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Newtown, a
suburb A suburb (more broadly suburban area) is an area within a metropolitan area, which may include commercial and mixed-use, that is primarily a residential area. A suburb can exist either as part of a larger city/urban area or as a separate ...
of Sydney's inner west, is located approximately four kilometres south-west of the
Sydney central business district The Sydney central business district (CBD) is the historical and main Central business district, commercial centre of Sydney. The CBD is Sydney's city centre, or Sydney City, and the two terms are used interchangeably. Colloquially, the CBD or c ...
, straddling the local government areas of the City of Sydney and Inner West Council in the state of New South Wales,
Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...
. 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
Sydney University The University of Sydney (USYD), also known as Sydney University, or informally Sydney Uni, is a public research university located in Sydney, Australia. Founded in 1850, it is the oldest university in Australia and is one of the country's six ...
and extends to the south, becoming the
Princes Highway Princes Highway is a major road in Australia, extending from Sydney via Melbourne to Adelaide through the states of New South Wales, Victoria (Australia), Victoria and South Australia. It has a length of (along Highway 1) or via the former ...
at its southern end. Enmore Road branches off King Street towards the suburb of Enmore at Newtown Bridge, where the road passes over the railway line at Newtown 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. Newtown's rugby league club competed in the NSWRFL Premiership from its foundation in 1908 until 1983.


History


Aboriginal history

The area known as Newtown was part of a broader area where Cadigal tribe of the
Eora The Eora (''Yura'') are an Aboriginal Australian people of New South Wales. Eora is the name given by the earliest European settlers to a group of Aboriginal people belonging to the clans along the coastal area of what is now known as the Sy ...
people, 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 Aborigine, aborigine or aboriginal may refer to: *Aborigines (mythology), in Roman mythology * Indigenous peoples, general term for ethnic groups who are the earliest known inhabitants of an area *One of several groups of indigenous peoples, see ...
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

Newtown was established as a residential and farming area in the early 19th century. The 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. The part of Newtown lying south of King Street was a portion of the two estates granted by Governor
Arthur Phillip Admiral Arthur Phillip (11 October 1738 – 31 August 1814) was a British Royal Navy officer who served as the first governor of the Colony of New South Wales. Phillip was educated at Greenwich Hospital School from June 1751 unti ...
to the Superintendent of Convicts,
Nicholas Devine Nicholas Devine, also spelled Divine (1739? County Cavan, Ireland – May 29, 1830), was an Irish prison official who was superintendent of convicts for New South Wales, New South Wales, Australia, from 1790 to 1808. Devine obtained land grants in ...
, in 1794 and 1799. Erskineville and much of
Macdonaldtown Macdonaldtown is an urban place in Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. It is 4 kilometres south-west of the Sydney central business district, adjacent to the suburbs of Newtown, Eveleigh and Erskineville. Macdonaldtown is p ...
/ 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, just 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 and 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 notables 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 Sir John Jamison (1776 – 29 June 1844) was an Australian physician, pastoral farming, pastoralist, banker, politician, constitutional reformer and public figure. Family background John Jamison was born in Carrickfergus, County Antrim, Kingdo ...
), and
Eliza Emily Donnithorne Eliza Emily Donnithorne (8 July 1821 – 20 May 1886) was an Australian woman best known as a possible inspiration for the character of Miss Havisham in Charles Dickens' 1861 novel '' Great Expectations''. Biography Early life Eliza Donnitho ...
, 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 A carillon ( , ) is a pitched percussion instrument that is played with a keyboard and consists of at least 23 cast-bronze bells. The bells are hung in fixed suspension and tuned in chromatic order so that they can be sounded harmoniou ...
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 The Municipality of Newtown was a local government area of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. The municipality was proclaimed as a borough in 1862 and, with an area of 1.9 square kilometres, was centred on the suburb of Newtown, including parts ...
was incorporated and divided into three wards: O'Connell, Kingston and Enmore, covering . 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 roofspace. 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 also built on larger estates, as well as rows of larger and more stylish terrace houses in certain areas such as Brown 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 NSW 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 rail workshops, the IXL jam and preserves factory in North Newtown/
Darlington Darlington is a market town in the Borough of Darlington, County Durham, England. The River Skerne flows through the town; it is a tributary of the River Tees. The Tees itself flows south of the town. In the 19th century, Darlington underwen ...
, 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 NSW 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 The working class (or labouring class) comprises those engaged in manual-labour occupations or industrial work, who are remunerated via waged or salaried contracts. Working-class occupations (see also " Designation of workers by collar colou ...
enclave, and for much of the 20th century, Newtown was a low-income blue-collar suburb, often denigrated as a
slum A slum is a highly populated urban residential area consisting of densely packed housing units of weak build quality and often associated with poverty. The infrastructure in slums is often deteriorated or incomplete, and they are primarily inh ...
. 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 Askin is a surname. Notable people with the surname include: * Ambrose Askin, British rugby player *Frank Askin, professor and activist *John Askin (1739–1815), fur trader in Canada *John Askin Jr. (c1765–1820), fur trader and government offici ...
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
Sydney University The University of Sydney (USYD), also known as Sydney University, or informally Sydney Uni, is a public research university located in Sydney, Australia. Founded in 1850, it is the oldest university in Australia and is one of the country's six ...
and the
Sydney CBD The Sydney central business district (CBD) is the historical and main commercial centre of Sydney. The CBD is Sydney's city centre, or Sydney City, and the two terms are used interchangeably. Colloquially, the CBD or city centre is often refer ...
, along with the comparatively low rents, Newtown began to attract university students in the 1960s and 1970s. The area became a center for
student A student is a person enrolled in a school or other educational institution. In the United Kingdom and most commonwealth countries, a "student" attends a secondary school or higher (e.g., college or university); those in primary or elementar ...
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 center and the gay and
lesbian A lesbian is a Homosexuality, homosexual woman.Zimmerman, p. 453. The word is also used for women in relation to their sexual identity or sexual behavior, regardless of sexual orientation, or as an adjective to characterize or associate n ...
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. The northern end of Newtown (closer to the university and the city) is considered the more prestigious, with house prices and rents in this part of town often higher than those for similar properties in South Newtown, Enmore or St Peters. 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 Legs on the Wall is an Australian physical theatre company based in Sydney. Formed in 1984, Legs on the Wall's performances combine acrobatics with dance, circus skills and technology. It creates aerial outdoor shows and theatre productions, perfo ...
", 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 St Stephen's Anglican Church is a heritage-listed Anglican church on Stirling Terrace, , Western Australia. The church was one of the earliest significant public buildings constructed in the town then named Newcastle. It was built by George H ...
* 15 Carillon Avenue: The Women's College building * Great Southern and Western railway: Newtown railway station and
Newtown Tram Depot Newtown Tram Depot is a heritage-listed former tram depot in King Street, Newtown, City of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. It was part of the Sydney tram network. The tram depot and Newtown railway station were jointly added to the New So ...
* 69–77 King Street: Trocadero * 280a King Street:
Newtown Mission Uniting Church The Newtown Mission Uniting Church is a heritage-listed Uniting church at 280a King Street, Newtown, City of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. It was designed by George Allen Mansfield and built in 1859 by Thomas Abbott. It was added to the ...


Transport


Rail

Newtown railway station is on the Inner West & Leppington 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 Newtown Tram Depot is a heritage-listed former tram depot in King Street, Newtown, City of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. It was part of the Sydney tram network. The tram depot and Newtown railway station were jointly added to the New So ...
(long vacant and now largely derelict) still stands next to the station. A small building (next-door to the Bank Hotel) operated as a late-night kebab and takeaway food outlet for many years from the late 1960s until it closed in the mid-1980s and the building was later demolished. 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 St) 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 Kingsgrove Bus Depot is a bus depot in the Sydney suburb of Kingsgrove operated by Transit Systems History Kingsgrove Bus Depot opened on 22 February 1948. It initially took over the operation of these routes from Burwood Bus Depot: The dep ...
via Newtown has been added. There is also the 352 service that goes east through Surry Hills to
Bondi Junction Bondi Junction is an eastern suburb of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. It is 6 kilometres east of the Sydney central business district and is part of the local government area of Waverley. Bondi Junction is a largely comme ...
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

One of the major architectural conservation projects in Newtown in recent years has been the restoration of th
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 Brothers Grace Bros was an Australian department store chain, founded in 1885. It was bought by Myer (later Coles Myer) in 1983. There were 25 stores across New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory plus a few in Victoria, until they were re ...
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 Moore Theological College, otherwise known simply as Moore College, is the theological training seminary of the Diocese of Sydney in the Anglican Church of Australia. The president of the Moore Theological College Council is ''ex officio'' t ...
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 Salvation (from Latin: ''salvatio'', from ''salva'', 'safe, saved') is the state of being saved or protected from harm or a dire situation. In religion and theology, ''salvation'' generally refers to the deliverance of the soul from sin and its c ...
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 stagelive "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. There are only two remaining adult venues in Newtown (Max Black and Adult World, both on King Street).


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 John Fitzgerald Kennedy (May 29, 1917 – November 22, 1963), often referred to by his initials JFK and the nickname Jack, was an American politician who served as the 35th president of the United States from 1961 until his assassination i ...
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 coathangers), Maurice's Lebanese restaurant, and the Coles New World supermarket, which occupied the site of the curren
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 Miniature golf, also known as minigolf, mini-putt, crazy golf, or putt-putt, is an offshoot of the sport of golf focusing solely on the putting aspect of its parent game. The aim of the game is to score the lowest number of points. It is playe ...
course designed to give punters "good content for
Instagram Instagram is a photo and video sharing social networking service owned by American company Meta Platforms. The app allows users to upload media that can be edited with filters and organized by hashtags and geographical tagging. Posts can ...
", 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 is a community festival of free live music, events, workshops and stalls that has been held annually since 1978. Held in
Camperdown Memorial Park Camperdown may refer to: Places ;Australia * Camperdown, New South Wales, a suburb of Sydney * Camperdown, Victoria, a town in Western Victoria ;Canada * Camperdown Signal Station, operated 1797–1925, located on Portuguese Cove, Nova Scotia ;E ...
next to St. Stephen's Church, Newtown. The purpose of the festival is to raise funds for the Newtown Neighbourhood Centre, an association that provides services to non-English speakers, the aged, disabled or poor. Controversially, in 2006 for the first time the festival was held within a fenced confine. 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. The 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

Newtown 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 The National Rugby League (NRL) is an Australasian rugby league club competition which contains clubs from New South Wales, Queensland, Victoria, the Australian Capital Territory and New Zealand. The NRL formed in 1998 as a joint partnership ...
'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 ''Erskineville Kings'' is a 1999 Australian drama film directed and produced by Alan White. The film was produced by Radical Media made for Palace Films on a minimal budget. It was released on 1 January 1999. The lead actor, Hugh Jackman, in his ...
'' (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 Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert'' is a 1994 Australian road comedy film written and directed by Stephan Elliott. The plot follows two drag queens, played by Hugo Weaving and Guy Pearce, and a transgender woman, played by Tere ...
''. 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 Ethel Turner (24 January 1870 – 8 April 1958) was an English-born Australian novelist and children's literature writer. Life She was born Ethel Mary Burwell in Doncaster in England. Her father died when she was two, leaving her mother Sarah J ...
, Ruby Langford Ginib,
Nadia Wheatley Nadia Wheatley is an Australian writer whose work includes picture books, novels, biography and history. Perhaps best known for her classic picture book ''My Place'' (illustrated by Donna Rawlins), the author's biography of Charmian Clift was ...
, Bertram Stevens,
Martin Johnston Martin Johnston (12 November 1947 – 21 June 1990) was an Australian poet and novelist. Martin Johnston was born in Sydney in November 1947, son of the writers George Johnston and Charmian Clift. His early childhood was spent in London and ...
, John Forbes,
Fiona Place Fiona is a feminine given name. The name is associated with the Gaelic traditions of Ireland and Scotland (through the poetry of James Macpherson), but has also become popular in England.. It can be considered either a Latinised form of the Gae ...
, Laurie Duggan,
Steven Herrick Steven Herrick (born in Brisbane, 1958) is an Australian poet and author. Herrick has published twenty-six books for adults, young adults and children. He is widely regarded as a pioneer of verse-novels for children and young adults. Herrick was ...
,
Minne Agnes Filson Minne, a Middle High German word for "loving remembrance", may refer to: *Courtly love in the German courtly tradition *Frau Minne, a personification of romantic love in German courtly tradition People * Danièle Djamila Amrane-Minne (1939–2017 ...
(aka Rickety Kate), David Malouf, Gig Ryan,
Jean Bedford Jean Bedford (born 4 February 1946) is an English-born Australian writer who is best known for her crime fiction, but who has also written novels and short stories, as well as nonfiction. She is also an editor and journalist, and has taught cre ...
and Peter Corris. The composer and writer
Isaac Nathan Isaac Nathan (15 January 1864) was an English composer, musicologist, journalist and self-publicist, who has been called the "father of Australian music". Early success Isaac Nathan was born around 1791 in the English city of Canterbury to a '' ...
, who collaborated with Lord Byron on his ''
Hebrew Melodies ''Hebrew Melodies'' is a collection of 30 poems by Lord Byron. They were largely created by Byron to accompany music composed by Isaac Nathan, who played the poet melodies which he claimed (incorrectly) dated back to the service of the Temple in ...
'', 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 Feminism is a range of socio-political movements and ideologies that aim to define and establish the political, economic, personal, and social equality of the sexes. Feminism incorporates the position that society prioritizes the male po ...
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, Pentimento, 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 Jean Bedford (born 4 February 1946) is an English-born Australian writer who is best known for her crime fiction, but who has also written novels and short stories, as well as nonfiction. She is also an editor and journalist, and has taught cre ...
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 DH, Dh, dh, or dH may refer to: Places * DH postcode area, in the United Kingdom for the area of Durham and surrounding towns * Diamond Head, Hawaii, a volcanic tuff cone on Oʻahu Organisations * D+H, a Canadian financial services company * ...
, 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 Eliza Emily Donnithorne (8 July 1821 – 20 May 1886) was an Australian woman best known as a possible inspiration for the character of Miss Havisham in Charles Dickens' 1861 novel '' Great Expectations''. Biography Early life Eliza Donnitho ...
(1826–1886) is said by some sources to have inspired the character of Miss Havisham in Charles Dickens' novel ''
Great Expectations ''Great Expectations'' is the thirteenth novel by Charles Dickens and his penultimate completed novel. It depicts the education of an orphan nicknamed Pip (Great Expectations), Pip (the book is a ''bildungsroman''; a coming-of-age story). It ...
''. 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 Dorothy Coade Hewett (21 May 1923 – 25 August 2002) was an Australian playwright, poet and author, and a romantic feminist icon. In writing and in her life, Hewett was an experimenter. As her circumstances and beliefs changed, she progressed ...
'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 Nadia Wheatley is an Australian writer whose work includes picture books, novels, biography and history. Perhaps best known for her classic picture book ''My Place'' (illustrated by Donna Rawlins), the author's biography of Charmian Clift was ...
(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 Sandra or SANDRA may refer to: People * Sandra (given name) * Sandra (singer) (born 1962), German pop singer * Margaretha Sandra (1629–1674), Dutch soldier * Sandra (orangutan), who won the legal right to be defined as a "non-human person" Pl ...
'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 Anna may refer to: People Surname and given name * Anna (name) Mononym * Anna the Prophetess, in the Gospel of Luke * Anna (wife of Artabasdos) (fl. 715–773) * Anna (daughter of Boris I) (9th–10th century) * Anna (Anisia) (fl. 1218 to 1221) ...
, 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 John Ernest Tranter (born 29 April 1943) is an Australian poet, publisher and editor. He has published more than twenty books of poetry; devising, with Jan Garrett, the long running ABC radio program ''Books and Writing''; and founding in 1997 ...
, "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 Alison may refer to: People * Alison (given name), including a list of people with the name * Alison (surname) Music * Alison (album), ''Alison'' (album), aka ''Excuse Me'', a 1975 album by Australian singer Alison MacCallum * Alison (song), ...
, "Autumn in Newtown" by
Christopher Kelen Professor Christopher (Kit) Kelen (born 17 December 1958 in Sydney) is an Australian academic, writer, and artist. He is the younger son of Hungarian-born writer Stephen Kelen. Kelen is the author of fourteen volumes of poetry and two novels. ...
, and the 1994 collection ''Wildlife in Newtown'' by
Colleen Burke Colleen is an Irish language name and is of Irish origin and a generic term for women or girls, from the Irish ''cailín'' 'girl/woman', the diminutive of '' caile'' 'woman, countrywoman'. Although it originates in the Irish language, Colleen ...
.


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 Nadia Wheatley is an Australian writer whose work includes picture books, novels, biography and history. Perhaps best known for her classic picture book ''My Place'' (illustrated by Donna Rawlins), the author's biography of Charmian Clift was ...
and ''Lara of Newtown'' by
Chris McKimmie Chris is a short form of various names including Christopher, Christian, Christina, Christine, and Christos. Chris is also used as a name in its own right, however it is not as common. People with the given name *Chris Abani (born 1966), Nige ...
.


Graffiti and street art

The 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.


Gay and lesbian culture

Newtown, St Peters and Erskineville have the highest proportions of same-sex couples in the 2011 census. The gay and lesbian community of Newtown also extends into neighboring 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 Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert'' is a 1994 Australian road comedy film written and directed by Stephan Elliott. The plot follows two drag queens, played by Hugo Weaving and Guy Pearce, and a transgender woman, played by Tere ...
''). 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.Sapphic Sydney – The Lesbian Guide to Sydney
/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 neighboring 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


Demographics

At the 2021 census there were 14,690 people in Newtown. In the 2016
Australian Bureau of Statistics The Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) is the independent statutory agency of the Australian Government responsible for statistical collection and analysis and for giving evidence-based advice to federal, state and territory governments ...
Census of Population and Housing, there were 15,029 people in Newtown. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people made up 1.1% of the population. 58.2% of people were born in Australia. The most common countries of birth were England 5.8%, New Zealand 2.9%, China 2.3%, United States of America 1.4% and Thailand 1.0%. 71.8% of people only spoke English at home. Other languages spoken at home included Mandarin 2.7%, Greek 1.5%, Spanish 1.5%, Cantonese 1.2% and Thai 1.0%. The most common responses for religion in Newtown in the 2016 Census were No Religion, 53.3%, Not stated 13.3%, Catholic 12.1%, Anglican 6.8% and Buddhism 3.1%. Of occupied private dwellings in Newtown, 54.0% were semi-detached, 38.9% were flats or apartments, 4.2% were separate houses and 2.5% were other dwellings.


Notable residents

* Angelspit, industrial music duo *
Christine Anu Christine Anu (born 15 March 1970) is an Australian singer, songwriter and actress. She gained popularity with the cover song release of the Warumpi Band's song " My Island Home". Anu has been nominated for 17 ARIA Awards. Early life Anu was bo ...
(b. 1970), pop singer * Charles Badham (1813–1884), classical scholar * Sarah Blasko, musician * Sticky FingersReggae fusion/ indie rock * Rolf Boldrewood (1826–1915), born Thomas Browne, author of seventeen novels including the classic '' Robbery Under Arms'' * Doc Brown, comedian former rapper *
Eliza Emily Donnithorne Eliza Emily Donnithorne (8 July 1821 – 20 May 1886) was an Australian woman best known as a possible inspiration for the character of Miss Havisham in Charles Dickens' 1861 novel '' Great Expectations''. Biography Early life Eliza Donnitho ...
(c.1826–1886), recluse and rumoured model for Miss Havisham * Arthur Capell (1906–1982), linguist & anthropologist * Murray Cook (b. 1960), member of Australian children's group The Wiggles * 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 Ruby Langford Ginibi (26 January 1934 – 1 October 2011) was an acclaimed Bundjalung author, historian and lecturer on Aboriginal history, culture and politics. Names According to Langford's memoir, ''Don't Take Your Love to Town'', her paren ...
(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 Enda Markey (born 3 June 1976) is an Irish-born, Sydney-based, theatrical producer and former singer and actor. He is the producer of the stage productions ''Side by Side by Sondheim'' and the international tour of Boublil and Schonberg's ''Do ...
, theatre producer * Anthony Mundine (b. 1975), rugby league player and boxer *
Dawn O'Donnell Dawn O'Donnell (born 1927/1928 – died 10 June 2007), was a prominent Sydney entrepreneur and supporter of the Sydney LGBT community. She has been credited with being a defining early influence on the gay and lesbian club scene in Sydney's O ...
(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 Clarence Stevenson (1910–1984) was an Australian rugby league footballer who played in the 1930s. A forward for the Newtown club, he helped them win the 1933 NSWRFL Premiership. Background Stevenson was born in Sydney on 4 December 191 ...
(1910−1984), rugby league player *
Monica Trapaga Monica Maria Trápaga (born 1965) is an Australian entertainment presenter, jazz singer and actress. She was a presenter on the Australian children's series, '' Play School'', from 1990 to 1998; and had provided the vocals to the theme of ''Bana ...
(b. 1965), former children's presenter and jazz singer *
Nadia Wheatley Nadia Wheatley is an Australian writer whose work includes picture books, novels, biography and history. Perhaps best known for her classic picture book ''My Place'' (illustrated by Donna Rawlins), the author's biography of Charmian Clift was ...
, writer * The Whitlams, pop band * Charles Windeyer (1780–1855), magistrate & legal pioneer, inaugural Lord Mayor of Sydney * Harold Wyndham (1903–1988), educationalist *
Youth Group Youth Group is an Australian rock band based in Newtown, New South Wales. Built around the vocals of singer Toby Martin and production of Wayne Connolly, the sound of Youth Group is reminiscent of indie rock artists such as Teenage Fanclub, Pa ...
, 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 area A local government area (LGA) is an administrative division of a country that a local government is responsible for. The size of an LGA varies by country but it is generally a subdivision of a State (administrative division), state, province, divi ...
s.


State

Newtown was predominantly in the State electoral district of Marrickville, which was represented by the then deputy
Premier Premier is a title for the head of government in central governments, state governments and local governments of some countries. A second in command to a premier is designated as a deputy premier. A premier will normally be a head of governm ...
Andrew Refshauge until his resignation on 10 August 2005. The resulting by-election, held on 17 September 2005 was won by
Carmel Tebbutt Carmel Mary Tebbutt (born 22 January 1964) is an Australian former politician. She was the Labor Party Member for the former seat of Marrickville in the New South Wales Legislative Assembly until the 2015 election and was Deputy Premier of New ...
. 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 Anthony Norman Albanese ( or ; born 2 March 1963) is an Australian politician serving as the 31st and current prime minister of Australia since 2022. He has been leader of the Australian Labor Party (ALP) since 2019 and the member of parlia ...
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.


Further reading

* Alan Sharpe. ''Pictorial History of Newtown.'' Published by Kingsclear Books, Australia 1999. () * Matt Murphy.''The Weight of Evidence.'' Published by Hale and Iremonger, Australia 2013. ()


Gallery

File:Italianate house Newtown.jpg, Restored grand 19th Century house, Dickson Street File:Brownst.JPG, Tresco, elbaborately decorated Italianate terrace, Watkin Street File:NewtownAtNight.JPG, King Street, Newtown 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, St Stephen's Anglican Church File:Newtown Church.JPG, St Joseph's Catholic Church File:Newtown Mission Uniting Church.JPG, Mission Uniting Church File:Newtown North Public School.JPG, Newtown North Public School


References


External links


Newtown Neighbourhood CentreThe Newtown Project, historical documents from NewtownCouncil of the City of Sydney websiteNewtown Jets Rugby League Football ClubNewtown Precinct
Information about theatre performances and other live entertainment
Enmore TheatreThe VanguardNewtown CityPoem, a mural in NewtownNewtown local Photographer sample exhibitionSYDNEY.com – Newtown
{{Authority control Suburbs of Sydney Gay villages in Australia LGBT culture in Sydney Inner West Slums in Australia