Balmain, New South Wales
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Balmain is a suburb in the Inner West[2] of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. Balmain is located two kilometres (1+1⁄4 miles) west of the Sydney central business district, in the local government area of the Inner West Council.
It is located on the Balmain peninsula surrounded by Port Jackson, adjacent to the suburbs of Rozelle to the south-west, Birchgrove to the north-west, and Balmain East to the east. Iron Cove sits on the western side of the peninsula, with White Bay on the south-east side and Mort Bay on the north-east side.
Traditionally blue collar, Balmain was where the industrial roots of the trade unionist movement began. It has become established in Australian working-class culture and history, due to being the place where the Australian Labor Party formed in 1891 and its social history and status is of high cultural significance to both Sydney and New South Wales. Today, the ALP contends with the Australian Greens for political prominence in Balmain, and Kobi Shetty of the Greens holds the State seat of Balmain.
History
Prior to European settlement, the area was inhabited by indigenous
The area now known as Balmain was part of a 220-hectare (550-acre) grant to
During the many years of legal challenges, the land was leased for farming and cattle purposes. In 1814 the adjacent homestead of Birchgrove was sold to Roland Warpole Loane, a merchant and settler descended from a family of English landlords. One hundred acres on the adjoining Balmain estate were leased to Loane.[3]
In 1833, Gilchrist transferred power of attorney to Frederick Parbury. When Loane's lease finally expired in 1836 and the land retrieved from his possession, Parbury commissioned surveyor John Armstrong to sub-divide the land into six parcels. Three parcels were sold to Thomas Hyndes in 1837. The area was rapidly sub-divided and developed during the 1840s and by 1861 had been divided into the well populated eastern suburb of Balmain and the sparsely populated western area, extending to the gates of Callan Park, known as Balmain West.
Industry
The peninsula changed rapidly during the 1800s and became one of the premier industrial centres of Sydney. Industries clustered around Mort Bay included shipbuilding, a metal foundry, engineering,
Lever Brothers Factory, owned by the British parent company, opened in 1895.
Colliery
A coal mine was opened in 1897 beside what is now Birchgrove Public School by an English company. The winding engine was said to be the largest in the southern hemisphere. However, with the endless labour disputes,
One local waterman who benefited from the Balmain coalmine was Bob Miller, who resided at 102 Glassop Street. He purchased a small tug and barge and secured a contract to remove the mine tailings, which he on sold to local councils as fill for a handsome profit. This was the beginning of the
Tramway
The opening of the tramway in the 1920s further established Balmain and it gained a reputation as a rough working-class area of Sydney. A large influx of immigrants boosted Balmain's population in the 1950s.
Gentrification
Gentrification of Balmain began in the 1960s as industry waned. Balmain's desirability to the middle class was due in part to its waterfront location and proximity to Sydney's CBD. The Balmain Association was formed in 1965.[14]
Increasing property values and waterfront development continued to push the suburb's remaining industry out. In 1996, the Lever Brothers site became a series of apartment complexes with a handful of original buildings preserved. The power station was demolished in 1998 to make way for apartments. However, many aspects of Balmain's industrial past have been retained as heritage.
Heritage listings
Balmain has a number of heritage-listed sites, including:
- 1 Blake Street: Ewenton[15]
- Booth Street: Balmain Hospital Main Building[16]
- Glassop Street: Dawn Fraser Swimming Pool[17]
- 12b Grafton Street: Hampton Villa[18]
- 37 Nicholson Street: Waterview Wharf Workshops[19]
- Thames, Mort, College, McKell, Cameron, Yeend Streets: Mort's Dock[20]
- 2 Wells Street: Louisaville[21]
Demographics
At the 2021 census, the population of Balmain was 10,454.[22] At the 2016 census, it had a population of 10,453.[23]
In 2021, 64.8% of people were born in Australia. The next most common countries of birth were England 9.1%, New Zealand 2.8%, United States 1.7%, Ireland 1.3% and China 1.2%. 83.4% of people only spoke English at home. Other languages spoken at home included Mandarin 1.5% and Italian at 1.2%. The most common responses for religion in Balmain were no religion 51.9%, Catholic 20.7%, Anglican 9.9%, not stated 5.3% and Eastern Orthodox 2.2%. 37.6% of dwellings were flats, units or apartments, 39.9% were semi-detached terraced houses or townhouses and 21.8% were separate houses.[22]
Commercial area
Darling Street, Balmain's main thoroughfare, features boutique shops, quality restaurants and cafes alongside old drinking establishments. Landmarks on this street include the Post Office and Court House, alongside Balmain Town Hall, the historic Westpac Bank, Balmain Fire Station and Balmain Working Men's Institute. Other commercial developments are scattered throughout the suburb. The headquarters of the NSW Water Police moved to Cameron Cove in Balmain in late 2007.
Transport
Balmain has several ferry wharves including Thames Street Balmain serviced by the Cockatoo Island ferry services, Elliot Street, Balmain West and Darling Street, Balmain East serviced by the Cross Harbour ferry services. Services run to Circular Quay. Transdev Sydney Ferries' maintenance and repair base is at Balmain Shipyard.
Balmain's road network feeds into three main roads—Darling Street, Beattie Street and Montague/Mullen Street. These streets have limited speeds, typically 40 km/h and are all single carriageway with parallel parking. Due to the geography of the peninsula, all of these roads feed into Victoria Road and the Western Distributor. Sections of Balmain were to be demolished to make for the North-West Expressway but this was prevented after green bans were placed by the NSW Builders Labourers Federation.[24]
Trams once ran all the way down Darling Street to the wharf at Balmain East. Due to the very steep incline at the bottom of the street, the trams used a complex 'dummy' counterweight system constructed under the road surface. The trams were pushed up the steep hill by the dummy, and rode the dummy on the way down to safely descend the hill. Transit Systems bus services that service Balmain are:
- 433 Balmain to Railway Square.[25]
- 441 Birchgrove to Art Gallery of New South Wales,[26]
- 442 Balmain to the Queen Victoria Building[27]
- 445 Balmain to Campsie[28]
Culture
The
Historic hotels
Balmain is home to many historic hotels, including the Cat and Fiddle Hotel, Cricketer's Arms Hotel, Dick's Hotel, Dry Dock Hotel, Exchange Hotel, Forth & Clyde Hotel, Kent Hotel, Unity Hall Hotel, London Hotel, Mort Bay Hotel, Norfolk Pines Hotel, Pacific Hotel, Royal Oak Hotel, Shipwright's Arms Hotel, Star Hotel, Town Hall Hotel, Volunteer Hotel and the West End Hotel.
The Riverview Hotel is a heritage-listed corner building built in 1880 in the Arts and Crafts style.[29] Between 1888 and 1913 the pub was named Bergin's Hotel after the publican Joseph Bergin. Australian swimming champion Dawn Fraser was publican of the Riverview from 1978 to 1983.[30]
Pop culture
Numerous phrases have been used to describe the suburb and its inhabitants, including "Balmain boys don't cry" (former NSW Premier Neville Wran at the Street Royal Commission); "You can take the boy out of Balmain, but you can't take Balmain out of the boy" (Unknown); "There are only two types of men in this world: those who were born in Balmain and those who wish they were" (a Police Commissioner of New South Wales). Australian Prime Minister Paul Keating commented on the suburb's gentrification by using the term "Basket weavers of Balmain". Until the 1970s, older Balmain people would refer to "going to Sydney". The Post Office/ Court/ Police building and vicinity was generally referred to as the "Town Hall", with the Post Office clock often called the Town Hall clock. This was probably due to the Post Office & Court Building being built in between the earlier Town Hall & Town Hall Hotel.
In the mid-1960s Balmain was the setting for the popular Seven Network situation comedy series My Name's McGooley, What's Yours?, starring Gordon Chater, John Meillon and Judi Farr.[31]
Balmain was the setting for the 1994 Australian film The Sum of Us, which starred Jack Thompson, John Polson and Russell Crowe.[32]
The former Pacific Hotel (from 2019, now converted into a residential property) - as well as several other locations in Balmain - were used extensively as the set of the Australian television
Parks and reserves
Balmain has a number of parks including Gladstone Park, Birrung Park and White Bay Park. The wider peninsula has many more parks in close proximity, particularly along the foreshores. In earlier times Punch Park was the goto place for park footy (rugby league), though it was always referred to by the boys then as Punch's Park
Sport and recreation
Balmain is home to the Balmain Tigers district rugby league football club that is now represented in the NRL by Wests Tigers rugby league club. The club was formed in mid-1999 by a joint venture between the Balmain Tigers and the Western Suburbs Magpies in preparation for the 2000 season.[33] In 2005 the Tigers defeated the North Queensland Cowboys in the Grand Final to win the premiership.[33]
The Balmain Rugby Football Club, founded in 1873, took part in the very first competition structure and in fact winning their first premiership in 1875. Players lost fighting in World War I forced the club to merge with the Glebe "Dirty Reds" RUFC in 1919, to form the Glebe-Balmain RFC. As a merged club they had enormous success during the Twenties, winning four premierships. In 1931, as a depression project, Drummoyne Oval, as it is now known, was constructed on the site of a small oval which Glebe and Balmain had used for junior matches since 1892. To ensure longevity of tenure, and because there were just not enough sporting grounds in Sydney—with some reluctance—the Glebe-Balmain Club decided to change its name to the Drummoyne District Rugby Football Club.[34] It did so without giving up its long-held traditions, the scarlet jumpers of Glebe and its world-famous tag, "The Dirty Reds" and the black and gold of Balmain, colours still worn proudly by today's players in their socks. Drummoyne Rugby Club[34] is still in existence and still upholds it proud history and traditions.
The suburb is also home to the
Balmain is also home to
Balmain Sailing Club is located in nearby Birchgrove and is home to the annual Balmain Regatta.
Balmain Rowing Club was formed in July 1882, and still occupies its original White Street location. The club adopted black and yellow colours from its formation, which soon became the district colours. The great Illawarra sculling champion Bill Beach had a close association with the club and wore their black and gold colours in competition.
Housing
The post-industrial gentrification of Balmain has resulted in a suburb of considerable charm and interest where the modest, pretty houses command high prices. However, Balmain still retains a diverse mix of residents due to the Housing Commission unit blocks in the suburb.[36][37] Much of the suburb is a heritage conservation area and creative design is required to modernise the Victorian and Edwardian housing stock. In 2013 a contemporary Balmain house designed by architect Harry Seidler sold for $6m.[38] The Tom Uren House in Gilchrist Place was designed by Richard Leplastrier.
Notable residents
Notable past and present residents include:
- Sir Harold Alderson, sports administrator[39]
- Peter Bonsall-Boone, LGBT rights activist[40]
- Edgar Britt, jockey
- Geraldine Brooks, author and journalist[41]
- Rose Byrne, actress[42]
- WWII[43]
- Thomas Coutts, whaler, pastoralist and mass murderer
- H. V. Evatt, jurist, judge, lawyer, politician, parliamentarian and writer[44]
- Carlotta, entertainer[45]
- Dawn Fraser, former champion swimmer and politician[46]
- Caroline Grills, serial killer[47]
- Prime Minister of Australia[48]
- Archie Jackson, Australian cricketer
- Sir John Kerr, 18th Governor-General of Australia[49]
- Alex Lloyd, singer/songwriter[50]
- Lottie Lyell, actress[51]
- Padraic McGuinness, journalist[52]
- Lenny McPherson, colourful Sydney identity[53]
- Dally Messenger, rugby union & rugby league[54]
- Robert W. Miller (businessman), Industrialist, shipping, mining & brewing[55]
- Matthew Mitcham, diver[56]
- Frank Moorhouse, author and screenwriter[57]
- George Negus, journalist and author[58]
- Nick Origlass, former Trotskyite mayor of Leichhardt Municipal Council
- Premier of New South Wales[59]
- Wayne Pearce, former professional rugby league footballer[60]
- Josh Pyke, musician[61]
- Norman Selfe, engineer[62]
- Fred Spofforth, Australian cricketer
- Frank Sponberg, Australian rugby league player
- Rick Springfield, singer-songwriter and actor
- Premier of New South Wales[63]
- Tom Uren, former Whitlam Government Minister[64]
- Neville Wran, 35th Premier of New South Wales[65][66]
- Malcolm Young, musician[67]
- Sir Thomas Henley, KBE, Member of NSW Legislative Assembly and Mayor of Drummoyne[68]
Notes
- ^ Postcode 2041 covers the suburbs of Balmain, Balmain East and Birchgrove.
- ^ Combined population for all residents of postcode 2041.
- ^ Median house price for all properties of postcode 2041.
References
- ^ Australian Bureau of Statistics (28 June 2022). "Balmain (suburb and locality)". Australian Census 2021 QuickStats. Retrieved 28 June 2022.
- ^ Australian Suburb Guide: Sydney Inner West Archived 26 December 2012 at the Wayback Machine Retrieved 7 August 2013.
- ISBN 0-207-14495-8, p.14
- ^ "Mort Bay Park". Inner West Council. Retrieved 26 December 2016.
- ^ Cessnock Eagle & South Maitland Recorder17 November 1933, p.1.
- ISBN 0-908272-40-5.
- ^ Newcastle Sun Monday 18 June 1928, p.6.
- ^ Newcastle Morning Herald Sat 30 Nov 1929, p.29.
- ^ Evening News, Sydney, 4 April 1930, p.7.
- Barrier Miner14 October 1930, p.1.
- ^ The Sun, 22 April 1936, p.6.
- ^ Sands Directory 1918
- ^ The Watermen of Sydney Memories of a Working Harbour. Graeme Andrews.
- ^ "Australia Network - Nexus - Balmain". Archived from the original on 17 April 2012. Retrieved 20 June 2011.
- .
- .
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- ^ a b Australian Bureau of Statistics (28 June 2022). "Balmain". 2021 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 5 December 2022.
- ^ Australian Bureau of Statistics (27 June 2017). "Balmain (State Suburb)". 2016 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 21 December 2017.
- ^ Green Bans Art Walks Project (23 June 2023). "Green Bans Timeline: 1971-74". The Commons Social Change Library. Retrieved 9 July 2023.
- ^ "Transit Systems route 433". Transport for NSW.
- ^ "Transit Systems route 441". Transport for NSW.
- ^ "Transit Systems route 442". Transport for NSW.
- ^ "Transit Systems route 445". Transport for NSW.
- ^ NSW Heritage Office; Riverview Hotel, Inventory Item. Retrieved October 2006. [1]
- ISBN 0-9599502-6-5.
- ^ "McGooley". Classic Australia TV. 2005. Retrieved 11 May 2007.
- ^ Matthew Potter. "Film Information: The Sum of Us". Archived from the original on 26 October 2009. Retrieved 11 May 2007.
- ^ a b "Rugby League History: Wests Tigers". RL1908.com. Archived from the original on 31 December 2006. Retrieved 4 December 2006.
- ^ a b "Drummoyne District Rugby Football Club". Drummoynerugby.com.au. 1 March 2010. Retrieved 31 March 2011.
- ^ "Balmain Dockers History". Balmain Dockers. Archived from the original on 25 April 2007. Retrieved 4 December 2006.
- ISBN 1-86448-408-X.
- ^ "Balmain Walks: Self Guided Walking Tours in Balmain".
- ^ $6m buys Harry Seidler-designed home in Balmain Retrieved 15 May 2015.
- ^ "Alderson, Sir Harold George (1890–1978)". Sir Harold George Alderson. National Centre of Biography, Australian National University. Archived from the original on 22 May 2015. Retrieved 28 August 2022.
- Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 1 June 2017.
- ^ "Geraldine Brooks: Australia's Pulitzer Prize Winner". ABC Local Radio. 23 April 2006. Retrieved 21 May 2007.
- ^ "Rose Byrne, accidental star". The Age. 5 July 2003. Archived from the original on 7 May 2008. Retrieved 8 June 2008.
- ^ "Obituary: Clive Caldwell". The Independent. 31 August 1994. Retrieved 28 March 2018.
- ISBN 0-908272-40-5.
- ^ "Carlotta – Australia's Most Famous Les Girl...... At the cafe!". Archived from the original on 7 June 2007. Retrieved 25 June 2007.
- ^ "Dawn Fraser – Troubled Champion". Wesley Mission. Archived from the original on 3 December 2006. Retrieved 4 December 2006.
- ^ Stephen Garton. Grills, Caroline (1888–1960). National Centre of Biography, Australian National University.
- ^ Australian Dictionary of Biography http://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/hughes-william-morris-billy-6761
- ISBN 0-333-25212-8.
- Reach Out. Archivedfrom the original on 3 September 2007. Retrieved 21 May 2007.
- ^ Lyell, Lottie Edith (1890–1925). Australian Dictionary of Biography.
- Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 26 March 2009.
- ISBN 1-74114-516-3
- ^ Fagan, Sean (2005 & 2007) The Rugby Rebellion: Pioneers of Rugby League, RL1908, Sydney
- ^ Australian Dictionary of Biography http://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/miller-sir-roderick-william-11126
- ^ "Matthew Mitcham Gets Popular Vote". Retrieved 9 August 2012.
- ISBN 0-207-15970-X.
- ^ "Negus Media International – about us page". Negus International Media website. Archived from the original on 22 February 2009. Retrieved 4 February 2009.
- ^ "Hampdon Villa". NSW Heritage Office. Retrieved 4 December 2006.
- ^ "Wayne Pearce biography". Wayne Pearce Advantage. Archived from the original on 9 February 2007. Retrieved 4 December 2006.
- Ninemsn. Archived from the originalon 19 September 2012. Retrieved 3 November 2007.
- Sydney Morning Herald. NSW: National Library of Australia. 23 February 1924. p. 16. Retrieved 28 March 2013.
- ^ Australian Dictionary of Biography http://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/storey-john-8686
- National Film & Sound Archive. Retrieved 20 February 2022.
- ^ "Inaugural Dinner Wrap". Balmain Tigers. Archived from the original on 19 September 2006. Retrieved 4 December 2006.
- ^ "Person Detail – Neville Wran". State Records NSW.
- ^ "He Gave Rock and Roll a Fist". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 30 November 2017.
- ^ "Sir Thomas HENLEY, KBE (1860-1935)". Former members of the Parliament of New South Wales. Retrieved 26 July 2022.
External links
- Local History Collection, Leichhardt Council
- Balmain Association.
- Peter Reynolds (2008). "Mort Bay". Dictionary of Sydney. Retrieved 28 September 2015. [CC-By-SA]
- Veronica Kooyman (2008). "Balmain War Memorial". Dictionary of Sydney. Retrieved 7 October 2015.