Mark Matheson is the author of Victorian Villas of Marrickville/Newtown (Marrickville Council Library Services, 1996) and a former editor with the Royal Australian Historical Society.
Newtown 1: The Main Road (Sunday 25th April)
This walk on the north side of Newtown looks at this place in its heyday when its easily-accessible grand stores made it the biggest shopping emporium south of the city.
We’ll visit places associated with a strong network of church-going capitalists, a perverse Colonial Architect, a well-proportioned ‘Green Man’, the State Government’s ill-fated theatre, Christian zealots and pleasure-seekers, a grand but ill-fated property scheme, as well as Miss Eliza Donnithorne.
Newtown 2: The Back Streets (Sunday 2nd of May)
This walk on the south side of Newtown looks at the remains of those nineteenth century ‘New Town’ mansions in their large gardens as well as the later suburban villas and terraces.
We’ll see places associated with Mary Reibey (plus another not-so-successful female convict), the Anthony Horderns family, the idiosyncratic Alderman Bedford, and Judge Josephson (the ‘millionaire mayor’) who lived in a mansion designed by John Verge.
Cost: $5 for each walk
Commence: Both commence at the Newtown Railway Station at 10am
Confirm: Enquires and bookings may be made with Mark on 0409 617 778 or walla@iinet.net.au. Book early as group numbers are limited.
These walks are part of the 2021 Australian Heritage Festival organised by The National Trusts of Australia.
Marrickville Heritage Society 