Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Visitors watch the experts as
they tenderize octopus and
squid in concrete mixers. As
well as fishmongers, there are
a number of fresh food shops,
several restaurants and a
seafood school - cost includes
tuition, seafood and wine.
Balmain
6
@
433, 434, 442. See
Shops and
Markets
p203 and
Four Guided
Walks
pp142-3.
Balmain was once one of
Sydney's most staunchly
working-class areas, with ship-
yards, a dry dock and repair
yards, a coal mine, numerous
rough-and-ready pubs and an
intimidating criminal element.
Its late 19th-century town hall,
post office, court house and
fire station in Darling Street
reflect the civic pride of the
suburb in the Victorian era.
In recent years, the many
stone and timber cottages of
what had become a slum have
transformed into a charming,
bustling suburb that still retains
its village character, with inter-
esting shops, galleries, cafés,
restaurants and pubs.
The proximity of the Balmain
peninsula to the city and its
bohemian ambience may
explain why many prominent
writers - including novelist
Kate Grenville and playwright
David Williamson - have lived
and worked here.
The Saturday market, held
at St Andrews Congregational
Church in Darling Street, is
one of Sydney's best. Antiques,
estate jewellery and ingenious
art and craft items are on sale.
Corner view of Badde Manors Café on Glebe Point Road, Glebe
Glebe
4
Map
3 A4.
@
431, 433. See
Shops
and Markets
p203.
thing from antique clocks to
New Age goods and chattels.
Glebe Market held every Sat-
urday sells jewellery, second-
hand clothing and bric-a-brac.
The word “Glebe” means land
assigned to a clergyman as
part of his benefice. In 1789,
Governor Phillip granted
162 ha (400 acres) to Richard
Johnson, the First Fleet chap-
lain, and his wife Mary. Almost
all of the present suburb was
once part of that Glebe Estate.
Many of its streets wind down
to the working harbour and
contain terrace houses with
Sydney wrought-iron “lace” in
varying states of repair.
The once-grand residences
of the 19th-century élite were
mostly towards the harbour
end of Glebe Point Road, with
workers' cottages clustered
nearer Parramatta Road. Glebe
is still partly a gentrified
member of the café society,
although its proximity to the
Broadway shopping mall and
its popularity with students
from the nearby University of
Sydney have given it a more
bustling atmosphere.
It is densely populated and
lively, with many restaurants
and cafés in all price ranges,
traditional and trendy pubs,
good bookshops, an art-house
cinema and shops selling every-
Sydney Fish
Market
5
Cnr Pyrmont Bridge Rd & Bank St,
Pyrmont.
Map
3 B2.
Tel
9004 1100.
@
443, 501.
#
7am-4pm daily.
¢
Call for details.
www
.sydneyfishmarket.com.au
See
Shops and Markets
pp202-3.
25 Dec.
6
7
8
Every weekday, about 200
seafood retailers and dealers
arrive at this market's private
auction to bid for the
previous day's catch. It is sold
by Dutch auction, with prices
starting high and decreasing,
which halves the sale time.
The volume and variety of the
catch, including fish and sea-
food makes this the most
diverse fish market after Tokyo.
A fair amount of this catch
ends up, later in the morning,
in the fish market's six large
retail outlets which, for the
general public, are its main
attraction. As well as fresh fish,
these retailers sell smoked
salmon and roe, sushi, mari-
nated baby octopus and many
other ready-to-eat delicacies.
Imposing entrance to Balmain
court house on Darling Street
