Garry Wotherspoon – Paddington: A History

The suburb we now know as Paddington has a long, ever-changing and chequered history. Paddington has been everything from a village, a home to many of the colonial gentry, the site of Australia’s first military establishment, a slum due for demolition, a haven for ‘New Australians’, one of Sydney’s first suburbs to ‘gentrify’, and the place where resident action took off.

Its existence today is due to efforts of Paddington’s residents to fight off those who have tried to destroy it: state and council bureaucrats, indifferent property owners, the Department of Main Roads, and developers. It is a tale of struggle, but also one of hope.

Join historian Garry Wotherspoon as he shares the unique history of Sydney’s celebrated heritage suburb.

The event will be at the Mitchell Theatre.