for thousands upon thousands of years the area around
was populated by the eora people
1788 saw the arrival & European settlement
woolloomooloo wulla mulla black wallaby indigenous
Australians
1790s south head road existed as a rough track
land to the north granted to lieutenant palmer
palmer sells to riley (land left generally undeveloped)
macquarie grants the displaced eora people the land on
top of woolloomooloo hill , the (hurst) steep sided wooded hill to the east
rushcuttersBay named
stockade constructed close to south head road and facing
the town
In 1828 Governor Ralph Darling ordered the subdivision
of Woolloomooloo Hill into suitable 'town allotments' for residences
and extensive gardens. Ensuring that the Colony's growing professional
middle-class could live in an area not too distant from the town.
woolloomooloo hill becomes Darlinghurst
covering what we now call potts point & kings cross
further south being reserved for the courthouse &
gaol
the only road being what is now darlinghurst road
starting just over the ridge from what was to become taylor square
as this is the ridge windmills became common along this
road
1841 goal opens
sale and subsequent subdivision of the estates saw a
steady increase in population within the area
other streets such as victoria street established
gold discoveries change the area again in as much as
people coming to search for or not finding any returning to the city
requiring accommodation
south head road from hyde park quickly developed along
the ridge ( soon to be renamed Oxford street ) but remained four lanes
wide till the road widening of the 1900s
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