Woolloomooloo, New South Wales
Encyclopedia
Woolloomooloo is a harbourside, inner-city eastern
suburb
of Sydney
, in the state of New South Wales
, Australia
. Woolloomooloo is located 1.5 kilometres east of the Sydney central business district
, in the local government area of the City of Sydney
. The suburb is located in a low-lying, former docklands area at the head of Woolloomooloo Bay, on Sydney Harbour. The Domain
sits to the west, the locality of East Sydney
is near the south-west corner of the suburb and the locality of Kings Cross
is near the south-east corner. Potts Point sits immediately to the East.
The suburb has historically been a poorer working class
district of Sydney. This has changed only recently with recent gentrification
of the inner city areas of Sydney. The redevelopment of the waterfront, particularly the construction of the housing development on the Finger Wharf
, has caused major change. Areas of public housing (housing commission) still exist in the suburb.
In 1852, the traveller Col. G.C. Mundy wrote that the name came from Wala-mala, meaning an Aboriginal burial ground. It has also been suggested that the name means field of blood, due to the alleged Aboriginal tribal fights that took place in the area, or that it is from the pronunciation by Aborigines of windmill, from the one that existed on Darlinghurst ridge until the 1850s.
There is also an unserious supposition and somewhat of a legend spread among locals that the name was coined when one of Palmer's sheep entered his house (more specifically, his bathroom), and he exclaimed "There's wool on my loo!", which would later mutate into Woollomooloo.
's arrival in Sydney, the area was initially called Garden Cove or Garden Island Cove after the nearby small wooded Garden Island
, off the shore. The first land grant was given to John Palmer in 1793 to allow him to run cattle for the fledgling colony.
In the 1840s the farm land was subdivided into what is now Woolloomooloo, Darlinghurst
and parts of Surry Hills
. Originally the area saw affluent residents building grand houses, many with spectacular gardens, attracted by the bay and close proximity to the city and Government House
.
The area slowly started to change after expensive houses were built in Elizabeth Bay
and further east and a road was needed from Sydney. It was for this reason that William Street
was built, dividing the land for the first time.
and ran north along Haig Avenue, St John Young Crescent and Lincoln Crescent to Brown's Wharf at Woolloomooloo. Through service ran from Circular Quay via Elizabeth and Park Streets. The line was an early closure, in 1935, being replaced by a bus service from Pyrmont
.
Woolloomooloo is home to the Finger Wharf
, known for its remarkable size. It is 400 metres (1,312.3 ft) long and 63 m (206.7 ft) wide and stands on 3,600 piles.
The Sydney Harbour Trust built the Finger Wharf
, or Woolloomooloo Wharf, between 1911 and 1915 with the charter to bring order to Sydney Harbour's foreshore facilities. The wharf became the largest wooden structure in the world. The areas commerce was dominated by shipping at the wharf and by the regular influx of sailors & officers from the Garden Island
base of the Royal Australian Navy
.
The wharf's influence diminished for Woolloomooloo during the 1970s when other more modern wharves were preferred. By the 1980s the wharf lay derelict and empty and in 1987, the state government
decided to demolish the Wharf. A new complex was approved to replace the wharf in Woolloomooloo Bay, but when demolition work was due to begin in January 1991, locals blocked entrance to the site. Unions imposed a Green ban
which stopped demolition crews from undertaking work.
In the mid-1990s the wharf was renovated into 300 private residential apartments and a boutique hotel featuring 104 guestrooms. It also features several restaurants and bars, including the popular Water Bar, frequented by many visiting celebrities. At first the hotel was launched as "W Sydney - Woolloomooloo" and was the W Hotels brands' first internationally launched property outside of the United States. The hotel's licensing expired in 2007 and rebranded as "Blue Hotel", managed by Taj Hotels & Resorts. Notable residents include actor, Russell Crowe
, who lives in a $14 million penthouse which as a result has become famous in Australia and abroad and as well as one of the most expensive and sought after places in the country and prominent and controversial former Australian radio presenter John Laws
.
The Andrew "Boy" Charlton Pool, sits on the western side of Woolloomooloo Bay, amongst the Royal Botanical Gardens
.
Eastern Suburbs (Sydney)
The Eastern Suburbs is a general term used to describe the metropolitan area directly to the east and south-east of the Sydney central business district in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. Eastern Suburbs can refer to the suburbs within the local government areas of Woollahra, Waverley, Dover...
suburb
Suburb
The word suburb mostly refers to a residential area, either existing as part of a city or as a separate residential community within commuting distance of a city . Some suburbs have a degree of administrative autonomy, and most have lower population density than inner city neighborhoods...
of Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
, in the state of New South Wales
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
. Woolloomooloo is located 1.5 kilometres east of the Sydney central business district
Sydney central business district
The Sydney central business district is the main commercial centre of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. It extends southwards for about 3 kilometres from Sydney Cove, the point of first European settlement. Its north–south axis runs from Circular Quay in the north to Central railway station in...
, in the local government area of the City of Sydney
City of Sydney
The City of Sydney is the Local Government Area covering the Sydney central business district and surrounding inner city suburbs of the greater metropolitan area of Sydney, Australia...
. The suburb is located in a low-lying, former docklands area at the head of Woolloomooloo Bay, on Sydney Harbour. The Domain
The Domain, Sydney
The Domain is 34 hectares of open space in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. It is located on the eastern edge of the Sydney central business district, near Woolloomooloo. The Domain adjoins the Royal Botanic Gardens and is managed by the Royal Botanic Gardens Trust, a division of the New South...
sits to the west, the locality of East Sydney
East Sydney, New South Wales
East Sydney is a small inner-city locality in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. It is situated immediately east of the Sydney central business district, adjacent to Hyde Park....
is near the south-west corner of the suburb and the locality of Kings Cross
Kings Cross, New South Wales
Kings Cross is an inner-city locality of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. It is located approximately 2 kilometres east of the Sydney central business district, in the local government area of the City of Sydney...
is near the south-east corner. Potts Point sits immediately to the East.
The suburb has historically been a poorer working class
Working class
Working class is a term used in the social sciences and in ordinary conversation to describe those employed in lower tier jobs , often extending to those in unemployment or otherwise possessing below-average incomes...
district of Sydney. This has changed only recently with recent gentrification
Gentrification
Gentrification and urban gentrification refer to the changes that result when wealthier people acquire or rent property in low income and working class communities. Urban gentrification is associated with movement. Consequent to gentrification, the average income increases and average family size...
of the inner city areas of Sydney. The redevelopment of the waterfront, particularly the construction of the housing development on the Finger Wharf
Finger Wharf
The Finger Wharf or Woolloomooloo Wharf is a wharf in Woolloomooloo Bay, Sydney, Australia. The structure is the largest timbered-piled building in the world and was completed in 1915...
, has caused major change. Areas of public housing (housing commission) still exist in the suburb.
Aboriginal culture
The current spelling of Woolloomooloo is derived from the name of the first homestead in area, Wolloomooloo House, built by the first landowner John Palmer. There is debate as to how Palmer came up with the name with different Aboriginal words being suggested. Anthropologist J.D. McCarthy wrote in 'NSW Aboriginal Places Names', in 1946, that Woolloomooloo could be derived from either Wallamullah, meaning place of plenty or Wallabahmullah, meaning a young black kangaroo.In 1852, the traveller Col. G.C. Mundy wrote that the name came from Wala-mala, meaning an Aboriginal burial ground. It has also been suggested that the name means field of blood, due to the alleged Aboriginal tribal fights that took place in the area, or that it is from the pronunciation by Aborigines of windmill, from the one that existed on Darlinghurst ridge until the 1850s.
European settlement
After the First FleetFirst Fleet
The First Fleet is the name given to the eleven ships which sailed from Great Britain on 13 May 1787 with about 1,487 people, including 778 convicts , to establish the first European colony in Australia, in the region which Captain Cook had named New South Wales. The fleet was led by Captain ...
's arrival in Sydney, the area was initially called Garden Cove or Garden Island Cove after the nearby small wooded Garden Island
Garden Island, New South Wales
Garden Island is an inner-city locality of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. It is located to the north-east of the Sydney central business district, north of the suburb of Potts Point....
, off the shore. The first land grant was given to John Palmer in 1793 to allow him to run cattle for the fledgling colony.
In the 1840s the farm land was subdivided into what is now Woolloomooloo, Darlinghurst
Darlinghurst, New South Wales
Darlinghurst is an inner-city, eastern suburb of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Darlinghurst is located immediately east of the Sydney central business district and Hyde Park, within the local government area of the City of Sydney...
and parts of Surry Hills
Surry Hills, New South Wales
Surry Hills is an inner-city suburb of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Surry Hills is located immediately south-east of the Sydney central business district in the local government area of the City of Sydney...
. Originally the area saw affluent residents building grand houses, many with spectacular gardens, attracted by the bay and close proximity to the city and Government House
Government House, Sydney
Government House is located in Sydney, Australia alongside the Royal Botanic Gardens, overlooking Sydney Harbour, just south of the Sydney Opera House...
.
The area slowly started to change after expensive houses were built in Elizabeth Bay
Elizabeth Bay, New South Wales
Elizabeth Bay is a harbourside suburb in eastern Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Elizabeth Bay is located 3 kilometres east of the Sydney central business district and is part of the local government area of the City of Sydney....
and further east and a road was needed from Sydney. It was for this reason that William Street
William Street, Sydney
William Street is a major thoroughfare in Sydney, Australia. It runs from Kings Cross to Hyde Park where it turns into Park Street. The street forms the border between the two suburbs of Woolloomooloo and Darlinghurst. Today the newly completed Cross City Tunnel follows much of the route of William...
was built, dividing the land for the first time.
Trams
The Woolloomooloo tram line opened in stages between 1915 and 1918. This line branched off from Park StreetPark Street, Sydney
Park Street in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia is a major cross street in the centre of the Central Business District. It runs from George Street in the west to College Street in the east, where it becomes William Street.-Description:...
and ran north along Haig Avenue, St John Young Crescent and Lincoln Crescent to Brown's Wharf at Woolloomooloo. Through service ran from Circular Quay via Elizabeth and Park Streets. The line was an early closure, in 1935, being replaced by a bus service from Pyrmont
Pyrmont, New South Wales
Pyrmont is an inner-city suburb of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Pyrmont is located 2 kilometres south-west of the Sydney central business district in the local government area of the City of Sydney...
.
Landmarks
Finger Wharf
The Finger Wharf or Woolloomooloo Wharf is a wharf in Woolloomooloo Bay, Sydney, Australia. The structure is the largest timbered-piled building in the world and was completed in 1915...
, known for its remarkable size. It is 400 metres (1,312.3 ft) long and 63 m (206.7 ft) wide and stands on 3,600 piles.
The Sydney Harbour Trust built the Finger Wharf
Finger Wharf
The Finger Wharf or Woolloomooloo Wharf is a wharf in Woolloomooloo Bay, Sydney, Australia. The structure is the largest timbered-piled building in the world and was completed in 1915...
, or Woolloomooloo Wharf, between 1911 and 1915 with the charter to bring order to Sydney Harbour's foreshore facilities. The wharf became the largest wooden structure in the world. The areas commerce was dominated by shipping at the wharf and by the regular influx of sailors & officers from the Garden Island
Garden Island, New South Wales
Garden Island is an inner-city locality of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. It is located to the north-east of the Sydney central business district, north of the suburb of Potts Point....
base of the Royal Australian Navy
Royal Australian Navy
The Royal Australian Navy is the naval branch of the Australian Defence Force. Following the Federation of Australia in 1901, the ships and resources of the separate colonial navies were integrated into a national force: the Commonwealth Naval Forces...
.
The wharf's influence diminished for Woolloomooloo during the 1970s when other more modern wharves were preferred. By the 1980s the wharf lay derelict and empty and in 1987, the state government
Government of New South Wales
The form of the Government of New South Wales is prescribed in its Constitution, which dates from 1856, although it has been amended many times since then...
decided to demolish the Wharf. A new complex was approved to replace the wharf in Woolloomooloo Bay, but when demolition work was due to begin in January 1991, locals blocked entrance to the site. Unions imposed a Green ban
Green ban
A green ban is a form of strike action, usually taken by a trade union or other organised labour group, which is conducted for environmentalist or conservationist purposes.-Background:...
which stopped demolition crews from undertaking work.
In the mid-1990s the wharf was renovated into 300 private residential apartments and a boutique hotel featuring 104 guestrooms. It also features several restaurants and bars, including the popular Water Bar, frequented by many visiting celebrities. At first the hotel was launched as "W Sydney - Woolloomooloo" and was the W Hotels brands' first internationally launched property outside of the United States. The hotel's licensing expired in 2007 and rebranded as "Blue Hotel", managed by Taj Hotels & Resorts. Notable residents include actor, Russell Crowe
Russell Crowe
Russell Ira Crowe is a New Zealander Australian actor , film producer and musician. He came to international attention for his role as Roman General Maximus Decimus Meridius in the 2000 historical epic film Gladiator, directed by Ridley Scott, for which he won an Academy Award for Best Actor, a...
, who lives in a $14 million penthouse which as a result has become famous in Australia and abroad and as well as one of the most expensive and sought after places in the country and prominent and controversial former Australian radio presenter John Laws
John Laws
Richard John Sinclair "John" Laws, CBE , an Australian radio presenter, sometimes known as Lawsie, was from the 1970s until his retirement in 2007, the host of a hugely successful morning radio program, which mixed music with interviews, opinion, live advertising readings and listener talkback...
.
The Andrew "Boy" Charlton Pool, sits on the western side of Woolloomooloo Bay, amongst the Royal Botanical Gardens
Royal Botanic Gardens, Sydney
The Royal Botanic Gardens in Sydney, Australia, are the most central of the three major botanical gardens open to the public in Sydney....
.
Popular culture
- The Tommy LeonettiTommy LeonettiTommy Leonetti was an American pop singer-songwriter and actor of the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s. In Australia his most famous song was "My City of Sydney" and was used by the Australian TV channel ATN7 in Sydney for station identification into the 1980s...
song "My City Of Sydney", later covered by the post-punk band XL CaprisXL CaprisXL Capris were an Australian indie-punk band formed in Sydney in 1978 by Julie Anderson, Tim Gooding, Johanna Pigott and Kimble Rendall.Their best known single was a punk version of Tommy Leonetti's "My City of Sydney"...
, mentions "That little church steeple in Woolloomooloo." - The Bruces sketchBruces sketchThe Bruces sketch is a famous sketch from the TV show Monty Python's Flying Circus, and appears in episode 22, 'How to recognise different parts of the body'...
by Monty PythonMonty PythonMonty Python was a British surreal comedy group who created their influential Monty Python's Flying Circus, a British television comedy sketch show that first aired on the BBC on 5 October 1969. Forty-five episodes were made over four series...
is set in the fictitious University of Woolloomooloo, mainly due to its typical Australian name. - The album ZoolookZoolookZoolook is the fourth overall mainstream studio album by Jean Michel Jarre, and released on Disques Dreyfus in 1984. It makes extensive use of digital recording techniques and sampling. It is considered by many fans as one of Jarre's most experimental albums to date...
by Jean Michel JarreJean Michel JarreJean Michel André Jarre is a French composer, performer and music producer. He is a pioneer in the electronic, ambient and New Age genres, and known as an organiser of outdoor spectacles of his music featuring lights, laser displays, and fireworks.Jarre was raised in Lyon by his mother and...
has a track titled Wooloomooloo [sic]. - In 1970, Australian educator, journalist and politician Irina DunnIrina DunnPatricia Irene Dunn is an Australian writer who served in the Australian Senate between 1988 and 1990.-Background:Dunn was born in Shanghai, China around the time of the conclusion of the Chinese Civil War, and her family, associated with Chiang Kai-Shek, fled to Hong Kong...
created the phrase "A woman needs a man like a fish needs a bicycle," scribbling the phrase on two bathroom doors: one at Sydney University where she was then a student, and the other at Soren's Wine Bar in Woolloomooloo. The quip is often incorrectly attributed to American feminist Gloria SteinemGloria SteinemGloria Marie Steinem is an American feminist, journalist, and social and political activist who became nationally recognized as a leader of, and media spokeswoman for, the women's liberation movement in the late 1960s and 1970s...
. - The 1982 album Circus AnimalsCircus AnimalsCircus Animals was a studio album released by Australian band Cold Chisel in 1982. It was recorded and mixed at Paradise Studios and EMI Studio 301, Sydney . It reached number one on the Australian charts, remaining in the charts for 40 weeks...
by Cold ChiselCold ChiselCold Chisel is a rock band that originated in Adelaide, Australia. It is one of the most acclaimed Australian rock bands of all time, with a string of hits throughout the 1970s and 1980s and huge sales that continue to this day, although its success and acclaim was almost completely restricted to...
contains the song "Numbers Fall", which refers to Forbes Street and Springfield Avenue, Woolloomooloo. "Letter to Alan", on the same album, also refers to the Wayside Chapel in neighbouring Potts Point. - The 1989 album The Big Don't ArgueThe Big Don't ArgueThe Big Don't Argue is the third studio album released by Australian rock band Weddings Parties Anything. The album was produced by Memphis legend Jim Dickinson, who had worked with Big Star and the Rolling Stones."A Tale they won't Believe" relates to a tale from Australia’s colonial past, a...
by Weddings Parties AnythingWeddings Parties AnythingWeddings Parties Anything were an Australian folk rock band formed in 1984 in Melbourne and continuing until 1998. Their name came from The Clash song and musicologist Billy Pinnell described their first album as the best Australian rock debut since Skyhooks' Living in the '70s.-Formation and...
contains the song "Ticket in Tatts", which refers to Woollomooloo. - The popular childrens book The kangaroo from Woolloomooloo (written by Joy CowleyJoy CowleyCassia "Joy" Cowley, DCNZM, OBE is a New Zealand author of novels, short stories, and children's fiction.Her first novel, Nest in a Fallen Tree , was converted into the 1971 film The Night Digger by Roald Dahl...
; illustrated by Rodney McRae, 1985), featured , among a wide variety of other Australian fauna, a kangaroo from Woolloomooloo. - In the Dutch city of UtrechtUtrecht (city)Utrecht city and municipality is the capital and most populous city of the Dutch province of Utrecht. It is located in the eastern corner of the Randstad conurbation, and is the fourth largest city of the Netherlands with a population of 312,634 on 1 Jan 2011.Utrecht's ancient city centre features...
, a student's disco is called 'Woolloomooloo', or 'Woo' in brief.
Notable residents
- Actor Russell CroweRussell CroweRussell Ira Crowe is a New Zealander Australian actor , film producer and musician. He came to international attention for his role as Roman General Maximus Decimus Meridius in the 2000 historical epic film Gladiator, directed by Ridley Scott, for which he won an Academy Award for Best Actor, a...
- Actor Kurtis Wakefield
- Radio presenter John LawsJohn LawsRichard John Sinclair "John" Laws, CBE , an Australian radio presenter, sometimes known as Lawsie, was from the 1970s until his retirement in 2007, the host of a hugely successful morning radio program, which mixed music with interviews, opinion, live advertising readings and listener talkback...
- Singer Delta GoodremDelta GoodremDelta Lea Goodrem is an Australian singer-songwriter, pianist, and actress. Signed to Sony at the age of 15, Goodrem rose to prominence in 2002, starring in the Australian soap opera Neighbours as Nina Tucker. Goodrem has achieved eight number-one singles and three number-one albums in her home...
- Mark BosnichMark BosnichMark Bosnich is a retired Australian football player and football pundit. He represented Australia 17 times and played for English Premier League clubs Aston Villa, Manchester United and Chelsea.-Manchester United :...