Beyond the Boundary Stone'', Marrickville Council Library Service, 1997</ref> ], one block away from King Street, was to become significant in the life of the suburb. Between its consecration in 1849 and its closure to further sales in 1868 it saw 15,000 burials of people from all over Sydney.<ref>Camperdown Cemetery Burial Dockets, Anglican Archives</ref> Of that number, approximately half were paupers buried in unmarked and often communal graves, sometimes as many as 12 in a day during a measles epidemic.<ref>CCT Burial Dockets</ref> ] remains, though much reduced in size, as a rare example of mid-19th-century cemetery landscaping. It retains the Cemetery Lodge, a huge fig tree dating from 1848, as well as a number of oak trees of the same date. It survived to become the main green space of Newtown. Among the notable persons buried in the cemetery are explorer-surveyor Sir ], Major ] and Mary, Lady Jamison (widow of the colonial pioneer landowner, physician, constitutional reformer and "knight of the realm", Sir ]), and ], recluse and rumoured inspiration for ]. The cemetery also holds the remains of many of the victims of the wreck of the ] in 1857.<ref>Chrys Meader</ref> | |||
] | |||
From 1845, when the first Anglican church was built on the site of the present Community Centre on Stephen Street, by ], a number of churches were established, including St Joseph's Roman Catholic church in the 1850s, the Methodist church on King Street, now Newtown Mission, and the Baptist church in Church Street. The present St Stephen's Anglican church, a fine example of Victorian ], was designed, like its predecessor, by Blacket, and built in the grounds of the cemetery between 1871 and 1880. Both it and the cemetery are on the ] register of buildings of national significance. Its Mears and Stainbank ] is unique in Australia, while its Walker and Sons organ of 1874 is regarded as one of the finest in New South Wales.<ref>Tamsyn Taylor, "St. Stephen's Newtown", in ''Heritage – Journal of the Marrickville Historical Society''</ref> | |||
On 12 December 1862 the ] was incorporated and divided into three wards: O'Connell, Kingston and Enmore, covering {{convert|480|acres|2|abbr=on}}. In 1893 a plan was discussed to rename the council area "South Sydney" (as three municipalities North of ] had merged to form ] three years earlier), but nothing came of it.<ref>''The Book of Sydney Suburbs'', Compiled by Frances Pollon, ], 1990, Published in Australia {{ISBN|0-207-14495-8}}</ref> | |||
====Housing==== | |||
Although there are a few earlier buildings in Newtown, the most rapid development came in the late 19th century, with many former farms and other large properties being subdivided and developed as row-houses, known popularly as "terrace houses".<!---This doesn't need citation! The subdivisions and the EXISTENT buildings are evidence.---> With their predominance of Victorian-era houses with stuccoed facades, balconies of iron lace and moulded architectural ornaments, many Newtown streets are similar to those of other well-known inner-city suburbs like ], ] and ]. | |||
From about 1870 onwards, a large proportion of Newtown's residents lived in terrace houses of the cheapest possible construction. Many of these terraces were "two-up two-down", with rear kitchen, some having adjoining walls only one brick thick and a continuous shared roof space.<ref>One such a row is in Hordern St. between Victoria and Prospect Sts.</ref> Hundreds of these terrace houses still remain, generally 4 metres (13 ft) wide. It was not uncommon for speculative builders to build a row of these small houses terminating in a house of 1½ width at the corner of the street, this last being a commercial premises, or "corner store". During the ] period, single-storey row houses became increasingly common.<!---This doesn't need citation! The FACT is that most of the rows of Federation houses are single storey and provided their own evidence.---> | |||
] | |||
This preponderance of small houses is indicative of the working-class employment of most Newtown residents, many of whom worked in the city or at local shops, factories, warehouses, brickyards and at the nearby ]. Retail and service trades dominated the suburb increasingly throughout this period, with tradesmen and shopkeepers together accounting for 70–75% of the working population.<ref> {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070829153026/http://www.sydneyarchives.info/Essays/JP/JanettePelosi.html |date=29 August 2007 }}</ref> During the late 19th century and early 20th century, Newtown prospered, so much so that in the ''Jubilee Souvenir of the Municipality of Newtown'', published in 1912, it was described as "one of the most wealthy suburbs around Sydney".<ref> {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070101233726/http://www.sydneyarchives.info/Essays/JP/JanettePelosi.html |date=1 January 2007 }}</ref> | |||
]A number of imposing Victorian mansions were built on larger estates, as well as rows of larger and more stylish terrace houses in certain areas such as Georgina Street in North Newtown and Holmwood Street in South Newtown. As in many other historic areas of Sydney, some of the largest and most important houses, such as "Erskine Villa" (formerly on Erskineville Road, and which gave its name to the suburb of ]), were demolished and the estates subdivided. Another loss was the home of ] in Station Street, which was acquired by the ] in 1964, demolished in 1967, and replaced with an 8-story public housing tower block. Only the cottage of Reibey's dairyman survives, a little further down the street.<ref> {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070829094656/http://www.reibyhallyoga.com.au/school.htm |date=29 August 2007 }}</ref> | |||
One of the most impressive surviving sets of 19th-century housing in Newtown is the imposing terrace of five elegant five-storey mansions running along Warren Ball Avenue in North Newtown, facing onto Hollis Park. | |||
From the late 19th century onwards, the Newtown area became a major commercial and industrial centre.<!---This doesn't require citation! The 19th century shops are still there as evidence. The paragraph goes on to cite the factories, brickworks etc etc.---> King Street developed into a thriving retail precinct and the area was soon dotted with factories, workshops, warehouses and commercial and retail premises of all kinds and sizes. Several major industries were established in the greater Newtown area from the late 19th century, including the ], the ] jam and preserves factory in North Newtown/], the ] brickworks and the Fowler Potteries in Camperdown. | |||
====Public housing==== | |||
Newtown is home to some public housing pockets built throughout the late 1960s to the 1970s, mainly consisting of unit complexes with walk-up apartments, extensive townhouses and tower blocks closely built together on small blocks of land, resided by the suburbs 1000 social housing tenants. These housing complexes dominate the housing stock on some of Newtown streets.<ref> Microburbs</ref> | |||
The large housing estates gradually shrunk as many of the homes were demolished and or reverted to private ownership as the surrounding area slowly went through ]. | |||
] | |||
Most complexes were built with ], with ] walk-up flats and apartment blocks accessed by communal pathways and courtyards separated from roads, creating densely populated concentrations of disadvantage. The Radburn design has been widely criticised in outer-suburbs estates,<ref>{{cite web|date=30 May 2002|title=Notorious public housing estate to be largely rebuilt|url=https://www.smh.com.au/national/notorious-public-housing-estate-to-be-largely-rebuilt-20020530-gdfbma.html|access-date=5 October 2020|website=The Sydney Morning Herald|language=en}}</ref> allegedly contributing to some fire hazards<ref>{{cite web|last=Alexander|first=Harriet|date=18 May 2019|title=Residents stranded after fire at Newtown apartment block|url=https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/residents-stranded-after-fire-at-newtown-apartment-block-20190519-p51ove.html|access-date=5 October 2020|website=The Sydney Morning Herald|language=en}}</ref> and social problems<ref> Mirage News</ref><ref> Adelaide Advertiser</ref><ref>{{cite web|date=20 October 2012|title=Sydney man shot in the eye, drugs found|url=https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/sydney-man-shot-in-the-eye-drugs-found-20121020-27y5e.html|access-date=5 October 2020|website=The Sydney Morning Herald|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|date=14 April 2016|title=Violence on the rise in Newtown, suspected homophobic attack victim says|url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-04-14/violence-increasing-newtown-alleged-homophobic-attack-victim/7328142|access-date=5 October 2020|website=www.abc.net.au|language=en-AU}}</ref> with isolated areas giving local criminals a place to commit crime and evade motorised patrols. | |||
Homes in these areas are owned by either the ] or the Aboriginal Housing Office. The complexes take up a significant amount of Newtown’s ] population. | |||
The SA1 covering the Golden Grove housing estate according to the 2016 census, is the suburbs most economically/socially disadvantaged. | |||
'''Department of Housing sites in Newtown:''' | |||
8 Prefabricated terraces, 7 walk-up flats, 250–350 residents. Alice Street/Camden Street | |||
9 Prefabricated walk-up flats, 75–120 residents. Alice Street/Hawken Street corner | |||
13 Prefabricated walk-up flats, 1 6-story tower block, 300–500 residents. Forbes Street/Golden Grove Street/Darlington Road | |||
1 9-story tower block, numerous Victorian terrace houses, 170–240 residents. Station Street/Reiby Lane corner | |||
As well as numerous Victorian terrace houses and walk-up flat developments scattered around the suburbs streets. | |||
===Early 20th century=== | |||
Although it prospered in the late 19th century, during the first half of the 20th century, and especially during ], like many inner-city Sydney suburbs such as ] and ], the area became increasingly run down as wealthy Sydneysiders preferred to settle in newer and more prestigious areas. In 1949, Newtown was incorporated into the ]. | |||
===Mid-20th century=== | |||
] | |||
Newtown was originally a relatively prosperous suburb, the legacy of which is the numerous lavish ] still standing in the area. However, many parts of Newtown had gradually become a ] enclave, and for much of the 20th century, Newtown was a low-income ] suburb, often denigrated as a ]. In the post-war period, the low rents and house prices attracted newly arrived European migrants, and Newtown's population changed radically, becoming home to a sizeable migrant community.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.migrationheritage.nsw.gov.au/readingroom/reports/beyondrolling/greekhistory.pdf |title=Archived copy |access-date=29 May 2007 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070902090942/http://www.migrationheritage.nsw.gov.au/readingroom/reports/beyondrolling/greekhistory.pdf |archive-date=2 September 2007}} page 10</ref> | |||
In 1968, a controversial redistribution of local government boundaries by the ] state Liberal government saw part of Newtown become part of ]. From the 1970s, as the post-war population prospered, raised families and aged, many moved to outlying suburbs to build larger houses, resulting in a supply of relatively cheap terrace houses and cottages entered the rental market. Because of its proximity to the expanding ] and the ], along with the comparatively low rents, Newtown began to attract university students in the 1960s and 1970s. The area became a centre for ] share-households in Sydney and the development of cafés, pubs and restaurants made it a ] for many young people. Newtown gained a reputation as a ] centre and the ] and ] population also increased. | |||
===Late 20th century and early 21st century=== | |||
] | |||
The 1980s was the period that probably saw the greatest diversity in Newtown. At this time, cheap housing was still available. During the 1990s many long-established businesses closed, including Brennan's Department Store, a charming old-fashioned department store founded in the 19th century, and one of the last relics of the heyday of Victorian commerce in Newtown. | |||
] | |||
Many homes have been restored and remain examples of 19th-century architecture in Sydney. Like other similar inner-Sydney suburbs (most notably ] and ]), ] has led to another shift in Newtown's demographics. From the 1970s onwards, many major industrial and commercial sites in the area were closed or vacated. Many of these former commercial sites have since been redeveloped as housing such as the Alpha House and Beta House apartment complexes on ], which were formerly both multi-storey warehouses. Prior to becoming apartments, Alpha and Beta house became two artist warehouses that accommodated the birthing of many national and international performing arts companies and artists. One such company, "]", was created in Beta House. | |||
==Heritage listings== | |||
Newtown has a number of heritage-listed sites, including: | |||
* 187–189 Church Street: ]<ref name=nswshr-462>{{cite NSW SHR|5045479|St. Stephen's Anglican Church and Cemetery|hr=00462|fn=S90/04080/001-003 & HC32177|access-date=18 May 2018}}</ref> | |||
* 15 Carillon Avenue: ]<ref name=nswshr-1726>{{cite NSW SHR|5055964|Women's College, University of Sydney|hr=01726|fn=EF14/5702; H04/268|access-date=18 May 2018}}</ref> | |||
* Great Southern and Western railway: ] and ]<ref name=nswshr-1213>{{cite NSW SHR|5012123|Newtown Railway Station group and Former Newtown Tramway Depot|hr=01213|access-date=18 May 2018}}</ref> | |||
* 69–77 King Street: ]<ref name=nswshr-1380>{{cite NSW SHR|5044709|Trocadero|hr=01380|fn=EF14/5676; 10/3096; H98/00267|access-date=18 May 2018}}</ref> | |||
* 280a King Street: ]<ref name=nswshr-747>{{cite NSW SHR|5045004|Uniting Church and Pipe Organ|hr=00747|fn=S90/01931|access-date=18 May 2018}}</ref> | |||
==Transport== | |||
===Rail=== | |||
{{multiple image | |||
| align = right | |||
| direction = horizontal | |||
| header_align = center | |||
| total_width = 340 | |||
| image1 = Newtown Railway Station 1.JPG | |||
| width1 =220 | |||
| height1 =150 | |||
| alt1 = | |||
| caption1 = Former entrance to Newtown Railway Station | |||
| image2 = NSWGT Newtown Tram Depot Offices.jpg | |||
| width2 =220 | |||
| height2 = 150 | |||
| alt2 = | |||
| caption2 = Former tramway office buildings | |||
}} | |||
] is on the ] and ] of the ] network. The station opened in 1855, as one of the original four intermediate stations on the Sydney to ] railway line (the others being ], ] and ]), and it was soon serviced by ten steam trains a day. In 1878 the station was moved from Station Street to its current location by the fork of King Street and Enmore Road. | |||
Until the 1960s, when trams were phased out in Sydney, Newtown was a major hub for train-tram transfers; several regular electric tram services were centred there and the old ] (long vacant and now largely derelict) still stands next to the station. The long-abandoned former office buildings of the tram depot (adjacent to the current station entrance) were renovated during the renovation and rebuilding of Newtown Station and how house a café and restaurant. This extensive renovation, completed in 2012, greatly improved commuter access to the station platforms (which lie in a deep cutting under King Street) including additional stairways and a disabled-accessible elevator, although the renovation works and the layout of the new station entrance blocked the old tram-line entry way into the tram sheds, effectively cutting off direct vehicular access from King St into the tram sheds (which still lie vacant and derelict as of mid-2017). | |||
===Buses=== | |||
] and ] operate buses through Newtown. The trams were replaced by bus services that inherited the old route numbers – 422, 426, 428 – and follow the old tram routes that run along King Street and Enmore Road, going inwards to the city and outwards to ], ] and ], respectively. Since then the 423 service from the city to ] via Newtown has been added. There is also the 352 service that goes east through ] to ] and the 370 service running north to the ] and ] and south-east to the ] and ]. | |||
==Education== | |||
In the 1990s, Newtown High School was chosen by the NSW Department of Education as the site for a new specialised performing arts high school, which would combine traditional academic subjects with music and theatrical performance education. The school was renamed ]. Prior to becoming Newtown High School, it was Newtown Junior Technical School (the "tech") that educated boys from 1st Year to 3rd Year at the end of which they gained the Intermediate Certificate unless they had already left school at the age of 15. Girls of the same age group were educated in the southern part of Newtown Public School. The primary public school was segregated with the boys part facing Newman St opposite the tannery works that often omitted obnoxious odours.' (From "Prior to...odours" it is based on personal knowledge through living in Newtown and attending those schools.) | |||
Primary and infants school include: | |||
* Australia Street Infants School | |||
* Bridge Road School, Camperdown | |||
* Camdenville Public School | |||
* Newtown Public School | |||
* North Newtown Public School | |||
* St Joseph's College (defunct) | |||
Private schools in the area include the ]. | |||
The ]'s ] provides adult education open to the general public. | |||
==Landmarks== | |||
===Pubs=== | |||
In part because of its industrial and commercial history, the Newtown area contains many ]. These include a number of late-Victorian establishments and several in an ] style from the mid-20th century. In July 2000, one of these, "The Marlborough", called by historian Chrys Meader "the Gateway to Newtown" because of its visually commanding appearance at a wide intersection of King Street and Missenden Road, was stripped of all its original Art Deco tiles and had its upper floor substantially damaged before protests to the council prevented this being taken further. | |||
===The Trocadero=== | |||
], restored in 2007]] | |||
{{Main|Trocadero, Newtown}} | |||
One of the major architectural conservation projects in Newtown in recent years has been the restoration of the dance hall in King Street North. This large entertainment venue opened in 1889 and is one of the last 19th-century dance halls still standing in Sydney. Over the years it functioned variously as a dance hall, a skating rink, a cinema, a boxing and ] venue, a bicycle factory and a motor body works. | |||
From 1920 onward it was owned by the ] retail company, and several sections were leased out as shops or accommodation. For many years the shopfront on the northern side of the building housed Maurice's Lebanese Restaurant, commemorated in John Kennedy's "On King St, I'm A King". The building was purchased by ] in 1974, and from 1981 to 1994 it housed the Con Dellis used furniture store, but all occupation ceased after that time. Fortunately, a sympathetic restoration program during 2005–06 by Moore College has returned this outstanding 19th-century building, including its elaborate Flemish-style facade, to its former glory.<ref> {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070101233807/http://www.sydneyarchives.info/Memories/trocadero-hall.html |date=1 January 2007 }}</ref> | |||
===Burland Hall=== | |||
One Newtown landmark that has undergone many changes during the 20th century is the site of the former Burland Community Hall,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.cs-pa-HTTP%253A%252F%252FWWW2.PHOTOSAU.COM%252FCITYOFSYDNEY%252FSCRIPTS%252FEXTSEARCH.ASP%253FSEARCHTERM%253D006241|title=NLA Redirect Service<!-- Bot generated title -->|work=nla.gov.au}}</ref> on King St. In the early 20th century the site was occupied by the original Hub Theatre.<ref>Janette Beard, 1983; ''The Municipality of Newtown 1892–1922: A Social Sketch'' (Honours thesis) </ref><ref> {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120321105936/http://www.australiast.uts.edu.au/ARCHIVE/CAM07d.shtml |date=21 March 2012 }}</ref> From the mid-20th century it was occupied by an ]-style cinema operated by the ] cinema chain.{{Citation needed|date=May 2007}} In the mid-1960s the cinema was converted into a community hall and it was renamed Burland Community Hall in 1965.<ref> {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070927213006/http://www.cityofsydney.nsw.gov.au/investigator/Details/Item_Detail.asp?Entity=Global&Op=Exact&Page=1&Search=&Id=89255&SearchPage=Global |date=27 September 2007 }}</ref> For years it was the venue for community events such as dances, concerts, film screenings, meetings, parties, wedding receptions and a community market. In 1986 its upper floor was taken over for the Newtown branch of the ] network, following the decision by ] to close its Newtown library branch due to budgetary constraints. In 1995 the library moved to new premises in the former ] Citadel in nearby Brown Street, and Burland Hall was redeveloped into offices and retail premises.<ref> {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121207112335/http://www.cityofsydney.nsw.gov.au/Library/LibraryNetworkAndMembership/LibraryHistory.asp |date=7 December 2012 }}</ref> | |||
===Hub Theatre=== | |||
One of the most notable local landmarks is the Hub Theatre opposite Newtown Station, next to the old Newtown Town Hall. The original Hub stood at,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&q=222+King+St,+newtown,+nsw |title=Google Maps |publisher=Google Maps |date= |accessdate=20 March 2022}}</ref> before moving to its present location, on the site of an earlier vaudeville theatre. It was converted to a cinema in the 1930. From the early 1970s, with the relaxation of Australia's ] laws, it was used to screen ] and stage live "adult" sex shows, including the long running "Little French Maid". The Hub closed as a "porno" venue in the early 1990s and has been mostly vacant ever since; the owners of the Dendy chain tried to secure the venue for its Newtown cinema but were unsuccessful. Recently, the Hub has been home to live comedy shows and other such performances, seeing a rejuvenation of the building.<ref> {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070904000015/http://www.australiast.uts.edu.au/ARCHIVE/CAM07d.shtml |date=4 September 2007 }}</ref> | |||
== Culture == | |||
=== Live music === | |||
]]] | |||
Newtown has been a hub for live entertainment since the late 19th century. During the 1980s the many pubs in the area housed a thriving live music scene, notably the ] in King Street. One of the best-known Australian bands to emerge from this scene was ], who held down a formative residency at "The Sando" for several years. Musician ] wrote a tribute to the area in the mid-1980s. His single "King Street" name-checked familiar Newtown landmarks and local figures of the time, including "The Wire Man" (a local eccentric who collected wire and wire coat hangers), Maurice's Lebanese restaurant, and the Coles New World supermarket, which occupied the site of the current . | |||
Throughout the 1990s it was particularly known as a centre for ], with the suburb home to many musicians and several live venues. In the late nineties it boasted a handful of popular venues: Goldmans / Newtown ], The Globe, Feedback and The Sandringham, all of which had closed by the late 1990s. After its takeover by Petersham RSL Club, the former Newtown RSL reopened as a music venue under the name of @Newtown but closed in January 2011 due to financial losses.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://sydney-central.whereilive.com.au/news/story/losses-force-newtown-rsl-closure/|title=Losses force Newtown RSL closure|last=Murada|first=Lareun|date=19 January 2011|publisher=Sydney Central|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111004203239/http://sydney-central.whereilive.com.au/news/story/losses-force-newtown-rsl-closure/|archive-date=4 October 2011}}</ref> | |||
Live music returned to the Sandringham Hotel in 2005, and in 2014 it reopened as the Newtown Social Club, hosting music in an upstairs performance space. However, in July 2017 the Newtown Social Club closed and the venue reopened as Holey Moley, a licensed 18-hole ] course designed to give punters "good content for ]", according to its developers.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/the-sando-sydneys-iconic-live-music-venue-is-now-a-golf-course-20170705-gx529f.html|title=The Sando, Sydney's iconic live music venue, is now a golf course|last=Clarke|first=Jenna|date=6 July 2017|website=The Sydney Morning Herald|language=en|access-date=13 March 2018}}</ref> Another recent addition to Newtown's live music scene is the small live venue ''Leadbelly'' (formerly ''The Vanguard'') at the north end of King Street, and the continuing popularity of the lyric-sized ]. | |||
=== Theatre === | |||
Newtown and its surrounding areas have the highest concentration of independent theatres and live performance spaces in Sydney. Theatres currently operating include: | |||
* ], formed in 1932 and is Australia's oldest continuously performing theatre.<ref>{{Cite book|title=Literary Sydney: a walking guide|last=Dimond|first=Jill|date=2000|publisher=]|last2=Kirkpatrick|first2=Peter|isbn=9780702231506|location=St. Lucia, Qld.|page=150|oclc=44895603}}</ref> | |||
* ] on Enmore Road | |||
* the ] | |||
In the 1970s and 1980s many theatres, cinemas and music venues in the Sydney CBD were demolished. Due to the lack of "lyric"-sized venues, the ] in Enmore Road has become one of the busiest medium-sized concert venues in Sydney. | |||
In the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, Newtown was home to several popular theatres. Some of their buildings are still standing and some have been demolished. ] staged theatre and vaudeville in the early 20th century.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |last=Smart |first=Alec |date= 23 March 2022|title=Newtown's forgotten theatre venues |url=https://www.neighbourhoodmedia.com.au/post/newtown-s-forgotten-theatre-venues |website=Neighbourhood Media}}</ref> The Hub, originally known as Clay’s Bridge Theatre, opened in 1913 and staged vaudeville acts and other performances.<ref name=":0" /> Other theatres from this era included Fullers' Majestic Theatre (from 1955 known as the Elizabethan Theatre) on the corner of Wilson Street and Erskineville Road, St George's Hall at 352 King Street, Manchester Unity Hall (previously Oddfellows Hall) at 12-14 Enmore Road, and the ], built in 1908. | |||
===Festivals=== | |||
Newtown hosts a number of annual festivals. | |||
] | |||
] | |||
The '''Newtown Festival''' was a community festival of free live music, events, workshops and stalls that was held annually from 1978 to 2019.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Attanasio |first=Joe |date=11 May 2023 |title=Newtown Festival calls curtains after 40 years |url=https://www.9news.com.au/national/newtown-festival-to-close-after-40-years/ea2c9419-e3d0-4605-811a-dc53891a2653 |access-date=12 May 2023 |website=www.9news.com.au}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Gallagher |first=Alex |date=10 May 2023 |title=Sydney's Newtown Festival Calls It a Day After More Than 40 Years |url=https://musicfeeds.com.au/news/newtown-festival-sydney-calls-it-a-day-after-more-than-40-years/ |access-date=12 May 2023 |website=Music Feeds |language=en-US}}</ref> Held in ] next to ], Newtown.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://neac.com.au/services/church-in-the-graveyard/|title=Church in the Graveyard|work=neac.com.au|access-date=5 February 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181204111843/http://www.neac.com.au/services/church-in-the-graveyard/|archive-date=4 December 2018|url-status=dead}}</ref> The purpose of the festival was to raise funds for the ], an association that provides services to non-English speakers, the aged, disabled or poor.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.newtowncentre.org/_pdfs/gww26oct2006011.pdf|title=Organisers get flak {{sic|hide=y|over over}} fence|work=The Glebe|date=26 October 2006|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150403064145/http://www.newtowncentre.org/_pdfs/gww26oct2006011.pdf|archive-date=3 April 2015|url-status=dead|access-date=26 July 2017}}</ref> | |||
'''Feastability''', Newtown's Food and Wine Festival, showcases the eclectic international cuisines of the suburb along with Australian wine, local pubs and brewers, bakers and confectioners. The festival, which is held on the last Sunday of each September, started in the mid-1990s as six stalls outside the Hub. It now takes place in the grounds of Newtown School of Performing Arts, has more than 40 stalls and features all-day entertainment from musicians and artists, as well as kids' activities. The festival is organised by ]. | |||
'''Under the Blue Moon Festival''' was an alternative community festival also held in September. The event had a variety of entertainment; live music, discussions, street performances, fashion shows and other subculture presentations, especially those of the ] community. Local business and special interest groups provided a diverse variety of entertainment, including a local alternative hairdresser and even the local mortuary with a display of coffins.<ref> {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110219113618/http://www.underthebluemoon.org.au/ |date=19 February 2011 }}</ref> | |||
''']''' festival is a three-week alternative arts festival that was held for the first time in September 2010 at venues in Newtown, Enmore and Marrickville. It is a project of the Newtown Entertainment Precinct Association.<ref></ref> | |||
=== Sport === | |||
{{main|Newtown Jets}} | |||
Newtown Rugby League Football Club—the "]"—is Australia's oldest existing ] club, formed in 1908 at the Newtown Town Hall.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.newtownjets.com/|title=Newtown Jets}}</ref> They compete in the ] competition, a tier below the ]'s national premiership, having left the top grade after the 1983 season. Their home ground is ], ]. | |||
===Film and television=== | |||
In the late 1960s, the Australian TV drama series ''You Can't See Round Corners'' starred ] and ] as a draft dodger hiding out in Newtown. The TV series was based on ]'s novel of the same name, which is set in 1940s ]. When the decision was made to set the TV series in the 1960s, scriptwriter ] moved the action to Newtown because Paddington by the 1960s was considered too gentrified, while Newtown was still an "industrial suburb".<ref>{{Cite book|title=Speaking of Us: Voices from 20th Century Australia|last=York|first=Barry|publisher=National Library of Australia|year=1999|isbn=0642107157|page=82}}</ref> | |||
In the mid-1980s, the Spanish Mission-style service station on King Street was used as a location for scenes in the ] film '']'', which was based on the novel by ]. In the film, the service station was used as the childhood home of Harry Joy's wife Bettina, played by ]. | |||
'']'' (1999), directed by Alan White and starring ], features extensive use of locations in Newtown and Erskineville, including a scene shot in Gould's Book Arcade. | |||
'']'' (2002) directed by ], depicts a fictional indie rock band based in Newtown. | |||
The ABC television drama '']'', starring musician-actor ] and featuring live bands each episode, included extensive location shooting at the Courthouse Hotel in Australia Street. | |||
] and ] have regularly been used as sites for filming movies, TV and videos, notably in '']''. | |||
The 2012 romantic comedy '']'', directed by Peter Templeman, was filmed in Newtown and surrounding suburbs.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.southsydneyherald.com.au/film-reviewnot-suitable-for-children/#.Wm-2bHlxVhE|title=Film Review: Not Suitable For Children {{!}} South Sydney Herald South Sydney Herald|website=www.southsydneyherald.com.au|language=en-AU|access-date=30 January 2018}}</ref> | |||
In 2013, Sydney band ] filmed the ] for their song "Australia Street" on ]. | |||
In 2014, the British alternative rock band ] featured the town in the music video for their single "]". | |||
=== Literature === | |||
==== People and institutions ==== | |||
Significant writers who live or lived in Newtown include ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ] (aka Rickety Kate), ], ],<ref>{{Cite book|title=Literary Sydney : a walking guide|last=Dimond|first=Jill|date=2000|publisher=University of Queensland Press|last2=Kirkpatrick|first2=Peter|isbn=9780702231506|location=St. Lucia, Qld.|page=136|oclc=44895603}}</ref> ],<ref>{{Cite web |last=melaniesuzannewilson |date=2015-05-20 |title=David Marr: A man of conviction |url=https://atthefestival.wordpress.com/2015/05/20/david-marr-a-man-of-conviction/ |access-date=2024-09-02 |language=en}}</ref> ] and ].<ref name="Newtown Review of Books">{{Cite news|date=13 March 2015|title=The Godfather: Peter Corris on digging up Newtown – Newtown Review of Books|language=en-US|work=Newtown Review of Books|url=http://newtownreviewofbooks.com.au/2015/03/13/the-godfather-peter-corris-on-digging-up-newtown|access-date=30 January 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150513101212/http://newtownreviewofbooks.com.au/2015/03/13/the-godfather-peter-corris-on-digging-up-newtown/|archive-date=13 May 2015}}</ref> The composer and writer ], who collaborated with ] on his '']'', is buried at ].<ref name="1956- 2000">{{Cite book|title=Literary Sydney: a walking guide|last=Dimond|first=Jill|date=2000|publisher=University of Queensland Press|last2=Kirkpatrick|first2=Peter|isbn=9780702231506|location=St. Lucia, Qld.|oclc=44895603}}</ref> | |||
The first municipal library in New South Wales was established in Newtown in 1868 in the Newtown School of Arts building at the corner of Australia and King Streets.<ref>{{Cite book|title=A wander around old Newtown|last=Baskerville|first=Bruce|publisher=South Sydney Heritage Society|year=1995|location=Strawberry Hills, New South Wales|page=22}}</ref> Today, as well as the Newtown Library run by the City of Sydney, the suburb is home to ], a ] library established in 1992.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.lotl.com/News/Founding-Member-Of-Newtowns-Womens-Library-Returns--1181/|title=Founding Member of Newtown's Women's Library Returns|access-date=30 January 2018|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.thewomenslibrary.org.au/twl_wp/about-us|title=About Us {{!}} The Women's Library|website=www.thewomenslibrary.org.au|language=en-AU|access-date=30 January 2018}}</ref> | |||
Newtown is home to many bookshops, including Gould's Book Arcade (founded in 1967 by activist ]),<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/books/2017/nov/27/goulds-book-arcade-the-political-literary-legacy-of-newtowns-dusty-wonder|title=Gould's Book Arcade: the political, literary legacy of Newtown's dusty wonder|last=Harmon|first=Steph|date=26 November 2017|website=The Guardian|language=en|access-date=30 January 2018}}</ref> Better Read than Dead, Elizabeth's Bookshop, Modern Times and Parliament on King. Anarchist bookshop Black Rose Books, established in 1982, has occupied several sites in Newtown including its current location on Enmore Road.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.takver.com/history/sydney/syd8202.htm|title=Anarchism in Sydney 1982–2002: Anarchism in two bookshops by John Englart|website=www.takver.com|access-date=14 June 2019}}</ref> | |||
Many publishing houses have been active in Newtown over the years. , , Darlington Press and ] are currently based in the Newtown area; Newtown publishers of the past include Neptune Press, Camperdown Press, Millennium Books and Leftbank Publishing. The '']'', a literary journal established in 2012 by ] and Linda Funnell, has published essays about the suburb by the crime writer ].<ref name="Newtown Review of Books"/> | |||
==== Newtown in fiction ==== | |||
One of the first pieces of fiction to be published in colonial Sydney was "The Legend of Newtown" by future member of parliament ], published in the Sydney ''Sentinel'' on 5 November 1845 when the author was 17. It described Newtown as "a favourite place ... to snatch a mouthful of fresh air, a view of the ruralities of the place".<ref>{{cite web|url=https://dictionaryofsydney.org/entry/literature|title=Literature {{!}} The Dictionary of Sydney|website=dictionaryofsydney.org|language=en|access-date=31 January 2018}}</ref> | |||
The famous Newtown recluse and eccentric ] (1826–1886) is said by some sources to have inspired the character of ] in ] novel '']''. Donnithorne lived in Cambridge House (later known as Camperdown Lodge and since demolished)<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article28020777|title=Camperdown Lodge.|date=5 January 1935|work=Sydney Morning Herald|access-date=13 March 2018|page=11}}</ref> at 36 ], Newtown from about 1836 until her death in 1886. She is buried at ].<ref>{{Cite book|url=http://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/donnithorne-eliza-emily-3426|title=Australian Dictionary of Biography|last=Ryan|first=J. S.|chapter=Donnithorne, Eliza Emily (1826–1886)|publisher=National Centre of Biography, Australian National University|location=Canberra}}</ref> | |||
]'s 1959 novel ''Bobbin' Up'' includes a description of the dance halls and night life of King Street in the 1950s.<ref>{{Cite book|title=Bobbin up|first=Dorothy|last=Hewett|date=1987|orig-year=First published 1985|edition=1st US |publisher=Penguin Books|isbn=9780140161755|location=New York, N.Y., U.S.A.|oclc=16936473}}</ref> ''The House that Was Eureka'' by ] (1985) is set in a row of Newtown terrace houses in 1931 and 1981, both periods of economic downturn and high unemployment in the suburb.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.wheelercentre.com/notes/63f89a4da591/|title=Notes – 'The Ghosts Around Us': Toni Jordan on Nadia Wheatley|work=The Wheeler Centre|access-date=10 November 2018}}</ref> | |||
More recently, ]'s 2015 novel ''The Bird's Child'' is set in bohemian Newtown in 1929.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://newtownreviewofbooks.com.au/2015/05/21/sandra-leigh-price-the-birds-child-reviewed-by-lou-murphy/|title=Sandra Leigh Price – The Bird's Child. Reviewed by Lou Murphy – Newtown Review of Books|date=21 May 2015|work=Newtown Review of Books|access-date=30 January 2018|language=en-US|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180813002027/http://newtownreviewofbooks.com.au/2015/05/21/sandra-leigh-price-the-birds-child-reviewed-by-lou-murphy/|archive-date=13 August 2018|url-status=dead}}</ref> ''Dark Fires Shall Burn'', a 2016 crime novel by ], is set in Newtown in 1946.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/books/dark-fires-shall-burn-review-anna-westbrooks-murder-story-in-postwar-sydney-20160425-goeatg.html|title=Dark Fires Shall Burn review: Anna Westbrook's murder story in post-war Sydney|last=Dempsey|first=Dianne|date=29 April 2016|work=The Sydney Morning Herald|access-date=31 January 2018|language=en-US}}</ref> The verse novel ''Newtown Voices'' by Sue Cartledge (2017) describes Newtown in 1978.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.localnewsplus.com.au/story?ID=128033&stories=stories&publication=Inner%20West%20Times§ion=news|title=Village Voices from the Past|date=31 May 2017|work=Inner West Times|access-date=31 January 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180131081128/http://www.localnewsplus.com.au/story?ID=128033&stories=stories&publication=Inner%20West%20Times§ion=news|archive-date=31 January 2018|url-status=dead}}</ref> ''The Blank Page'' by ] (1987) features a cameo by the Marlborough Hotel on King Street. | |||
==== Newtown in poetry ==== | |||
Poems about Newtown include "Laminex" by ],<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.poetrylibrary.edu.au/poets/tranter-john/laminex-0346059|title=Laminex – John Tranter – Poem – Australian Poetry Library|website=www.poetrylibrary.edu.au|language=en|access-date=30 January 2018}}</ref> "Newtown Pastoral" by ],<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.poetrylibrary.edu.au/poets/ryan-gig/newtown-pastoral-0298056|title=Newtown Pastoral – Gig Ryan – Poem – Australian Poetry Library|website=www.poetrylibrary.edu.au|language=en|access-date=30 January 2018}}</ref> "On the Road" by ],<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.poetrylibrary.edu.au/poets/kelen-s-k/on-the-road-0071024|title=On the Road – S. K. Kelen – Poem – Australian Poetry Library|website=www.poetrylibrary.edu.au|language=en|access-date=30 January 2018}}</ref> "Thread Drift" by ],<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.poetrylibrary.edu.au/poets/brown-pam/thread-drift-0281012|title=Thread drift – Pam Brown – Poem – Australian Poetry Library|website=www.poetrylibrary.edu.au|language=en|access-date=30 January 2018}}</ref> "Greek Cheeses" and "To a Runner Dressed in Black" by ],<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.poetrylibrary.edu.au/poets/aitken-adam/to-a-runner-dressed-in-black-0615024|title=To a Runner Dressed in Black – Adam Aitken – Poem – Australian Poetry Library|website=www.poetrylibrary.edu.au|language=en|access-date=30 January 2018}}</ref> "King Street Newtown" by ],<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.poetrylibrary.edu.au/poets/clark-alison/king-street-newtown-0587048|title=King Street Newtown – Alison Clark – Poem – Australian Poetry Library|website=www.poetrylibrary.edu.au|language=en|access-date=30 January 2018}}</ref> "Autumn in Newtown" by ], the 1994 collection ''Wildlife in Newtown'' by ], <ref name="1956- 2000" /> and "An Ordinary Evening in Newtown" by Laurie Duggan.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Duggan |first=Laurie |date=2013-03-25 |title='An Ordinary Evening in Newtown', a new poem by Laurie Duggan |url=https://www.australianbookreview.com.au/abr-online/archive/2013/98-april-2013-no-350/1418-an-ordinary-evening-in-newtown |access-date=2024-01-28 |website=Australian Book Review |language=en-gb}}</ref> | |||
==== Newtown in children's literature ==== | |||
Children's literature set in Newtown includes ''My Place'' and ''Five Times Dizzy and Dancing in the Anzac Deli'' by ]<ref>{{Cite book|title=Literary Sydney: a walking guide|last=Dimond|first=Jill|date=2000|publisher=University of Queensland Press|last2=Kirkpatrick|first2=Peter|isbn=9780702231506|location=St. Lucia, Qld.|page=139|oclc=44895603}}</ref> and ''Lara of Newtown'' by ].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.allenandunwin.com/browse/books/childrens/picture-books/Lara-of-Newtown-Chris-McKimmie-9781760112325|title=Lara of Newtown – Chris McKimmie – 9781760112325 – Allen & Unwin – Australia|website=www.allenandunwin.com|access-date=31 January 2018}}</ref> | |||
===Graffiti and street art=== | |||
] | |||
{{main|Newtown area graffiti and street art}} | |||
The Newtown area is also known for its creative ] and "street art". The most prominent of these works are the large murals created in the late 1980s and early 1990s, which were painted on the walls of houses and shops in the area. Spray-painted "tags" have proliferated all over the area in recent years, although more recently the style of tagging has become far more elaborate than the simple spray-can signatures that litter walls throughout the district. | |||
Examples include a mural of American civil rights leader ] on King Street (painted by Andrew Aiken (Seems) and Juilee Pryor), the "Great Wave" mural in Gowrie Street, the "Three Proud People" mural (a reproduction of a ]), and the "map of Africa" mural in King Street. | |||
Since 2014, the ] (and its predecessor, ]) have managed the "Perfect Match" initiative, which pairs artists with residents and business owners to create large-scale paintings in public spaces.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Surman |first=Jessica |date=2015-07-30 |title=Perfect Match Brings Collaborative Street Art to the Inner West |url=https://concreteplayground.com/sydney/arts-entertainment/art/perfect-match-brings-collaborative-street-art-to-the-inner-west |access-date=2024-05-17 |website=Concrete Playground |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Hoh |first=Amanda |date=2017-08-07 |title=Street art a 'perfect match' for Inner West Council's fight against graffiti |url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-08-07/inner-west-council-unveils-street-art-in-fight-against-graffiti/8781188 |access-date=2024-05-17 |work=ABC News |language=en-AU}}</ref> As of 2024, over 160 artworks have been produced through the initiative, including in Newtown.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Perfect Match Street Art - Inner West Council |url=https://www.innerwest.nsw.gov.au/live/living-arts/perfect-match |access-date=2024-05-17 |website=www.innerwest.nsw.gov.au |language=en}}</ref> | |||
=== Gay and lesbian culture === | |||
According to the 2011 census, Newtown, ] and ] had the highest proportions of same-sex couples.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.abs.gov.au/AUSSTATS/abs@.nsf/Lookup/4102.0Main+Features10July+2013|title=Same-Sex Couples|work=Australian Social Trends|date=25 July 2013|publisher=ABS}}</ref> The gay and lesbian community of Newtown also extends into neighbouring Glebe, Leichhardt, Annandale, Marrickville, Enmore and Dulwich Hill. The area was home to two of Sydney’s most well-established gay and lesbian pubs, the Newtown Hotel on King Street and the nearby Imperial Hotel in Erskineville Road (the famous ] pub featured in the movie '']''). The owners of the Newtown Hotel abruptly terminated negotiations for lease renewal and locked the licence-owner out of the premises in November 2007.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.samesame.com.au/news/local/1597/Newtown-Hotel--The-Official-Word.htm|title=Newtown Hotel – The Official Word|author=Christian Taylor|date=5 November 2007|work=samesame|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091102025202/http://www.samesame.com.au/news/local/1597/Newtown-Hotel--The-Official-Word.htm|archive-date=2 November 2009}}</ref> The bar reopened in late 2010, under the name 'Freaky Tiki'.<ref name="au.timeout.com">{{cite web|url=http://www.au.timeout.com/sydney/bars/venues/4231/newtown-hotel|title=Freaky Tiki|author=Rhiannon Elston|work=Time Out Sydney|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111219184437/http://www.au.timeout.com/sydney/bars/venues/4231/newtown-hotel|archive-date=19 December 2011}}</ref> After renovations in 2010, it has reopened and reclaimed its original name, The Newtown Hotel, and currently offers a general, non-specific clientele, in common with most bars in the area.<ref>{{cite web| url = https://www.starobserver.com.au/news/national-news/new-south-wales-news/newtown-hotel-to-reopen-2/37261| title = Newtown Hotel to reopen - Star Observer| date = 23 November 2010}}</ref><ref name="au.timeout.com"/><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.starobserver.com.au/news/australia-news/new-south-wales-news/2010/11/24/newtown-hotel-to-reopen-2/37261|title=Newtown Hotel to reopen|work=starobserver.com.au|date=23 November 2010}}</ref> The Imperial also closed in 2007 for renovations but did not reopen until 2010, following a protracted and expensive licensing battle with the local council. As of 2019, The Imperial hosts queer parties on Thursday nights.<ref>{{cite web| url = https://www.starobserver.com.au/photos/heaps-gay-imperial-hotel/191307| title = Heaps Gay @ Imperial Hotel - Star Observer| date = 17 December 2019}}</ref> | |||
One bar formerly known as Zanzibar had a loyal lesbian following but it rebranded as Websters Bar, with a general clientele in 2016.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.theaureview.com/travel/newtowns-iconic-zanzibar-has-completely-transformed-is-now-known-as-websters-bar-sydney/|title=Newtown's iconic Zanzibar has completely transformed; is now known as Websters Bar (Sydney)|date=5 June 2016}}</ref> Wednesday nights are especially popular for lesbians as the upstairs bar at The Bank Hotel hosts nights for queer women.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://happymag.tv/its-another-massive-month-for-live-music-at-the-bank-heres-whats-on/|title = It's another massive month for live music at the Bank. Here's what's on|date = 11 February 2020}}</ref><ref name="sapphicsydney.com.au"></ref> | |||
Since 2018, rapid gentrification of the area and Sydney's introduction of the CBD lockout laws, which Newtown is excluded from, has seen much of the LGBTQ+ scene pushed into neighbouring areas.<ref>{{cite web|author=Scott McKinnon |url=https://theconversation.com/big-city-gaybourhoods-where-they-come-from-and-why-they-still-matter-93956 |title=Big city gaybourhoods: where they come from and why they still matter |publisher=Theconversation.com |date=2 May 2018 |accessdate=20 March 2022}}</ref> Also as a result, homophobic violence has risen in the area.<ref>{{cite news| url = https://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-04-14/violence-increasing-newtown-alleged-homophobic-attack-victim/7328142| title = Violence on the rise in Newtown, suspected homophobic attack victim Isaac Keatinge says - ABC News| website = ]| date = 14 April 2016}}</ref> | |||
The Gay and Lesbian Counselling Service in Newtown provides free telephone counselling for gays and lesbians living in NSW, as well as Twenty 10, a support organisation for young gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, same-sex attracted and gender-questioning people who are under 26 and having problems at home or have recently become homeless. | |||
== Population == | |||
{{Historical populations | |||
|type= | |||
|2001|12457 | |||
|2006|13550 | |||
|2011|14148 | |||
|2016|15029 | |||
|2021|14690 | |||
}} | |||
=== Demographics === | |||
At the ] there were 14,690 people in Newtown.<ref>{{Cite web |title=2021 Newtown (NSW), Census All persons QuickStats |url=https://www.abs.gov.au/census/find-census-data/quickstats/2021/SAL12969 |access-date=20 August 2022 |website=Australian Bureau of Statistics}}</ref> | |||
The region boasts a relatively younger population with a median age of 33,<ref>{{Cite web |title=People & Lifestyle Newtown NSW 2042 |url=https://www.microburbs.com.au/People-Lifestyle/Newtown-(NSW) |access-date=2023-06-20 |website=www.microburbs.com.au}}</ref> considerably lower than the national median of 38.5.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-06-06 |title=Profile of Australia's population |url=https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports/australias-health/profile-of-australias-population#:~:text=Australia%27s%20population%20has%20grown%20older,17%25%20over%20the%20same%20period. |access-date=2023-06-20 |website=Australian Institute of Health and Welfare |language=en-AU}}</ref> Education attainment levels in Newtown are high, with 41.1% of its residents holding a bachelor's degree or higher. <ref>{{Cite web |title=People & Lifestyle Newtown NSW 2042 |url=https://www.microburbs.com.au/People-Lifestyle/Newtown-(NSW) |access-date=2023-06-20 |website=www.microburbs.com.au}}</ref> | |||
Newtown also stands out for its high level of cultural diversity. About 28.2% of Newtown residents speak a language other than English at home, reflecting the multicultural character of this inner-city suburb.<ref>{{Cite web |title=2021 Newtown (NSW), Census All persons QuickStats {{!}} Australian Bureau of Statistics |url=https://abs.gov.au/census/find-census-data/quickstats/2021/SAL12969 |access-date=2023-06-20 |website=abs.gov.au}}</ref> | |||
As per 2021 Census, the majority of Newtown residents were born in ] (64.5%). Other countries of birth for residents include ] (5.7%), ] (2.7%), ] (1.5%) and the ] (1.4%). Smaller but significant groups from diverse ethnic backgrounds further contribute to the multicultural character of Newtown, marking the suburb as a microcosm of global cultures within Sydney's vibrant urban landscape.<ref>{{Cite web |title=2021 Newtown (NSW), Census All persons QuickStats {{!}} Australian Bureau of Statistics |url=https://abs.gov.au/census/find-census-data/quickstats/2021/SAL12969 |access-date=2023-06-20 |website=abs.gov.au}}</ref> | |||
The residents of Newtown enjoy an above-average lifestyle, with a ] of $2,024, significantly higher than the national median.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Affluence & Economy Newtown NSW 2042 |url=https://www.microburbs.com.au/Affluence-Economy/Newtown-(NSW) |access-date=2023-06-20 |website=www.microburbs.com.au}}</ref> The suburb continues to attract a mix of students, professionals, artists, and independent thinkers, making it one of Sydney's most dynamic and unique suburbs.<ref>{{Cite web |last=admin |title=The Top 10 Sydney Suburbs For Young People |url=https://www.switchliving.com.au/student-guide/go/top-10-sydney-suburbs-for-young-people/ |access-date=2023-06-20 |website=The Switch |language=en-AU}}</ref> | |||
=== Notable residents === | |||
] | |||
* ], industrial music duo | |||
* ] (b. 1970), pop singer | |||
* ] (1813–1884), classical scholar | |||
* ], musician | |||
* ] – ]/] | |||
* ] (1826–1915), born Thomas Browne, author of seventeen novels including the classic '']'' | |||
* ], comedian and former rapper | |||
* ] (b. 1961), rugby league player | |||
* ] (1906–1982), linguist & anthropologist | |||
* ] (b. 1960), member of Australian children's group ] | |||
* ] (c.1826–1886), recluse and rumored model for ] | |||
* ] (1904–1963), Academy Award-winning Australian film director and father of actresses ] and ] | |||
* ] (1784–1841), first Chief Justice of the NSW Supreme Court | |||
* ] (1886–1954), Labor politician, Australia's first female Mayor | |||
* ], band originating in Newtown | |||
* ], former winner of the Archibald Prize for portraiture | |||
* ] (b. 1972), rugby league player | |||
* ], entertainer and former lead singer of 80s rock band ] | |||
* ] (1831–1882), poet | |||
* ] (1934–2011), ] author and Koori activist | |||
* ] (1867–1922), writer | |||
* ], actress and singer | |||
* ], DJ and music producer | |||
* ], theatre producer | |||
* ] (b. 1975), rugby league player and boxer | |||
* ] (1928–2007), prominent business and nightclub owner, gay and lesbian rights campaigner | |||
* ] (1777–1855), pioneering entrepreneur who is portrayed on the ] | |||
* ] (1820–1900), merchant and politician | |||
* ], mathematician, science broadcaster and radio and TV personality | |||
* ] (1872–1922), literary critic, art critic, editor | |||
* ] (1910−1984), rugby league player | |||
* ] (b. 1965), former children's presenter and jazz singer | |||
* ], writer | |||
* ], pop band | |||
* ] (1780–1855), magistrate & legal pioneer, inaugural Lord Mayor of Sydney | |||
* ] (1903–1988), educationalist | |||
* ], indie rock band mostly known for their hit remake of "Forever Young" | |||
== Governance == | |||
=== Local === | |||
Newtown is divided between ] and ] ]s. | |||
===State=== | |||
{| class="wikitable" style="float:right; margin-left:1em" | |||
|- | |||
! colspan = 3 | 2011 State Elections<br /><small>]: First preference votes</small> | |||
|- | |||
| {{Australian party style|Labor}}| | |||
| Labor | |||
| style="background:#ff9;"| 38.1% | |||
|- | |||
| {{Australian party style|Greens}}| | |||
| Greens | |||
| style="background:#ff9;"| 35.9% | |||
|- | |||
| {{Australian party style|Liberal}}| | |||
| Liberal | |||
| style="background:#ff9;"| 19.1% | |||
|- | |||
| {{Australian party style|Socialist Alliance}}| | |||
| Socialist Alliance | |||
| style="background:#ff9;"| 1.9% | |||
|- | |||
| {{Australian party style|Christian Democrats}}| | |||
| ] | |||
| style="background:#ff9;"| 1.2% | |||
|} | |||
{| class="wikitable" style="float:right; margin-left:1em" | |||
|- | |||
! colspan = 3 | 2015 State Elections<br /><small>]: First preference votes</small> | |||
|- | |||
| {{Australian party style|Greens}}| | |||
| Greens | |||
| style="background:#ff9;"| 45.6% | |||
|- | |||
| {{Australian party style|Labor}}| | |||
| Labor | |||
| style="background:#ff9;"| 30.8% | |||
|- | |||
| {{Australian party style|Liberal}}| | |||
| Liberal | |||
| style="background:#ff9;"| 17.8% | |||
|- | |||
| {{Australian party style|Animal Justice}}| | |||
| ] | |||
| style="background:#ff9;"| 2.2% | |||
|- | |||
| {{Australian party style|Australian Cyclists}}| | |||
| ] | |||
| style="background:#ff9;"| 1.8% | |||
|} | |||
Newtown was predominantly in the State ], which was represented by the then deputy ] ] until his resignation on 10 August 2005. The resulting ], held on 17 September 2005 was won by ]. Prior to the 2015 NSW State Election, the ] was recreated, which had previously existed but had been abolished after the 1950 election. Newtown now resides in this district. | |||
{{clear right}} | |||
===Federal=== | |||
Federally, Newtown lies partly in the electorate of ], represented by ] of the ], and partly in the electorate of Sydney, represented by ], also of the ALP. | |||
Both electorates saw strong ] votes in the ], and it was expected the Green candidates, rather than the ], would provide the main opposition to the ALP in the ], although the Liberals ultimately did narrowly retain their lead over the Greens in these electorates. | |||
==Gallery== | |||
<gallery> | |||
File:Italianate house Newtown.jpg|Restored grand 19th Century house, Dickson Street | |||
File:Brownst.JPG|Tresco, elaborately decorated Italianate terrace, Watkin Street | |||
File:NewtownAtNight.JPG|] at night. | |||
File:Newtown Court House.JPG|Newtown Court House, architect James Barnet, 1885. | |||
File:Newtown Post Office.JPG|Newtown Post Office. | |||
File:Newtown School of the Arts.JPG|St George's Hall, 1887 | |||
File:Newtown Enmore Road.JPG|Dispensary Hall, Enmore Road | |||
File:Newtown St Stephens Anglican.JPG|] | |||
File:Newtown Church.JPG|St Joseph's Catholic Church | |||
File:Newtown Greek Orthodox Church.jpg|Sts Constantine & Helen Greek Orthodox Church | |||
File:Newtown Mission Uniting Church.JPG|Mission Uniting Church | |||
File:Newtown North Public School.JPG|Newtown North Public School | |||
</gallery> | |||
== References == | |||
{{reflist}} | |||
== Further reading == | |||
* Alan Sharpe. ''Pictorial History of Newtown.'' Published by Kingsclear Books, Australia 1999. ({{ISBN|090827260X}}) | |||
* Matt Murphy.''The Weight of Evidence.'' Published by Hale and Iremonger, Australia 2013. ({{ISBN|9780868069265}}) | |||
== External links == | |||
{{Commons category|Newtown, New South Wales}} | |||
* | |||
* | |||
* | |||
* | |||
* | |||
*: Information about theatre performances and other live entertainment | |||
* | |||
* | |||
* | |||
* | |||
* | |||
* | |||
{{Coord|-33.89|151.18|format=dms|type:city_region:AU-NSW|display=title}} | |||
{{Sydney Marrickville suburbs}} | |||
{{Authority control}} | |||
] | |||
] | |||
] | |||
] | |||
] | |||
] |
Latest revision as of 06:50, 23 November 2024
Suburb of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
Newtown Sydney, New South Wales | |||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Intersection of King Street & Enmore Road, Newtown | |||||||||||||||
Population | 14,690 (SAL 2021) | ||||||||||||||
Established | 1812 | ||||||||||||||
Postcode(s) | 2042 | ||||||||||||||
Elevation | 42 m (138 ft) | ||||||||||||||
Area | 1.6 km (0.6 sq mi) | ||||||||||||||
Location | 4 km (2 mi) south-west of Sydney central business district | ||||||||||||||
LGA(s) | |||||||||||||||
State electorate(s) | Newtown | ||||||||||||||
Federal division(s) | |||||||||||||||
|
Newtown, a suburb of Sydney's inner west, is located approximately four kilometres south-west of the Sydney central business district, straddling the local government areas of the City of Sydney and Inner West Council in the state of New South Wales, Australia.
King Street is the main street of Newtown and centre of commercial and entertainment activity. The street follows the spine of a long ridge that rises up near the University of Sydney and extends to the south, becoming the Princes Highway at its southern end.
Enmore Road branches off King Street towards the suburb of Enmore at Newtown Bridge, where the road passes over the Main Suburban railway line at Newtown railway station.
Enmore Road and King Street together comprise 9.1 kilometres of over 600 shopfronts. The main shopping strip of Newtown is the longest and most complete commercial precinct of the late Victorian and Federation period in Australia.
King Street is often referred to as "Eat Street" in the media due to the large number of cafés, pubs and restaurants of various cultures. Cafés, restaurants and galleries can also be found in the streets surrounding King Street.
History
Aboriginal history
The area known as Newtown was part of a broader area where the Cadigal tribe of the Eora people lived, who ranged across the entire area from the southern shores of Sydney Harbour to Botany Bay in the south-east and Petersham in the Inner West.
The first indigenous Australian to receive a Christian burial was Tommy, an 11-year-old boy who died of bronchitis in the Sydney Infirmary. He was buried in Camperdown Cemetery, in a section now located outside the wall. The cemetery also contains a sandstone obelisk erected in 1944 by the Rangers League of NSW, in memory of Tommy and three other indigenous Australians buried there: Mogo, William Perry and Wandelina Cabrorigirel, although their graves are no longer identifiable. When the names were transcribed from the records onto the monument, there was an error in deciphering the flowing hand in which many of the original burial dockets were written. It is now known that the fourth name was not Wandelina Cabrorigirel, but Mandelina (Aboriginal).
King street, Newtown's main street, reputedly follows an Aboriginal track that branched out from the main western track, now beneath Broadway and Parramatta Road, and which continued all the way to the coastal plains around Botany Bay. This conflicts with other claims that the main western track was a barrier which divided the land.
19th century
See also: Municipality of NewtownNewtown was established as a residential and farming area in the early 19th century. Nicholas Devine, the first principal superintendent of convicts called his property Burren Farm, after a region of County Clare in his native Ireland. Burren Farm would later become parts of Newtown and Macdonaldtown (now Erskineville).
Some histories say that the Newtown area took its name from a grocery store opened there by John and Margaret Webster in 1832, at a site close to where the Newtown railway station stands today. They placed a sign atop their store that read "New Town Stores". Captain Sylvester John Browne, father of Thomas Alexander Browne ("Rolf Boldrewood"), built "Newtown House" in the area around the same time, which has also been cited as the source of the name. The name New Town was adopted, at first unofficially, with the space disappearing to form the name Newtown. This account of the origins of the suburb's name has been disputed by other historians, given evidence that the names "Newtown" and "New Town" were in use some years before Webster opened his store.
The part of Newtown lying south of King Street was a portion of the two estates granted by Governor Arthur Phillip to the Superintendent of Convicts, Nicholas Devine, in 1794 and 1799. Parts of Macdonaldtown (now Erskineville) and Golden Grove were also once part of Devine's grant. In 1827, when Devine was aged about 90, this land was acquired from him by a convict, Bernard Rochford, who sold it to many of Sydney's wealthiest and most influential inhabitants, including the mayor. Devine's heir, John Devine, a coachbuilder of Birmingham, challenged the will, which was blatantly fraudulent. The "Newtown Ejectment Case" was eventually settled out of court by the payment to Devine of an unknown sum of money said to have been "considerable". The land was further divided into housing that is now evidenced by the rows of terrace houses and commercial and industrial premises.
Part of the area now falling within the present boundaries of Newtown, north of King Street, was originally part of Camperdown. This area was named by Governor William Bligh, who received it as a land grant in 1806 and passed it to his daughter and son-in-law on his return to England in 1810. In 1848 part of this land was acquired by the Sydney Church of England Cemetery Company to create a general cemetery beyond the boundary of the City of Sydney. Camperdown Cemetery, one block away from King Street, was to become significant in the life of the suburb. Between its consecration in 1849 and its closure to further sales in 1868 it saw 15,000 burials of people from all over Sydney. Of that number, approximately half were paupers buried in unmarked and often communal graves, sometimes as many as 12 in a day during a measles epidemic. Camperdown Cemetery remains, though much reduced in size, as a rare example of mid-19th-century cemetery landscaping. It retains the Cemetery Lodge, a huge fig tree dating from 1848, as well as a number of oak trees of the same date. It survived to become the main green space of Newtown. Among the notable persons buried in the cemetery are explorer-surveyor Sir Thomas Livingstone Mitchell, Major Edmund Lockyer and Mary, Lady Jamison (widow of the colonial pioneer landowner, physician, constitutional reformer and "knight of the realm", Sir John Jamison), and Eliza Emily Donnithorne, recluse and rumoured inspiration for Miss Havisham. The cemetery also holds the remains of many of the victims of the wreck of the Dunbar in 1857.
From 1845, when the first Anglican church was built on the site of the present Community Centre on Stephen Street, by Edmund Blacket, a number of churches were established, including St Joseph's Roman Catholic church in the 1850s, the Methodist church on King Street, now Newtown Mission, and the Baptist church in Church Street. The present St Stephen's Anglican church, a fine example of Victorian Gothic architecture, was designed, like its predecessor, by Blacket, and built in the grounds of the cemetery between 1871 and 1880. Both it and the cemetery are on the National Trust register of buildings of national significance. Its Mears and Stainbank carillon is unique in Australia, while its Walker and Sons organ of 1874 is regarded as one of the finest in New South Wales.
On 12 December 1862 the Municipality of Newtown was incorporated and divided into three wards: O'Connell, Kingston and Enmore, covering 480 acres (194.25 ha). In 1893 a plan was discussed to rename the council area "South Sydney" (as three municipalities North of Port Jackson (Sydney Harbour) had merged to form North Sydney three years earlier), but nothing came of it.
Housing
Although there are a few earlier buildings in Newtown, the most rapid development came in the late 19th century, with many former farms and other large properties being subdivided and developed as row-houses, known popularly as "terrace houses". With their predominance of Victorian-era houses with stuccoed facades, balconies of iron lace and moulded architectural ornaments, many Newtown streets are similar to those of other well-known inner-city suburbs like Glebe, Paddington and Balmain.
From about 1870 onwards, a large proportion of Newtown's residents lived in terrace houses of the cheapest possible construction. Many of these terraces were "two-up two-down", with rear kitchen, some having adjoining walls only one brick thick and a continuous shared roof space. Hundreds of these terrace houses still remain, generally 4 metres (13 ft) wide. It was not uncommon for speculative builders to build a row of these small houses terminating in a house of 1½ width at the corner of the street, this last being a commercial premises, or "corner store". During the Federation period, single-storey row houses became increasingly common.
This preponderance of small houses is indicative of the working-class employment of most Newtown residents, many of whom worked in the city or at local shops, factories, warehouses, brickyards and at the nearby Eveleigh Railway Workshops. Retail and service trades dominated the suburb increasingly throughout this period, with tradesmen and shopkeepers together accounting for 70–75% of the working population. During the late 19th century and early 20th century, Newtown prospered, so much so that in the Jubilee Souvenir of the Municipality of Newtown, published in 1912, it was described as "one of the most wealthy suburbs around Sydney".
A number of imposing Victorian mansions were built on larger estates, as well as rows of larger and more stylish terrace houses in certain areas such as Georgina Street in North Newtown and Holmwood Street in South Newtown. As in many other historic areas of Sydney, some of the largest and most important houses, such as "Erskine Villa" (formerly on Erskineville Road, and which gave its name to the suburb of Erskineville), were demolished and the estates subdivided. Another loss was the home of Mary Reibey in Station Street, which was acquired by the Department of Housing in 1964, demolished in 1967, and replaced with an 8-story public housing tower block. Only the cottage of Reibey's dairyman survives, a little further down the street.
One of the most impressive surviving sets of 19th-century housing in Newtown is the imposing terrace of five elegant five-storey mansions running along Warren Ball Avenue in North Newtown, facing onto Hollis Park.
From the late 19th century onwards, the Newtown area became a major commercial and industrial centre. King Street developed into a thriving retail precinct and the area was soon dotted with factories, workshops, warehouses and commercial and retail premises of all kinds and sizes. Several major industries were established in the greater Newtown area from the late 19th century, including the Eveleigh Railway Workshops, the IXL jam and preserves factory in North Newtown/Darlington, the St Peters brickworks and the Fowler Potteries in Camperdown.
Public housing
Newtown is home to some public housing pockets built throughout the late 1960s to the 1970s, mainly consisting of unit complexes with walk-up apartments, extensive townhouses and tower blocks closely built together on small blocks of land, resided by the suburbs 1000 social housing tenants. These housing complexes dominate the housing stock on some of Newtown streets.
The large housing estates gradually shrunk as many of the homes were demolished and or reverted to private ownership as the surrounding area slowly went through gentrification.
Most complexes were built with Radburn principles, with prefabricated walk-up flats and apartment blocks accessed by communal pathways and courtyards separated from roads, creating densely populated concentrations of disadvantage. The Radburn design has been widely criticised in outer-suburbs estates, allegedly contributing to some fire hazards and social problems with isolated areas giving local criminals a place to commit crime and evade motorised patrols.
Homes in these areas are owned by either the Department of Housing or the Aboriginal Housing Office. The complexes take up a significant amount of Newtown’s Indigenous Australian population.
The SA1 covering the Golden Grove housing estate according to the 2016 census, is the suburbs most economically/socially disadvantaged.
Department of Housing sites in Newtown:
8 Prefabricated terraces, 7 walk-up flats, 250–350 residents. Alice Street/Camden Street
9 Prefabricated walk-up flats, 75–120 residents. Alice Street/Hawken Street corner
13 Prefabricated walk-up flats, 1 6-story tower block, 300–500 residents. Forbes Street/Golden Grove Street/Darlington Road
1 9-story tower block, numerous Victorian terrace houses, 170–240 residents. Station Street/Reiby Lane corner
As well as numerous Victorian terrace houses and walk-up flat developments scattered around the suburbs streets.
Early 20th century
Although it prospered in the late 19th century, during the first half of the 20th century, and especially during the Depression, like many inner-city Sydney suburbs such as Glebe and Paddington, the area became increasingly run down as wealthy Sydneysiders preferred to settle in newer and more prestigious areas. In 1949, Newtown was incorporated into the City of Sydney.
Mid-20th century
Newtown was originally a relatively prosperous suburb, the legacy of which is the numerous lavish Victorian mansions still standing in the area. However, many parts of Newtown had gradually become a working-class enclave, and for much of the 20th century, Newtown was a low-income blue-collar suburb, often denigrated as a slum. In the post-war period, the low rents and house prices attracted newly arrived European migrants, and Newtown's population changed radically, becoming home to a sizeable migrant community.
In 1968, a controversial redistribution of local government boundaries by the Askin state Liberal government saw part of Newtown become part of Marrickville Council. From the 1970s, as the post-war population prospered, raised families and aged, many moved to outlying suburbs to build larger houses, resulting in a supply of relatively cheap terrace houses and cottages entered the rental market. Because of its proximity to the expanding University of Sydney and the Sydney central business district, along with the comparatively low rents, Newtown began to attract university students in the 1960s and 1970s. The area became a centre for student share-households in Sydney and the development of cafés, pubs and restaurants made it a mecca for many young people. Newtown gained a reputation as a bohemian centre and the gay and lesbian population also increased.
Late 20th century and early 21st century
The 1980s was the period that probably saw the greatest diversity in Newtown. At this time, cheap housing was still available. During the 1990s many long-established businesses closed, including Brennan's Department Store, a charming old-fashioned department store founded in the 19th century, and one of the last relics of the heyday of Victorian commerce in Newtown.
Many homes have been restored and remain examples of 19th-century architecture in Sydney. Like other similar inner-Sydney suburbs (most notably Paddington and Glebe), gentrification has led to another shift in Newtown's demographics. From the 1970s onwards, many major industrial and commercial sites in the area were closed or vacated. Many of these former commercial sites have since been redeveloped as housing such as the Alpha House and Beta House apartment complexes on King Street, which were formerly both multi-storey warehouses. Prior to becoming apartments, Alpha and Beta house became two artist warehouses that accommodated the birthing of many national and international performing arts companies and artists. One such company, "Legs on the Wall", was created in Beta House.
Heritage listings
Newtown has a number of heritage-listed sites, including:
- 187–189 Church Street: St Stephen's Anglican Church
- 15 Carillon Avenue: The Women's College building
- Great Southern and Western railway: Newtown railway station and Newtown Tram Depot
- 69–77 King Street: Trocadero
- 280a King Street: Newtown Mission Uniting Church
Transport
Rail
Former entrance to Newtown Railway StationFormer tramway office buildingsNewtown railway station is on the Leppington & Inner West Line and Liverpool & Inner West Line of the Sydney Trains network. The station opened in 1855, as one of the original four intermediate stations on the Sydney to Parramatta railway line (the others being Ashfield, Burwood and Homebush), and it was soon serviced by ten steam trains a day. In 1878 the station was moved from Station Street to its current location by the fork of King Street and Enmore Road.
Until the 1960s, when trams were phased out in Sydney, Newtown was a major hub for train-tram transfers; several regular electric tram services were centred there and the old Newtown Tram Depot (long vacant and now largely derelict) still stands next to the station. The long-abandoned former office buildings of the tram depot (adjacent to the current station entrance) were renovated during the renovation and rebuilding of Newtown Station and how house a café and restaurant. This extensive renovation, completed in 2012, greatly improved commuter access to the station platforms (which lie in a deep cutting under King Street) including additional stairways and a disabled-accessible elevator, although the renovation works and the layout of the new station entrance blocked the old tram-line entry way into the tram sheds, effectively cutting off direct vehicular access from King St into the tram sheds (which still lie vacant and derelict as of mid-2017).
Buses
Transdev John Holland and Transit Systems operate buses through Newtown. The trams were replaced by bus services that inherited the old route numbers – 422, 426, 428 – and follow the old tram routes that run along King Street and Enmore Road, going inwards to the city and outwards to Tempe, Dulwich Hill and Canterbury, respectively. Since then the 423 service from the city to Kingsgrove Bus Depot via Newtown has been added. There is also the 352 service that goes east through Surry Hills to Bondi Junction and the 370 service running north to the University of Sydney and Glebe Point and south-east to the University of New South Wales and Coogee.
Education
In the 1990s, Newtown High School was chosen by the NSW Department of Education as the site for a new specialised performing arts high school, which would combine traditional academic subjects with music and theatrical performance education. The school was renamed Newtown High School of the Performing Arts. Prior to becoming Newtown High School, it was Newtown Junior Technical School (the "tech") that educated boys from 1st Year to 3rd Year at the end of which they gained the Intermediate Certificate unless they had already left school at the age of 15. Girls of the same age group were educated in the southern part of Newtown Public School. The primary public school was segregated with the boys part facing Newman St opposite the tannery works that often omitted obnoxious odours.' (From "Prior to...odours" it is based on personal knowledge through living in Newtown and attending those schools.)
Primary and infants school include:
- Australia Street Infants School
- Bridge Road School, Camperdown
- Camdenville Public School
- Newtown Public School
- North Newtown Public School
- St Joseph's College (defunct)
Private schools in the area include the Athena School.
The University of Sydney's Centre for Continuing Education provides adult education open to the general public.
Landmarks
Pubs
In part because of its industrial and commercial history, the Newtown area contains many pubs. These include a number of late-Victorian establishments and several in an Art Deco style from the mid-20th century. In July 2000, one of these, "The Marlborough", called by historian Chrys Meader "the Gateway to Newtown" because of its visually commanding appearance at a wide intersection of King Street and Missenden Road, was stripped of all its original Art Deco tiles and had its upper floor substantially damaged before protests to the council prevented this being taken further.
The Trocadero
Main article: Trocadero, NewtownOne of the major architectural conservation projects in Newtown in recent years has been the restoration of the Trocadero dance hall in King Street North. This large entertainment venue opened in 1889 and is one of the last 19th-century dance halls still standing in Sydney. Over the years it functioned variously as a dance hall, a skating rink, a cinema, a boxing and vaudeville venue, a bicycle factory and a motor body works.
From 1920 onward it was owned by the Grace Bros retail company, and several sections were leased out as shops or accommodation. For many years the shopfront on the northern side of the building housed Maurice's Lebanese Restaurant, commemorated in John Kennedy's "On King St, I'm A King". The building was purchased by Moore Theological College in 1974, and from 1981 to 1994 it housed the Con Dellis used furniture store, but all occupation ceased after that time. Fortunately, a sympathetic restoration program during 2005–06 by Moore College has returned this outstanding 19th-century building, including its elaborate Flemish-style facade, to its former glory.
Burland Hall
One Newtown landmark that has undergone many changes during the 20th century is the site of the former Burland Community Hall, on King St. In the early 20th century the site was occupied by the original Hub Theatre. From the mid-20th century it was occupied by an Art Deco-style cinema operated by the Hoyts cinema chain. In the mid-1960s the cinema was converted into a community hall and it was renamed Burland Community Hall in 1965. For years it was the venue for community events such as dances, concerts, film screenings, meetings, parties, wedding receptions and a community market. In 1986 its upper floor was taken over for the Newtown branch of the City of Sydney Library network, following the decision by Marrickville Council to close its Newtown library branch due to budgetary constraints. In 1995 the library moved to new premises in the former Salvation Army Citadel in nearby Brown Street, and Burland Hall was redeveloped into offices and retail premises.
Hub Theatre
One of the most notable local landmarks is the Hub Theatre opposite Newtown Station, next to the old Newtown Town Hall. The original Hub stood at, before moving to its present location, on the site of an earlier vaudeville theatre. It was converted to a cinema in the 1930. From the early 1970s, with the relaxation of Australia's censorship laws, it was used to screen pornographic films and stage live "adult" sex shows, including the long running "Little French Maid". The Hub closed as a "porno" venue in the early 1990s and has been mostly vacant ever since; the owners of the Dendy chain tried to secure the venue for its Newtown cinema but were unsuccessful. Recently, the Hub has been home to live comedy shows and other such performances, seeing a rejuvenation of the building.
Culture
Live music
Newtown has been a hub for live entertainment since the late 19th century. During the 1980s the many pubs in the area housed a thriving live music scene, notably the Sandringham in King Street. One of the best-known Australian bands to emerge from this scene was The Whitlams, who held down a formative residency at "The Sando" for several years. Musician John Kennedy wrote a tribute to the area in the mid-1980s. His single "King Street" name-checked familiar Newtown landmarks and local figures of the time, including "The Wire Man" (a local eccentric who collected wire and wire coat hangers), Maurice's Lebanese restaurant, and the Coles New World supermarket, which occupied the site of the current Dendy Cinema.
Throughout the 1990s it was particularly known as a centre for indie rock, with the suburb home to many musicians and several live venues. In the late nineties it boasted a handful of popular venues: Goldmans / Newtown RSL, The Globe, Feedback and The Sandringham, all of which had closed by the late 1990s. After its takeover by Petersham RSL Club, the former Newtown RSL reopened as a music venue under the name of @Newtown but closed in January 2011 due to financial losses.
Live music returned to the Sandringham Hotel in 2005, and in 2014 it reopened as the Newtown Social Club, hosting music in an upstairs performance space. However, in July 2017 the Newtown Social Club closed and the venue reopened as Holey Moley, a licensed 18-hole mini-golf course designed to give punters "good content for Instagram", according to its developers. Another recent addition to Newtown's live music scene is the small live venue Leadbelly (formerly The Vanguard) at the north end of King Street, and the continuing popularity of the lyric-sized Enmore Theatre.
Theatre
Newtown and its surrounding areas have the highest concentration of independent theatres and live performance spaces in Sydney. Theatres currently operating include:
- New Theatre, formed in 1932 and is Australia's oldest continuously performing theatre.
- Enmore Theatre on Enmore Road
- the Newtown High School of the Performing Arts
In the 1970s and 1980s many theatres, cinemas and music venues in the Sydney CBD were demolished. Due to the lack of "lyric"-sized venues, the Enmore Theatre in Enmore Road has become one of the busiest medium-sized concert venues in Sydney.
In the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, Newtown was home to several popular theatres. Some of their buildings are still standing and some have been demolished. The Trocadero staged theatre and vaudeville in the early 20th century. The Hub, originally known as Clay’s Bridge Theatre, opened in 1913 and staged vaudeville acts and other performances. Other theatres from this era included Fullers' Majestic Theatre (from 1955 known as the Elizabethan Theatre) on the corner of Wilson Street and Erskineville Road, St George's Hall at 352 King Street, Manchester Unity Hall (previously Oddfellows Hall) at 12-14 Enmore Road, and the Enmore Theatre, built in 1908.
Festivals
Newtown hosts a number of annual festivals.
The Newtown Festival was a community festival of free live music, events, workshops and stalls that was held annually from 1978 to 2019. Held in Camperdown Memorial Park next to St. Stephen's Church, Newtown. The purpose of the festival was to raise funds for the Newtown Neighbourhood Centre, an association that provides services to non-English speakers, the aged, disabled or poor.
Feastability, Newtown's Food and Wine Festival, showcases the eclectic international cuisines of the suburb along with Australian wine, local pubs and brewers, bakers and confectioners. The festival, which is held on the last Sunday of each September, started in the mid-1990s as six stalls outside the Hub. It now takes place in the grounds of Newtown School of Performing Arts, has more than 40 stalls and features all-day entertainment from musicians and artists, as well as kids' activities. The festival is organised by Marrickville Council.
Under the Blue Moon Festival was an alternative community festival also held in September. The event had a variety of entertainment; live music, discussions, street performances, fashion shows and other subculture presentations, especially those of the Goth community. Local business and special interest groups provided a diverse variety of entertainment, including a local alternative hairdresser and even the local mortuary with a display of coffins.
Sydney Fringe festival is a three-week alternative arts festival that was held for the first time in September 2010 at venues in Newtown, Enmore and Marrickville. It is a project of the Newtown Entertainment Precinct Association.
Sport
Main article: Newtown JetsNewtown Rugby League Football Club—the "Newtown Jets"—is Australia's oldest existing rugby league club, formed in 1908 at the Newtown Town Hall. They compete in the NSW Cup competition, a tier below the NRL's national premiership, having left the top grade after the 1983 season. Their home ground is Henson Park, Marrickville.
Film and television
In the late 1960s, the Australian TV drama series You Can't See Round Corners starred Rowena Wallace and Ken Shorter as a draft dodger hiding out in Newtown. The TV series was based on Jon Cleary's novel of the same name, which is set in 1940s Paddington. When the decision was made to set the TV series in the 1960s, scriptwriter Richard Lane moved the action to Newtown because Paddington by the 1960s was considered too gentrified, while Newtown was still an "industrial suburb".
In the mid-1980s, the Spanish Mission-style service station on King Street was used as a location for scenes in the Ray Lawrence film Bliss, which was based on the novel by Peter Carey. In the film, the service station was used as the childhood home of Harry Joy's wife Bettina, played by Lynette Curran.
Erskineville Kings (1999), directed by Alan White and starring Hugh Jackman, features extensive use of locations in Newtown and Erskineville, including a scene shot in Gould's Book Arcade.
Garage Days (2002) directed by Alex Proyas, depicts a fictional indie rock band based in Newtown.
The ABC television drama Love Is a Four Letter Word, starring musician-actor Peter Fenton and featuring live bands each episode, included extensive location shooting at the Courthouse Hotel in Australia Street.
St Stephen's Church and Camperdown Cemetery have regularly been used as sites for filming movies, TV and videos, notably in Priscilla, Queen of the Desert.
The 2012 romantic comedy Not Suitable for Children, directed by Peter Templeman, was filmed in Newtown and surrounding suburbs.
In 2013, Sydney band Sticky Fingers filmed the music video for their song "Australia Street" on King Street.
In 2014, the British alternative rock band Coldplay featured the town in the music video for their single "A Sky Full Of Stars".
Literature
People and institutions
Significant writers who live or lived in Newtown include Rolfe Boldrewood, Henry Lawson, Henry Kendall, Ethel Turner, Ruby Langford Ginib, Nadia Wheatley, Bertram Stevens, Martin Johnston, John Forbes, Fiona Place, Laurie Duggan, Steven Herrick, Minne Agnes Filson (aka Rickety Kate), David Malouf, Gig Ryan, David Marr, Jean Bedford and Peter Corris. The composer and writer Isaac Nathan, who collaborated with Lord Byron on his Hebrew Melodies, is buried at Camperdown cemetery.
The first municipal library in New South Wales was established in Newtown in 1868 in the Newtown School of Arts building at the corner of Australia and King Streets. Today, as well as the Newtown Library run by the City of Sydney, the suburb is home to The Women's Library, a feminist library established in 1992.
Newtown is home to many bookshops, including Gould's Book Arcade (founded in 1967 by activist Bob Gould), Better Read than Dead, Elizabeth's Bookshop, Modern Times and Parliament on King. Anarchist bookshop Black Rose Books, established in 1982, has occupied several sites in Newtown including its current location on Enmore Road.
Many publishing houses have been active in Newtown over the years. Walker Books, Vagabond Press, Darlington Press and Sydney University Press are currently based in the Newtown area; Newtown publishers of the past include Neptune Press, Camperdown Press, Millennium Books and Leftbank Publishing. The Newtown Review of Books, a literary journal established in 2012 by Jean Bedford and Linda Funnell, has published essays about the suburb by the crime writer Peter Corris.
Newtown in fiction
One of the first pieces of fiction to be published in colonial Sydney was "The Legend of Newtown" by future member of parliament D.H. Deneihy, published in the Sydney Sentinel on 5 November 1845 when the author was 17. It described Newtown as "a favourite place ... to snatch a mouthful of fresh air, a view of the ruralities of the place".
The famous Newtown recluse and eccentric Eliza Emily Donnithorne (1826–1886) is said by some sources to have inspired the character of Miss Havisham in Charles Dickens' novel Great Expectations. Donnithorne lived in Cambridge House (later known as Camperdown Lodge and since demolished) at 36 King Street, Newtown from about 1836 until her death in 1886. She is buried at Camperdown cemetery.
Dorothy Hewett's 1959 novel Bobbin' Up includes a description of the dance halls and night life of King Street in the 1950s. The House that Was Eureka by Nadia Wheatley (1985) is set in a row of Newtown terrace houses in 1931 and 1981, both periods of economic downturn and high unemployment in the suburb.
More recently, Sandra Leigh Price's 2015 novel The Bird's Child is set in bohemian Newtown in 1929. Dark Fires Shall Burn, a 2016 crime novel by Anna Westbrook, is set in Newtown in 1946. The verse novel Newtown Voices by Sue Cartledge (2017) describes Newtown in 1978. The Blank Page by John Dale (1987) features a cameo by the Marlborough Hotel on King Street.
Newtown in poetry
Poems about Newtown include "Laminex" by John Tranter, "Newtown Pastoral" by Gig Ryan, "On the Road" by S.K. Kelen, "Thread Drift" by Pam Brown, "Greek Cheeses" and "To a Runner Dressed in Black" by Adam Aiken, "King Street Newtown" by Alison Clark, "Autumn in Newtown" by Christopher Kelen, the 1994 collection Wildlife in Newtown by Colleen Burke, and "An Ordinary Evening in Newtown" by Laurie Duggan.
Newtown in children's literature
Children's literature set in Newtown includes My Place and Five Times Dizzy and Dancing in the Anzac Deli by Nadia Wheatley and Lara of Newtown by Chris McKimmie.
Graffiti and street art
Main article: Newtown area graffiti and street artThe Newtown area is also known for its creative graffiti and "street art". The most prominent of these works are the large murals created in the late 1980s and early 1990s, which were painted on the walls of houses and shops in the area. Spray-painted "tags" have proliferated all over the area in recent years, although more recently the style of tagging has become far more elaborate than the simple spray-can signatures that litter walls throughout the district.
Examples include a mural of American civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. on King Street (painted by Andrew Aiken (Seems) and Juilee Pryor), the "Great Wave" mural in Gowrie Street, the "Three Proud People" mural (a reproduction of a photo taken at the 1968 Mexico City Olympics), and the "map of Africa" mural in King Street.
Since 2014, the Inner West Council (and its predecessor, Marrickville Council) have managed the "Perfect Match" initiative, which pairs artists with residents and business owners to create large-scale paintings in public spaces. As of 2024, over 160 artworks have been produced through the initiative, including in Newtown.
Gay and lesbian culture
According to the 2011 census, Newtown, St Peters and Erskineville had the highest proportions of same-sex couples. The gay and lesbian community of Newtown also extends into neighbouring Glebe, Leichhardt, Annandale, Marrickville, Enmore and Dulwich Hill. The area was home to two of Sydney’s most well-established gay and lesbian pubs, the Newtown Hotel on King Street and the nearby Imperial Hotel in Erskineville Road (the famous drag show pub featured in the movie Priscilla, Queen of the Desert). The owners of the Newtown Hotel abruptly terminated negotiations for lease renewal and locked the licence-owner out of the premises in November 2007. The bar reopened in late 2010, under the name 'Freaky Tiki'. After renovations in 2010, it has reopened and reclaimed its original name, The Newtown Hotel, and currently offers a general, non-specific clientele, in common with most bars in the area. The Imperial also closed in 2007 for renovations but did not reopen until 2010, following a protracted and expensive licensing battle with the local council. As of 2019, The Imperial hosts queer parties on Thursday nights.
One bar formerly known as Zanzibar had a loyal lesbian following but it rebranded as Websters Bar, with a general clientele in 2016. Wednesday nights are especially popular for lesbians as the upstairs bar at The Bank Hotel hosts nights for queer women.
Since 2018, rapid gentrification of the area and Sydney's introduction of the CBD lockout laws, which Newtown is excluded from, has seen much of the LGBTQ+ scene pushed into neighbouring areas. Also as a result, homophobic violence has risen in the area.
The Gay and Lesbian Counselling Service in Newtown provides free telephone counselling for gays and lesbians living in NSW, as well as Twenty 10, a support organisation for young gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, same-sex attracted and gender-questioning people who are under 26 and having problems at home or have recently become homeless.
Population
Year | Pop. | ±% |
---|---|---|
2001 | 12,457 | — |
2006 | 13,550 | +8.8% |
2011 | 14,148 | +4.4% |
2016 | 15,029 | +6.2% |
2021 | 14,690 | −2.3% |
Demographics
At the 2021 census there were 14,690 people in Newtown.
The region boasts a relatively younger population with a median age of 33, considerably lower than the national median of 38.5. Education attainment levels in Newtown are high, with 41.1% of its residents holding a bachelor's degree or higher.
Newtown also stands out for its high level of cultural diversity. About 28.2% of Newtown residents speak a language other than English at home, reflecting the multicultural character of this inner-city suburb.
As per 2021 Census, the majority of Newtown residents were born in Australia (64.5%). Other countries of birth for residents include England (5.7%), New Zealand (2.7%), China (1.5%) and the USA (1.4%). Smaller but significant groups from diverse ethnic backgrounds further contribute to the multicultural character of Newtown, marking the suburb as a microcosm of global cultures within Sydney's vibrant urban landscape.
The residents of Newtown enjoy an above-average lifestyle, with a median weekly household income of $2,024, significantly higher than the national median. The suburb continues to attract a mix of students, professionals, artists, and independent thinkers, making it one of Sydney's most dynamic and unique suburbs.
Notable residents
- Angelspit, industrial music duo
- Christine Anu (b. 1970), pop singer
- Charles Badham (1813–1884), classical scholar
- Sarah Blasko, musician
- Sticky Fingers – Reggae fusion/indie rock
- Rolf Boldrewood (1826–1915), born Thomas Browne, author of seventeen novels including the classic Robbery Under Arms
- Doc Brown, comedian and former rapper
- Mark Bugden (b. 1961), rugby league player
- Arthur Capell (1906–1982), linguist & anthropologist
- Murray Cook (b. 1960), member of Australian children's group The Wiggles
- Eliza Emily Donnithorne (c.1826–1886), recluse and rumored model for Miss Havisham
- John Villiers Farrow (1904–1963), Academy Award-winning Australian film director and father of actresses Mia Farrow and Prudence Farrow
- Francis Forbes (1784–1841), first Chief Justice of the NSW Supreme Court
- Lilian Fowler (1886–1954), Labor politician, Australia's first female Mayor
- Frenzal Rhomb, band originating in Newtown
- Nicholas Harding, former winner of the Archibald Prize for portraiture
- Terry Hill (b. 1972), rugby league player
- Ignatius Jones, entertainer and former lead singer of 80s rock band Jimmy And The Boys
- Henry Kendall (1831–1882), poet
- Ruby Langford Ginibi (1934–2011), Bundjalung author and Koori activist
- Henry Lawson (1867–1922), writer
- Genevieve Lemon, actress and singer
- Paul Mac, DJ and music producer
- Enda Markey, theatre producer
- Anthony Mundine (b. 1975), rugby league player and boxer
- Dawn O'Donnell (1928–2007), prominent business and nightclub owner, gay and lesbian rights campaigner
- Mary Reibey (1777–1855), pioneering entrepreneur who is portrayed on the Australian twenty-dollar note
- Saul Samuel (1820–1900), merchant and politician
- Adam Spencer, mathematician, science broadcaster and radio and TV personality
- Bertram Stevens (1872–1922), literary critic, art critic, editor
- Clarrie Stevenson (1910−1984), rugby league player
- Monica Trapaga (b. 1965), former children's presenter and jazz singer
- Nadia Wheatley, writer
- The Whitlams, pop band
- Charles Windeyer (1780–1855), magistrate & legal pioneer, inaugural Lord Mayor of Sydney
- Harold Wyndham (1903–1988), educationalist
- Youth Group, indie rock band mostly known for their hit remake of "Forever Young"
Governance
Local
Newtown is divided between Inner West Council and City of Sydney local government areas.
State
2011 State Elections Marrickville: First preference votes | ||
---|---|---|
Labor | 38.1% | |
Greens | 35.9% | |
Liberal | 19.1% | |
Socialist Alliance | 1.9% | |
Christian Democrats | 1.2% |
2015 State Elections Newtown: First preference votes | ||
---|---|---|
Greens | 45.6% | |
Labor | 30.8% | |
Liberal | 17.8% | |
Animal Justice | 2.2% | |
Cyclists | 1.8% |
Newtown was predominantly in the State electoral district of Marrickville, which was represented by the then deputy Premier Andrew Refshauge until his resignation on 10 August 2005. The resulting by-election, held on 17 September 2005 was won by Carmel Tebbutt. Prior to the 2015 NSW State Election, the electoral district of Newtown was recreated, which had previously existed but had been abolished after the 1950 election. Newtown now resides in this district.
Federal
Federally, Newtown lies partly in the electorate of Grayndler, represented by Anthony Albanese of the ALP, and partly in the electorate of Sydney, represented by Tanya Plibersek, also of the ALP.
Both electorates saw strong Green votes in the 2001 election, and it was expected the Green candidates, rather than the Liberal Party, would provide the main opposition to the ALP in the 2004 election, although the Liberals ultimately did narrowly retain their lead over the Greens in these electorates.
Gallery
- Restored grand 19th Century house, Dickson Street
- Tresco, elaborately decorated Italianate terrace, Watkin Street
- King Street, Newtown at night.
- Newtown Court House, architect James Barnet, 1885.
- Newtown Post Office.
- St George's Hall, 1887
- Dispensary Hall, Enmore Road
- St Stephen's Anglican Church
- St Joseph's Catholic Church
- Sts Constantine & Helen Greek Orthodox Church
- Mission Uniting Church
- Newtown North Public School
References
- Australian Bureau of Statistics (28 June 2022). "Newtown (NSW) (suburb and locality)". Australian Census 2021 QuickStats. Retrieved 28 June 2022.
- Gregory's Sydney Street Directory, Gregory's Publishing Company, 2007
- "Newtown". Marrickville Council.
- Jagielski, Jenifer (30 July 2017). "Sydney Eat Street: Ten things to try in Newtown". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 22 May 2018.
- "Menulog – Newtown Food Delivery – Newtown Take-Away Sydney". menulog.com.au. Archived from the original on 12 August 2017. Retrieved 14 January 2019.
- Camperdown Cemetery Burial Dockets, Anglican Archives.
- ^ "Home". Barani.
- Time-line of the Newtown Municipal Area Archived 29 August 2007 at the Wayback Machine
- "A ROMANCE OF NEWTOWN". The Sydney Morning Herald. 30 July 1923.
- "Mr. Sylvester Browne". Sydney Morning Herald. No. 24, 204. New South Wales, Australia. 5 August 1915. p. 6. Retrieved 12 July 2018 – via National Library of Australia.
- Paul Bourke, William and Martha Bucknell, Sydney Archives Archived 29 August 2007 at the Wayback Machine
- "John Webster and Newtown". City of Sydney Archives. Retrieved 1 September 2024.
- Matt Murphy, The Newtown Ejectment Case, Sydney Archives . Archived 11 June 2011 at the Wayback Machine
- Chrys Meader Beyond the Boundary Stone, Marrickville Council Library Service, 1997
- Camperdown Cemetery Burial Dockets, Anglican Archives
- CCT Burial Dockets
- Chrys Meader
- Tamsyn Taylor, "St. Stephen's Newtown", in Heritage – Journal of the Marrickville Historical Society
- The Book of Sydney Suburbs, Compiled by Frances Pollon, Angus & Robertson, 1990, Published in Australia ISBN 0-207-14495-8
- One such a row is in Hordern St. between Victoria and Prospect Sts.
- Pelosi, Janet: The Municipality Of Newtown 1892–1922: A Social Sketch, Chapter 1 Archived 29 August 2007 at the Wayback Machine
- Pelosi, op.cit., Introduction Archived 1 January 2007 at the Wayback Machine
- School Archived 29 August 2007 at the Wayback Machine
- Top Sydney Microburbs: Public Housing Heat Map Microburbs
- "Notorious public housing estate to be largely rebuilt". The Sydney Morning Herald. 30 May 2002. Retrieved 5 October 2020.
- Alexander, Harriet (18 May 2019). "Residents stranded after fire at Newtown apartment block". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 5 October 2020.
- Police charge man over drug supply – Inner West PAC Mirage News
- Man charged over stabbing in Sydney's inner west Adelaide Advertiser
- "Sydney man shot in the eye, drugs found". The Sydney Morning Herald. 20 October 2012. Retrieved 5 October 2020.
- "Violence on the rise in Newtown, suspected homophobic attack victim says". www.abc.net.au. 14 April 2016. Retrieved 5 October 2020.
- "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2 September 2007. Retrieved 29 May 2007.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) page 10 - "St. Stephen's Anglican Church and Cemetery". New South Wales State Heritage Register. Department of Planning & Environment. H00462. Retrieved 18 May 2018. Text is licensed by State of New South Wales (Department of Planning and Environment) under CC BY 4.0 licence.
- "Women's College, University of Sydney". New South Wales State Heritage Register. Department of Planning & Environment. H01726. Retrieved 18 May 2018. Text is licensed by State of New South Wales (Department of Planning and Environment) under CC BY 4.0 licence.
- "Newtown Railway Station group and Former Newtown Tramway Depot". New South Wales State Heritage Register. Department of Planning & Environment. H01213. Retrieved 18 May 2018. Text is licensed by State of New South Wales (Department of Planning and Environment) under CC BY 4.0 licence.
- "Trocadero". New South Wales State Heritage Register. Department of Planning & Environment. H01380. Retrieved 18 May 2018. Text is licensed by State of New South Wales (Department of Planning and Environment) under CC BY 4.0 licence.
- "Uniting Church and Pipe Organ". New South Wales State Heritage Register. Department of Planning & Environment. H00747. Retrieved 18 May 2018. Text is licensed by State of New South Wales (Department of Planning and Environment) under CC BY 4.0 licence.
- The Newtown Project Home Page Archived 1 January 2007 at the Wayback Machine
- "NLA Redirect Service". nla.gov.au.
- Janette Beard, 1983; The Municipality of Newtown 1892–1922: A Social Sketch (Honours thesis) Sydney Archives
- Australia St Archive – Hub Theatre Archived 21 March 2012 at the Wayback Machine
- City of Sydney Archives Archived 27 September 2007 at the Wayback Machine
- City of Sydney Library History Archived 7 December 2012 at the Wayback Machine
- "Google Maps". Google Maps. Retrieved 20 March 2022.
- Archive – Camperdown Archived 4 September 2007 at the Wayback Machine
- Murada, Lareun (19 January 2011). "Losses force Newtown RSL closure". Sydney Central. Archived from the original on 4 October 2011.
- Clarke, Jenna (6 July 2017). "The Sando, Sydney's iconic live music venue, is now a golf course". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 13 March 2018.
- Dimond, Jill; Kirkpatrick, Peter (2000). Literary Sydney: a walking guide. St. Lucia, Qld.: University of Queensland Press. p. 150. ISBN 9780702231506. OCLC 44895603.
- ^ Smart, Alec (23 March 2022). "Newtown's forgotten theatre venues". Neighbourhood Media.
- Attanasio, Joe (11 May 2023). "Newtown Festival calls curtains after 40 years". www.9news.com.au. Retrieved 12 May 2023.
- Gallagher, Alex (10 May 2023). "Sydney's Newtown Festival Calls It a Day After More Than 40 Years". Music Feeds. Retrieved 12 May 2023.
- "Church in the Graveyard". neac.com.au. Archived from the original on 4 December 2018. Retrieved 5 February 2019.
- "Organisers get flak over over fence" (PDF). The Glebe. 26 October 2006. Archived from the original (PDF) on 3 April 2015. Retrieved 26 July 2017.
- Under The Blue Moon Festival website Archived 19 February 2011 at the Wayback Machine
- The Sydney Fringe website
- "Newtown Jets".
- York, Barry (1999). Speaking of Us: Voices from 20th Century Australia. National Library of Australia. p. 82. ISBN 0642107157.
- "Film Review: Not Suitable For Children | South Sydney Herald South Sydney Herald". www.southsydneyherald.com.au. Retrieved 30 January 2018.
- Dimond, Jill; Kirkpatrick, Peter (2000). Literary Sydney : a walking guide. St. Lucia, Qld.: University of Queensland Press. p. 136. ISBN 9780702231506. OCLC 44895603.
- melaniesuzannewilson (20 May 2015). "David Marr: A man of conviction". Retrieved 2 September 2024.
- ^ "The Godfather: Peter Corris on digging up Newtown – Newtown Review of Books". Newtown Review of Books. 13 March 2015. Archived from the original on 13 May 2015. Retrieved 30 January 2018.
- ^ Dimond, Jill; Kirkpatrick, Peter (2000). Literary Sydney: a walking guide. St. Lucia, Qld.: University of Queensland Press. ISBN 9780702231506. OCLC 44895603.
- Baskerville, Bruce (1995). A wander around old Newtown. Strawberry Hills, New South Wales: South Sydney Heritage Society. p. 22.
- "Founding Member of Newtown's Women's Library Returns". Retrieved 30 January 2018.
- "About Us | The Women's Library". www.thewomenslibrary.org.au. Retrieved 30 January 2018.
- Harmon, Steph (26 November 2017). "Gould's Book Arcade: the political, literary legacy of Newtown's dusty wonder". The Guardian. Retrieved 30 January 2018.
- "Anarchism in Sydney 1982–2002: Anarchism in two bookshops by John Englart". www.takver.com. Retrieved 14 June 2019.
- "Literature | The Dictionary of Sydney". dictionaryofsydney.org. Retrieved 31 January 2018.
- "Camperdown Lodge". Sydney Morning Herald. 5 January 1935. p. 11. Retrieved 13 March 2018.
- Ryan, J. S. "Donnithorne, Eliza Emily (1826–1886)". Australian Dictionary of Biography. Canberra: National Centre of Biography, Australian National University.
- Hewett, Dorothy (1987) . Bobbin up (1st US ed.). New York, N.Y., U.S.A.: Penguin Books. ISBN 9780140161755. OCLC 16936473.
- "Notes – 'The Ghosts Around Us': Toni Jordan on Nadia Wheatley". The Wheeler Centre. Retrieved 10 November 2018.
- "Sandra Leigh Price – The Bird's Child. Reviewed by Lou Murphy – Newtown Review of Books". Newtown Review of Books. 21 May 2015. Archived from the original on 13 August 2018. Retrieved 30 January 2018.
- Dempsey, Dianne (29 April 2016). "Dark Fires Shall Burn review: Anna Westbrook's murder story in post-war Sydney". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 31 January 2018.
- "Village Voices from the Past". Inner West Times. 31 May 2017. Archived from the original on 31 January 2018. Retrieved 31 January 2018.
- "Laminex – John Tranter – Poem – Australian Poetry Library". www.poetrylibrary.edu.au. Retrieved 30 January 2018.
- "Newtown Pastoral – Gig Ryan – Poem – Australian Poetry Library". www.poetrylibrary.edu.au. Retrieved 30 January 2018.
- "On the Road – S. K. Kelen – Poem – Australian Poetry Library". www.poetrylibrary.edu.au. Retrieved 30 January 2018.
- "Thread drift – Pam Brown – Poem – Australian Poetry Library". www.poetrylibrary.edu.au. Retrieved 30 January 2018.
- "To a Runner Dressed in Black – Adam Aitken – Poem – Australian Poetry Library". www.poetrylibrary.edu.au. Retrieved 30 January 2018.
- "King Street Newtown – Alison Clark – Poem – Australian Poetry Library". www.poetrylibrary.edu.au. Retrieved 30 January 2018.
- Duggan, Laurie (25 March 2013). "'An Ordinary Evening in Newtown', a new poem by Laurie Duggan". Australian Book Review. Retrieved 28 January 2024.
- Dimond, Jill; Kirkpatrick, Peter (2000). Literary Sydney: a walking guide. St. Lucia, Qld.: University of Queensland Press. p. 139. ISBN 9780702231506. OCLC 44895603.
- "Lara of Newtown – Chris McKimmie – 9781760112325 – Allen & Unwin – Australia". www.allenandunwin.com. Retrieved 31 January 2018.
- Surman, Jessica (30 July 2015). "Perfect Match Brings Collaborative Street Art to the Inner West". Concrete Playground. Retrieved 17 May 2024.
- Hoh, Amanda (7 August 2017). "Street art a 'perfect match' for Inner West Council's fight against graffiti". ABC News. Retrieved 17 May 2024.
- "Perfect Match Street Art - Inner West Council". www.innerwest.nsw.gov.au. Retrieved 17 May 2024.
- "Same-Sex Couples". Australian Social Trends. ABS. 25 July 2013.
- Christian Taylor (5 November 2007). "Newtown Hotel – The Official Word". samesame. Archived from the original on 2 November 2009.
- ^ Rhiannon Elston. "Freaky Tiki". Time Out Sydney. Archived from the original on 19 December 2011.
- "Newtown Hotel to reopen - Star Observer". 23 November 2010.
- "Newtown Hotel to reopen". starobserver.com.au. 23 November 2010.
- "Heaps Gay @ Imperial Hotel - Star Observer". 17 December 2019.
- "Newtown's iconic Zanzibar has completely transformed; is now known as Websters Bar (Sydney)". 5 June 2016.
- "It's another massive month for live music at the Bank. Here's what's on". 11 February 2020.
- Sapphic Sydney – The Lesbian Guide to Sydney
- Scott McKinnon (2 May 2018). "Big city gaybourhoods: where they come from and why they still matter". Theconversation.com. Retrieved 20 March 2022.
- "Violence on the rise in Newtown, suspected homophobic attack victim Isaac Keatinge says - ABC News". Australian Broadcasting Corporation. 14 April 2016.
- "2021 Newtown (NSW), Census All persons QuickStats". Australian Bureau of Statistics. Retrieved 20 August 2022.
- "People & Lifestyle Newtown NSW 2042". www.microburbs.com.au. Retrieved 20 June 2023.
- "Profile of Australia's population". Australian Institute of Health and Welfare. 6 June 2023. Retrieved 20 June 2023.
- "People & Lifestyle Newtown NSW 2042". www.microburbs.com.au. Retrieved 20 June 2023.
- "2021 Newtown (NSW), Census All persons QuickStats | Australian Bureau of Statistics". abs.gov.au. Retrieved 20 June 2023.
- "2021 Newtown (NSW), Census All persons QuickStats | Australian Bureau of Statistics". abs.gov.au. Retrieved 20 June 2023.
- "Affluence & Economy Newtown NSW 2042". www.microburbs.com.au. Retrieved 20 June 2023.
- admin. "The Top 10 Sydney Suburbs For Young People". The Switch. Retrieved 20 June 2023.
Further reading
- Alan Sharpe. Pictorial History of Newtown. Published by Kingsclear Books, Australia 1999. (ISBN 090827260X)
- Matt Murphy.The Weight of Evidence. Published by Hale and Iremonger, Australia 2013. (ISBN 9780868069265)
External links
- Newtown Neighbourhood Centre
- The Newtown Project, historical documents from Newtown
- Marrickville Council website
- Council of the City of Sydney website
- Newtown Jets Rugby League Football Club
- Newtown Precinct: Information about theatre performances and other live entertainment
- Newtown Festival
- Enmore Theatre
- The Vanguard
- Newtown CityPoem, a mural in Newtown
- Newtown local Photographer sample exhibition
- SYDNEY.com – Newtown
33°53′S 151°11′E / 33.89°S 151.18°E / -33.89; 151.18
Suburbs and localities within Inner West Council, Inner West, Sydney | |
---|---|
List of Sydney suburbs |