History Erskineville, New South Wales

erskineville boot making school, 1909

the suburb called after earlier subdivision in 1846 in south of erskineville owned stephen macdonald. streets around macdonaldtown subdivision named after relations of macdonald family - amy, flora, eve, coulson , rochford. knight street named henry knight, 1 of earliest brickmakers in district , first mayor of macdonaldtown. devine street named first grant holder, nicholas devine, first principal superintendent of convicts. called property burren farm, after region of county clare in native ireland.

erskineville named after erskine villa, home of wesleyan minister, reverend george erskine, built in 1830. after changing owners few times, property left church of england , became rectory holy trinity church @ macdonaldtown (it demolished in 1961 after serving rectory eighty years).

in 1893 macdonaldtown renamed borough of erskineville. in late nineteenth century, inhabitants market gardeners, though brick making , tanning became dominant industries. victorian cottages , small rows of victorian terraces dominate built form of suburb homes of workers in these industries, explains smallness: four-metre wide terrace large erskineville standards.

park street

in twentieth century, manufacturing in area diversified, , erskineville became resolutely working class inner city suburb, reputation street violence. after world war ii, greek , macedonian migrants found affordable place settle, near city.

from 1970s, erskineville underwent gentrification new residents attracted village atmosphere, excellent public transport links (three railway stations on 2 different lines within walking distance) , proximity newtown. gay , lesbian community part of first wave of gentrification , still component of community. terrace houses renovated, narrow streets cobbled covered in bitumen , speed-bumped , urban forest of plantings grew in streets , pocket parks.