Petersham, New South Wales facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Petersham Sydney, New South Wales
Petersham Town Hall, Crystal Street
Postcode(s)	2049
Elevation	37 m (121 ft)
Area	1.29 km2 (0.5 sq mi)
Location	6 km (4 mi) south-west of Sydney CBD
LGA(s)	Inner West Council
State electorate(s)	Newtown
Federal Division(s)	Grayndler
Suburbs around Petersham: Leichhardt Leichhardt Annandale Lewisham Petersham Stanmore Dulwich Hill Marrickville Enmore

Petersham railway building

Petersham is a suburb in the Inner West area of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. It's about 6 kilometres south-west of Sydney's main city centre. Petersham is part of the Inner West Council area.

This suburb is famous for its many Portuguese shops and restaurants. You'll find lots of delicious Portuguese food here, even though only a small number of people living in Petersham were born in Portugal.

Petersham is surrounded by other suburbs. To the north is Leichhardt, to the east is Stanmore, to the south is Marrickville, and to the west is Lewisham. A part of Petersham in the west is called Taverner's Hill, named after Fred Taverner.

History of Petersham

Early Days and Farming

In 1793, Major Francis Grose sent workers to this area. They cleared the land and started growing crops like corn and wheat. He named the place Peters-Ham, or Petersham, after his home village in England.

Petersham was a farming area for a long time. In 1803, it even won awards for having some of the best crops and farm animals in the colony. Kangaroo hunting was also a popular activity here back then.

Growth and Development

William Wentworth, an important person in early Australian history, lived in Petersham. He later sold his land to Robert Wardell, a lawyer. Wardell bought more land, and by 1831, his property stretched for about 2,000 acres (8 square kilometres) from Petersham to the Cooks River. After Wardell was sadly killed in 1834, his large estate was divided into smaller pieces.

The first train line from Sydney to Parramatta opened in 1855. Trains started stopping in Petersham in 1857, and a proper platform was built in 1863. The first public school in Petersham opened its doors in 1878.

Petersham became its own local council area in 1872. Later, in 1948, it joined with the councils of Marrickville and St Peters to form the Municipality of Marrickville.

Wartime Plane Crash

On May 2, 1945, during World War II, a Mosquito plane from the RAF broke apart over Petersham and nearby Leichhardt. This happened during a test flight. Both pilots, Flight Lieutenant David Rochford and Leading Aircraftman Charles Boydell, were killed.

Luckily, no one on the ground was seriously hurt, though two civilians had minor injuries. The falling pieces of the plane damaged 18 properties and set five houses on fire. It's thought the plane broke apart because of a very fast dive and pull-up, which put too much stress on its structure. The pilots tried to use their parachutes, but they were too low for them to open.

Historic Places in Petersham

Petersham has several places that are listed for their historical importance:

• New Canterbury Road: Petersham Reservoir
• 23-35 New Canterbury Road: Egyptian Room, Royal Arch Masonic Temple
• Terminus Street: Petersham railway station

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  Commercial Row, New Canterbury Road

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  The Majestic Theatre, Petersham

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  Assembly of God, Trafalgar Street

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  Masonic Temple

Shopping and Local Spots

Petersham has a small shopping area along New Canterbury Road and Audley Street, near the train station. This is where you'll find many of the Portuguese businesses, including restaurants famous for their flame-grilled chicken and cod dishes. Petersham is seen as the main hub for Sydney's Portuguese community.

Important local landmarks include the Petersham Town Hall, the Petersham Reservoir, and Petersham Park. The suburb is also next to Parramatta Road on its northern side.

Getting Around: Transport

Train Services

Petersham railway station is on the Inner West & Leppington Line of the Sydney Trains network. From here, you can catch trains that go to the City Circle (Sydney's city centre loop) and then on to Homebush and Parramatta.

The train station building itself is very old and beautiful, built in 1886. It has a fancy iron bridge for people to cross the tracks. It's considered one of the most impressive 19th-century railway stations in the Sydney area.

Bus Routes

Several bus routes also go through Petersham. These include the 428, 444, 445, and 412 buses. They connect Petersham to places like Canterbury, Campsie, Balmain, and different parts of the Sydney city centre.

Schools in Petersham

• Fort Street High School: Located on Parramatta Road, this is the oldest selective school in New South Wales. A selective school means students need to pass a special test to get in.
• Petersham Public School: This school is on the border of Petersham and Lewisham. The original school building, built in 1878, is still there and is considered a historic site.
• Taverners Hill Public School: Situated on Elswick Street, this is an infants-only school, meaning it's for younger children.

All Saints Anglican Church

Churches in Petersham

• All Saints Anglican Church, Petersham
• Petersham Assembly of God, on Audley Street
• Metropolitan Community Church, Sydney (a church that welcomes everyone, including the LGBTQI+ community)
• Thai Church: "House of Faith" (located at Petersham Assembly of God)
• Nova Alianca (a Portuguese-speaking church, also at Petersham Assembly of God)

Petersham's Architecture

Most of the houses in Petersham are terrace houses. These are rows of houses that share side walls, similar to those you might see in nearby suburbs like Summer Hill and Stanmore. They are especially common on the north side of the railway station, closer to Parramatta Road.

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  Middleton Street

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  Canterbury Road

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  West Street

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  Petersham reservoir

People of Petersham: Demographics

According to the 2016 census, there were 8,116 people living in Petersham.

• About 62.4% of people were born in Australia. Other common birthplaces included England (4.2%), New Zealand (2.5%), and Portugal (1.9%).
• Most people (69.7%) spoke only English at home. Other languages spoken included Portuguese (2.9%), Greek (2.6%), and Spanish (1.9%).
• When asked about religion, the most common answer was "No Religion" (43.5%), followed by Catholic (21.7%).

Famous People from Petersham

• William Wentworth: A very important statesman in early Australian history who lived in Petersham in the 1820s.
• Robert Wardell: A lawyer and one of the founders and first editors of an early Australian newspaper called The Australian.
• Keith Chisholm: A decorated military hero who was born in Petersham.
• Percy Hordern: A local politician who was a Mayor of Petersham Council.

Local Culture and Events

Petersham celebrates its strong Portuguese connections with an annual event called the Audley Street festival (Bairro Português). This is a fun celebration of the suburb's culture.

Petersham is also home to the Petersham Bowling Club and the Petersham RSL Club, which are popular places for locals to gather and socialise.