Local knowledge has it that Australia Street was named after a house at the Camperdown end of the street known as Australia House. The house has since been demolished, and little is known about the property or its inhabitants. Interestingly entries in the Sands Directory for the street begin in 1858, 43 years before Federation. (Editor's note: When did the name "Australia" come into common usage? Could the owner of Australia House have been an ardent proponent of federation?)

The name Newtown began to be used in the 1830s (earliest known reference is in the Sydney Gazette of 24.11. 1832). The name was derived from a general store opened by John Webster, who called it the New Town Store to distinguish it from older established settlements on the Cook's River.

Development
On 9th August, 1803 an area of land was granted to Thomas Rowley. Part of that grant later became the Kingston estate. Australia Street is marked on subdivision maps for the 1860s in the huge area known as North Kingston estate. Part of the street was in the Camperdown Estate. However, there would have been people residing where Australia Street now is before the street existed. A few streets south there was a very large land grant and there were people living in scattered cottages around this area.

The Parish Road Trust Act (1840) enabled trusts to be set up and gave them power to levy taxes raised from tolls to maintain local roads. There were two tollbars in Newtown. The first was on Forbes Street where the toll keeper lived in a small hexagonal shaped house (see picture in King Street in the 19th Century). The second toll gate was at the railway bridge. The toll was threepence for one horse or a one-horse dray and threepence for each additional horse. A ticket issued at either gate acted as a free pass at the other gate. All the traffic to and from Cooks River was compelled to pass through one of these toll gates unless they left the road and went across country. The Tollbars were abolished in 1883.

"The recent rapid growth of Newtown may be partly attributed to the fact that it has had more facilities for traffic than any other suburb. There are 3 railway stations - Macdonaldtown, Newtown and St Peters within the borough and the trams run at more frequent intervals to Newtown and Enmore than on any other line. In addition to this, there are more than 40 omnibuses constantly plying..."

Source:
The Great Emporium for a Large Surrounding District, 1890 - The Sydney Echo, July 10, 1890. Reprinted in King St in the 19th Century.

Government
The Municipality of Camperdown was formed in 1862, taking in the Parramatta Road end of Australia St. It was dissolved in 1908, at which time the area was absorbed by the City of Sydney. Newtown Council was formed in 1863, taking in the King Street end of Australia St. Newtown Council held their first meeting in 1865, one of the councillors appears to be a property owner (but not occupant) in Australia Street - Conley (or Connelly, who later became chairman). It was abolished in 1949 and the area was also absorbed by the Sydney City Council. In 1968 the area was carved up between Marrickville Council and (South) Sydney Council. In 1988 the area came fully under Marrickville.

In the early days of the councils, Camperdown and Newtown each had their own numbering system for Australia Street which began at No.1. This system had to change when the whole street came under the one council, so the street numbering changed in 1948. The numbers now run from Parramatta Road to King Street.

Until the late 19th Century the cemetery took up the whole block. Gradually the church sold off the land down Australia Street, but the title was not clear for some time.

Council Minute Books (1865-1868) yielded the following information relevant to Australia Street, Newtown:

• Kerbing and guttering of Australia Street (13 May 1867);
  
  
• Metalling of the road and street signs being erected for Kingston district, also 1867 ;
  
  
• Council was involved in discussions about alternative sources of water for the area - one possible source is the Cooks' River (12 August 1868) - committee of inquiry;
  
  
• 18 October, 1866 - inquiry into the drainage of the Camperdown Cemetery (immediately behind Australia St) - claimed to be 'injurious to health' - discussion as to whether it should be partially closed)
  
  
• Gas Lighting
  6 October 1868 - Petition - Motion carried
  "Alderman Bailey presented a petition from forty-eight ratepayers of the Kingston Ward, praying that the council will take immediate steps to make provision for lighting with gas the streets of this municipality, and, if necessary, to levy a small additional rate for that purpose..."
  26 October 1868 - carried unanimously - petition
  "From 111 ratepayers of the Kingston Ward also praying the council will not take any steps to make provisions for lighting with gas..."
  1 December 1868 - Ratepayers of the Kingston Ward claim petition 'against' was a forgery. Alderman Curtis tried to explain that two reputable ratepayers had told him that they didn't want lighting because of having to pay one shilling extra in the pound which Alderman Bedford had told them. Alderman Bedford had since denied having said this.
  

Sources:
Shirley Doolan, Friends of Camperdown Cemetery, St Stephens Church. phone: 02 - 516 2123 see also funerals

King St in the 19th Century, Marrickville Council Library Services

Fitzgerald: Sydney , pp 109-120 re. 1880s 'slum tours'. Robert Fowler as mayor initiated these tours to inspect rundown buildings, 1880.

Land Titles Office - initial survey done - estate plan available for North Kingston Estate (Note: 'plans and conditions of sale for the Camperdown Estate, 1841' are held at the Royal Historical Society, M 199)

Sydney City Archives hold for Newtown Council:
Assessment Books: 1862 - 1865; 1870 - 1892
Rate Books: 1866 -1949

These can give you the type of dwelling, eg: "Fuel yard", "house" (although this is not listed every year), the name of the owner, the occupant, the assessed value of the property and the amount of rates due.

They also hold Newtown Council Minutes: 1863 - 1948 (the whole period for which Newtown was independent); records to 1988 covering the area that went to Sydney City Council in the carve up; and minutes of different council committtees, e.g. works committee, building applications.