Suburb Profiles

Balmain, situated in the Inner West of Sydney is located just 4-5 kilometres west of the Sydney CBD. Balmain is a large suburb which sits amongst the suburbs of Balmain East, Birchgrove, Lilyfield and Rozelle. Balmain is surrounded by an abundance of waterfront parkland including Ballast Point Park, Birchgrove Park, Elkington Park, Ewenton Park, Mort Bay Park and Peacock Point.

History
Prior to European settlement, the area was inhabited by the Indigenous Gadigal and Wangal people of the Eora Nation. Stories from early settlers in the area tell of how the local indigenous people used to hunt kangaroo by driving them through the bushy peninsula.
The area now known as Balmain was part of a 550 acre (2.2 km) grant to colonial surgeon Dr William Balmain. The land was first settled in 1836 and predominantly used for farming. The peninsula changed rapidly during the 1800's and became one of the premier industrial centres of Sydney. Industries clustered around Mort Bay included shipbuilding, a metal foundry, engineering and boiler making. In the 1920's the manufacture of railway and mining equipment completed the heavy industrialisation of Balmain.
Balmain had a reputation as a rough working-class area of Sydney. The industrialisation of Balmain created a demand for cheap housing. Many small blocks of land were sold by the Dock owners to entrepreneurs who in turn built small cottages and rented them to the workers.
Today the area is generally populated with business executives & professionals who value the proximity from the CBD via car, bus or ferry or even foot. The area offers a friendly village atmosphere and is heavily regarded as one of Sydney's premier trendy and affluent suburbs.

The large variety of parks make the suburb an attractive area for families, while Balmain Sailing Club, Balmain Bowling Club, Balmain Fitness Gymnasium, Birchgrove Park Tennis Courts and   Dawn Fraser Swimming Pool provide further features for those who enjoy sports activities. Balmain markets, held every Saturday in the grounds of St Andrews Church on Darling Street is one of Sydney's most popular markets and features antiques, jewellery and art and craft items.

Cafes, Restaurants & Shopping
Balmain offers a wide mix of vibrant cafes, award winning restaurants and boutique shops including jewellery, clothing, homeware & bookstores which are concentrated along Darling Street, the main arterial road along the Balmain Peninsula. Landmarks along this street include the Post Office, Balmain Town Hall, Westpac Bank and Balmain Fire Station.

Transport
Balmain is approximately 4-5 kilometers to the Sydney CBD. Public transport is extremely convenient with direct bus & ferry connections to Circular Quay and the CBD with travel time approximately 10 minutes.

Schools, Education & Institutions
Balmain Primary, Balmain High School and Birchgrove Public School are the local State schools. Nearby also is the Inner Sydney Montessori School, Sydney College of the Arts