Carolle's Walking Group: 74 Balmain Historic Walk

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Once again the sun shone on a Tuesday walk, a perfect day for a visit to Balmain We found our way to Thames Street from where we set off to the Library on Darling Street in an attempt to get a decent walking map. Unfortunately the map was not too helpful but we managed a good walk through the Balmain streets finding some worthy historic buildings along the way

The Watch House was one of those, used right up until the 1920’s, another was the transformed Colgate Palmolive building, once a hive of industrial activity now pristinely painted and re-designed to become attractive apartments overlooking the bay. Only three of those original buildings remain; the rest demolished. The brightly painted Fire Station built in 1894 located on the highest point on the Balmain peninsula could scarcely be missed - the latter is not far from the oldest family owned winery, the Yalumba Winery, we saw too several old pubs and parks as well as three of the oldest Churches. The Thames Ferry Station and Wharf itself are listed on the Heritage Register. Of course we passed by the Post Office too.

“The real attraction in Balmain of course are all those wonderful old homes. We also enjoyed browsing and even shopping in those lovely boutique shops with an early coffee stop in a delightful retro cafe on Darling Street to keep us going.

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“Balmain has become established in Australian working-class culture due to being the place where Australian Labor Party formed in 1891 and its social history is of high cultural significance to New South Wales."

The following buildings are listed on the Register of the National Estate:^[6]

Exchange Hotel, Beattie Street (circa 1885)
Presbyterian Church, Campbell Street (1867–78)
Presbyterian Church Hall, Campbell Street (late 19th century)
Two-storey house, 9 Campbell Street (late 19th century)
Presbyterian Manse, Campbell Street (late 1890s)
St Andrew's Congregational Church and Hall, Darling Street (1855)^[7]
Fire Station Darling Street (1894)
Post Office, Court House and Police Station, Darling Street (1886)
Watch House, Darling Street (1854)
St Augustine's Catholic Church, Eaton Street (old church 1848–51, extensions 1860, new church 1906)
Public School, Eaton Street (1876, extensions 1892)
Public School, Nicholson Street (1877)
Balmain Volunteer, Queens Place (1850)
Terraces, 5–9 Queens Place (circa 1850)
Thames Street Ferry Wharf and Shelter, Thames Street (circa 1895)B