Newtown

This collection contains a selection of archives relating to Newtown. It includes some information that was formerly on the Newtown Project website.

Responsibility for Newtown is divided between the City of Sydney (which manages the records of the former Newtown Municipal Council) and Inner West Council. See the Historical Atlas Council Boundaries for the streets included in the City of Sydney boundaries.

It is a popular myth that the name for the suburb originated from a store operated by John Webster from the 1830s on King Street corner of King and Eliza Streets.  Research by Patrick Murphy discounts this theory and shows the name New Town was being used as early as 1827.  

Newtown's main road, King Street, was one of the first suburban shopping destinations outside the Sydney CBD. The suburb has a diverse and unique community. The major shopping strips along King Street and Enmore Road contain a unique variety of shops, restaurants and pubs which showcase this vibrant and diverse culture.

See the Sydney Aldermen database (search on 'Newtown') for Newtown aldermen and councillors. For example, Lilian Fowler, who was elected the first female alderman in NSW in 1928 and Mayor of Newtown in 1938.

A list of items relating to the area in other collections is available in TROVE. 

To find even more items relating to Newtown try the search tool.