Petersham (Little Portugal): A walk in a Sydney Suburb
I’m going to Little Portugal, as Petersham is affectionately called and I can hardly wait for my Portuguese tart. My first stop will be Sweet Belem Cake Shop for coffee and a ‘pastel de nata’.
Portuguese Petersham
After only ten minutes on the train from Central, I walk along Terminus Street towards Audley Street. Ahead is a brightly coloured tiled wall. Portugal and tiles (azulejos in Portuguese) go hand in hand and this wall was created by a Portuguese Australian artist. The colourful wall cheers up an otherwise unremarkable streetscape.
In Audley Street the Portuguese flavour of Petersham emerges with signs for a couple of Portuguese restaurants. In the cake shop (in New Canterbury Road) I eagerly search the rows of sweet offerings.
Sweet Belem
It is not quite 10am but only two Portuguese tarts remain. Phew. One has my name on it. I later learn that as quickly as they are sold they are replenished. I sit at a small round tiled table. Scenes of Lisbon adorn the walls. Soon I am savouring the delicious flaky pastry with creamy custard filling of my Portuguese tart.
Charly’s Deli
I explore New Canterbury Road further. Walking past Charly’s Deli something draws me in. My excitement rises as I realise this is where locals shop for goods from their old country. Boxes of bacalhau, the dried salted cod used in many a Portuguese dish greet me. Shelves are lined with tins of sardines, peri peri sauce, dried herbs and spices.
The fridge offers a selection of cheeses and small goods. Leaving with her bag of goodies, an older woman asks her companion “Quieres café?” Sounds Spanish but it’s good enough for me.
The bottle shop sells Portuguese wine and I discover The Majestic Gourmet Grocers (unfortunately since closed) housed in a converted rollerskating rink. If I wasn’t exploring, I’d be shopping up big.
We speak Portuguese and Spanish
In the Portuguese/Spanish butcher, hams hang from the ceiling. The sign “Tahlo Portugues Habla español” indicates that staff are bilingual. At each intersection, the pavement becomes an artwork of cobblestone tiles. There’s a rooster and a coat of arms. Another reminder of Portugal.
Suburban Petersham
Now I leave Little Portugal in search of other treasures. Walking down Audley Street, I enjoy the sunshine and looking at houses built in times gone by. There are small free standing cottages, terraces and larger houses, some converted into smaller dwellings. Many homes seem to have been freshly painted in colours in keeping with their heritage.
Multicultural
A man sits outside his home enjoying the pleasant autumn weather. He migrated from Lebanon many years ago. Petersham may be ‘Little Portugal’ but like everywhere in Sydney it is a melting pot of people from all over the world.
Marr Park
My plan is to walk more or less in a rectangle visiting places unearthed in my research. I zig zag along side streets to Albert Street where I stumble across Marr Park. Here I discover a lovely stonewalled garden of lavender and rosemary. And a fruiting olive tree, a reminder of the olive groves I walked past last year in Portugal.
Public House Petersham
I relax on a bench in the shade before continuing to New Canterbury Road. There the Public House Petersham boasts graffiti by ‘Phibs’ who I learnt about on a recent walking tour of Newtown. Apart from two young men playing pool, the pub is empty but I’ll return for lunch another day. And have a go on one of the pin ball machines.
Daisy’s Milk Bar
My next stop on New Canterbury Road is Daisy’s, a 1950’s retro Milkbar complete with red and white gingham curtains and pastel décor. I have my first thick shake in many years – boring banana. You are likely to be more adventurous.
Heritage Water Tower
Petersham is home to a 1965 heritage-listed water tower. Not far from Daisy’s, it looms large over neighbouring houses. After a closer look at this welded steel reservoir on a concrete tower I turn down Crystal Street towards the railway line passing the art deco Town Hall, another local landmark.
Over the Railway Line
I walk across the 1883 iron pedestrian bridge at the railway station noting the now fenced off old, but with heritage significance, unused station.
Petersham Park
I pass cottages and larger houses, some lovingly restored, others less so on my way to Petersham Park. There is a lot of history here. The grandstand overlooks the cricket pitch where Donald Bradman scored his 1st grade century as a young eighteen-year-old. It looks all very English with its white picket fence.
ANZAC Gate Posts
The ANZAC gate posts and gates saved from the old town hall provide a grand entrance to a tree lined memorial avenue. The outdoor aquatic centre, named after Fanny Durack, the first Australian woman to win a swimming Olympic Gold, is closed for winter.
Finishing off in Petersham
I return to Little Portugal for a few purchases. I get Jamon from the butcher, Vinho Verde from the bottle shop and hot peri peri sauce from Charly’s deli. I return home pretty pleased with my day and keen to share my experiences.
Useful information:
Petersham (Little Portugal) is in Sydney’s Inner West, 6km South West of the Sydney CBD
By train take the Inner West & South Line Towards Ashfield or plan your trip at transportnsw.info
Sweet Belem is closed on Mondays and Tuesdays.
Hi, Jo,
Another great little Sydney adventure – keep up the good work! I have fond memories of Petersham – I was living there in 1982, sharing a flat with my brother when I first started going out with Ros 🙂
Cheers,
Philip
Thanks Philip. Its funny what you learn when on a journey like this.
Just had dinner with Carly at another hipped-up oldmans pub previously the Cockatoo now Westvillage on Terminus Street directly across from the railroad stair at Petersham station (north side). Great food, warm neighbourhood atmosphere. Easy parking-or take the train!
Great to have more suggestions on where else to go in Petersham. Thanks Becky. It is time for me to revisit some of the places I went last year.
Now I know where my children can go and buy bacalhau for Christmas eve. Charly’s Deli is waiting.
We’re coming over to spend their first Christmas in Australia
Thanks for the info.
So pleased that you have found it useful Eduardo. Have a great time in Australia. Joanne
Hello Joanne
Just wanted to say Thank You!! I am enjoying your site & have been inspired to share your travels with some friends: we’re off to a “perambulation in Petersham” thanks to you.
Regards
Jenni
Thank you Jenny. Surprisingly I returned briefly to Petersham this afternoon with my daughter. We only visited the main street but it was good to be back and see that little has changed.
Sounds great. The rooster is the traditional ” Gallo do Barcelos” (Rooster of the city Barcelos). What about “Presunto” or “Portuguese salt cured pork”, Yummmmmm – eat thinly sliced (with your favourite bread or as is like “sliced Biltong”). Is there a traditional Baker which produces the typical breads ie ” Paõ de Presunto” ( bread baked with Presunto in the dough) or a good “Bolo de Mel” (bread with honey, sweet and heavy, a Madeiran speciality – Madeira islands and the Açores islands are self governing regions of Portugal). And “Tripas de Porto” (Tripe and beans ala the city Porto). I live in the north of Portugal in the Porto region. Ex South African 18 years ago. Born, bred, educated and trained in SA and love the Portuguese cuisine, wines, life style and traditions. Not to forget “Vinho Verde” (“green” or young wine, white or red served chilled with a meal – a glass or a 1/4, 1/2 or 1 litre jug at a time or bottled in the more upmarket restaurants). Get out there and enjoy your “Little Portugal” and may it expand to truly show Portugal in all its cuisine and traditions.
Thanks Paul for the info re the Gallo. We share the same heritage but settled in different parts of the world. Unfortunately Little Portugal, besides Sweet Belem doesn’t as far as I know have a bakery that makes Portuguese bread but I’m sure you can get the Vinho Verde there. I loved Portugal when I spent time walking the Camino there.
Hi Joanne,
Thank you for dedicating some time to the Portuguese culture. I just would like to add that Portuguese is not Spanish. Two very different languages. Portuguese is very much like French, in its grammar structure., for example.
Thanks Maria – yes, Spanish and Portuguese are very different. When I was in Portugal, locals understood my intermediate Spanish and I understood some of their Portuguese, but I couldn’t speak Portuguese and they couldn’t speak Spanish.
Hi Joanne, thanks for your insight into Petersham. I must correct you however on the history of The Majestic. It used to be a roller skating rink back in the day not a cinema.
Thank you Hilary for putting me right. My internet research and the name of the building Majestic Theatre put me on the wrong track. I’ve corrected the post.
Joanne.