4.18 Petersham
Part 4 – Place Specific Controls
Petersham is located on the lands of the Gadigal. Gadigal lands extend south of Sydney Harbour (Port Jackson) stretching from South Head to Petersham with part of the southern boundary lying on the Cooks River.
Country in Petersham is mainly Ashfield Shale with dark grey to black, sideritic claystone – siltstone and laminated fine-grained sandstone and siltstone. Country here is part of the Cooks River catchment; it does not have natural waterways visible on the surface, however underground water is present. The topography in Petersham is gently undulating rises on Wianamatta Shale with local relief 10–30 metres and slopes generally <5% to 10%. Crests and ridges are broad (200–600 metres) and rounded with convex upper slopes grading into concave lower slopes. Rock outcrops are absent. The original ecological community present in Petersham is Sydney Turpentine Ironbark Forest. This Country has been used for gathering seasonal resources, travelling pathways, traditionally managing the lands for thousands of generations of Aboriginal Peoples.
Gadigal culture is ongoing and continuing, meaning Country remains important to First Nations Peoples who live on, remain connected to and care for Country. In the 2021 Census, the Australian Bureau of Statistics published that 1.9% of the population of Petersham identified as Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander.
Petersham is a well-established inner-west suburb with a rich architectural and cultural heritage, defined by its Victorian and Federation-era streetscapes, fine-grain urban form, and strong sense of community. The suburb is characterised by a mix of low- to medium-density residential development, with rows of terrace houses, detached dwellings, and some apartment buildings, particularly along transport corridors. Its traditional street grid pattern, mature street trees, and heritage conservation areas contribute to a cohesive and pedestrian-friendly environment. Petersham is home to a large Portuguese community and the concentration of Portuguese businesses, including bakeries, restaurants, and cultural institutions, primarily along New Canterbury Road contribute to its identity. With proximity to public transport, including Petersham Station and frequent bus services, the area is well-connected to Greater Sydney while maintaining a distinct village atmosphere.
Petersham’s desired future character prioritises the preservation of its architectural heritage while balancing strategic, transit-oriented urban renewal in the local centre and designated precincts.
Protection of low density, single storey built fabric will occur alongside targeted growth directed toward the Petersham local centre and six site-specific precincts (Areas A–F). Stewardship of Petersham’s civic and natural assets, including significant open spaces like Petersham Park and Maundrell Park will preserve the “garden suburb” setting of detached homes protect public views and vistas created by the area’s topography, ensuring that densification will respect and maintain the neighbourhood’s environmental amenity and contributory historical fabric.
Development will be managed to concentrate new housing near transport hubs and minimise the impact of cars on the public domain, with active transport enhancements to support increased walking and cycling.
To allow and encourage a greater scale of development within the commercial centre, including the provision of new dwellings near local shops, services, and public transport
To ensure that the street building frontage of infill development in the commercial centre complements and responds to existing scale, form, materials and character of the area
To ensure that new development is designed to be subservient to retained portions of contributory buildings or infill development to the street building front
Where required, to ensure active commercial fronts to new buildings facing onto streets to create a vibrant and safe streetscape
To build on the eat street and cultural character of the commercial centre
To ensure that the design of higher density development demonstrates good urban design and environmental sustainability and provides suitable amenity for occupants of those developments
To maintain distinctly single storey residential streetscapes that exist within the neighbourhood
To protect the identified heritage values of the Heritage Conservation Areas within the neighbourhood
To preserve the contributory buildings identified within the neighbourhood and encourage their sympathetic alteration or restoration
To protect groups or runs of buildings which retain their original built form including roof forms, original detailing and finishes
To protect significant streetscapes and/or public domain elements within the neighbourhood including landscaping, fencing, open space, sandstone kerbing and guttering, views and vistas and prevailing subdivision patterns
To preserve the mixed density residential character of the neighbourhood
To facilitate urban renewal in appropriate locations, allowing substantial change to the streetscape character while resulting in a high-quality public domain
To allow and encourage a greater scale of development and increased residential density on site specific areas to:
- a)provide new dwellings near local shops, services, and public transport
- b)meet the market demand
- c)create the opportunity for high access housing choice
- d)support sustainable living
- e)To ensure orderly development on site specific areas
Development is to enhance and achieve the desired future character of the neighbourhood while retaining elements that contribute to that character and meeting all relevant DCP requirements
Retain the front portion of all buildings that make a positive contribution to the streetscape. This may include the main body of the building under the primary roof form to a minimum depth of two original rooms from the front façade element
Note: Note: Where building façades are required to be retained with new development behind, the new development is to align with existing floor levels and fenestration to the retained façade
Retain and protect historical shopfronts in the neighbourhood, including the row of properties from 57 to 69 Palace Street, Petersham, which form a row of seven shopfronts, including large windows with clear glass and clearly defined entries, and the existing awnings which project from the front elevation over the footpath
Site specific controls apply to the precincts identified in the following list and Figure 4.18.1.
- Gordon Street/Trafalgar Street Precinct apply to the land marked as ‘A’
- Nelson Place Precinct apply to the land marked as ‘B’
- Gordon Street/ Sadlier Crescent Precinct apply to the land marked ‘C’
- Chester Street/Livingstone Road Precinct apply to the land marked ‘D’
- Crystal Street South apply to the land marked ‘E’
- Crystal Street North apply to the land marked ‘F’
Objectives
To ensure built form reinforces a consistent street wall and active frontage along Gordon and Trafalgar Streets.
To provide building massing and articulation that reduces bulk and delivers high-quality outcomes.
To emphasise the Gordon/Trafalgar corner as a distinctive landmark within the local centre.
To promote well-designed setbacks, depth, separation and building orientation that support amenity, solar access, and a fine-grain pedestrian environment.
Controls
Development is to comply with the location and dimensions specified in Figures 4.18.2 and 4.18.3 with particular regard to:
- a)Lot amalgamation
- b)Land use
- c)Maximum number of storeys
- d)Boundary setbacks
- e)Building siting, orientation, and depth
- f)Separation of buildings
- g)Vehicular entries
Note: Note: Dimensions are expressed in metres.
The setbacks for upper floor levels and roof of proposed buildings apply to open pergolas
Design the building envelope to predominantly express a street-fronting building edge, with shallow articulations adding visual richness where a street/shallow articulation zone is indicated in Figures 4.18.2 and 4.18.3
The building envelope may include deep articulations to the building form to break up the massing of the building where a courtyard/deep articulation zone is indicated in Figures 4.18.2 and 4.18.3
Note: Note: If there is any inconsistency between the plan diagram and section diagrams, the plan diagram will prevail to the extent of the inconsistency
Development is to incorporate landmark features on the corner of Gordon Street and Trafalgar Street
Objectives
To facilitate development that is consistent with the desired future character for the Petersham Neighbourhood.
To reinforce a continuous, human-scaled street edge that contributes to a high-amenity and pedestrian-focused public domain.
To manage building height, setbacks, and articulation to reduce visual bulk and achieve a well-proportioned built form.
To ensure building orientation, separation, and envelope design provide adequate solar access, privacy, daylight, and outlook for both new and existing development.
To achieve functional development patterns through appropriate lot amalgamation, building depth, and carefully located vehicular access points.
Controls
Development is to comply with the location and dimensions specified in Figures 4.16.5 and 4.16.6 particularly in terms of:
- a)Lot amalgamation
- b)Land use
- c)Maximum number of storeys
- d)Boundary setbacks
- e)Building siting, orientation, and depth
- f)Separation of buildings
- g)Vehicular entries
Note: Note: Dimensions are expressed in metres.
The setbacks for upper floor levels and roof of proposed buildings apply to any open pergolas
Design the building envelope to predominantly express a street-fronting building edge, with shallow articulations adding visual richness where a street/shallow articulation zone is indicated in Figures 4.16.6 and 4.16.7
The building envelope may include deep articulations to the building form to break up the massing of the building where a courtyard/deep articulation zone is indicated in Figure 4.16.7
Note: Note: If there is any inconsistency between the plan diagram and section diagrams, the plan diagram will prevail to the extent of the inconsistency
Objectives
To facilitate development that is consistent with the desired future character for the Petersham Neighbourhood.
To reinforce a continuous, human-scaled street edge supported by active commercial frontages that contribute to a safe, vibrant and high-amenity public domain.
To manage building height, setbacks and articulation to deliver a well-proportioned built form and reduce the visual bulk of larger buildings.
To ensure building orientation, depth and separation support adequate solar access, privacy, daylight and outlook for both new and existing development.
To achieve functional and viable development patterns through appropriate lot amalgamation, building layout, and sensitively located vehicular access points.
Controls
Development is to comply with the location and dimensions specified in Figures 4.18.8 and 4.18.9 particularly in terms of:
- a)Lot amalgamation
- b)Land use
- c)Maximum number of storeys
- d)Boundary setbacks
- e)Building siting, orientation, and depth
- f)Separation of buildings
- g)Vehicular entries
- h)Active commercial frontage
Note: Note: Dimensions are expressed in metres.
The setbacks for upper floor levels and roof of proposed buildings apply to any open pergolas
Design the building envelope to predominantly express a street-fronting building edge, with shallow articulations adding visual richness where a street/shallow articulation zone is indicated in Figure 4.18.10
The building envelope may include deep articulations to the building form to break up the massing of the building where a courtyard/deep articulation zone is indicated in Figures 4.18.10
Note: Note: If there is any inconsistency between the plan diagram and section diagrams, the plan diagram will prevail to the extent of the inconsistency.
Objectives
To facilitate development that is consistent with the desired future character for the Petersham Neighbourhood.
To reinforce a continuous and human-scaled street frontage that contributes to a safe, comfortable and high-amenity public domain along Chester Street and Livingstone Road.
To manage building height, setbacks and articulation to achieve a well-proportioned built form and reduce the visual bulk of new development.
To ensure building orientation, depth and separation support adequate solar access, daylight, privacy and outlook for both new and existing development.
To achieve functional development patterns through appropriate lot amalgamation, building layout and sensitively located vehicular access points, consistent with the intended envelope controls in the associated Lewisham diagrams.
Controls
Development is to comply with the location and dimensions specified in Figures 4.18.11 and 4.18.12 particularly in terms of:
- a)Lot amalgamation
- b)Land use
- c)Maximum number of storeys
- d)Boundary setbacks
- e)Building siting, orientation, and depth
- f)Separation of buildings
- g)Vehicular entries
Note: Note: Dimensions are expressed in metres.
The setbacks for upper floor levels and roof of proposed buildings apply to any open pergolas
Design the building envelope to predominantly express a street-fronting building edge, with shallow articulations adding visual richness where a street/shallow articulation zone is indicated in Figure 4.18.13
Note: Note: If there is any inconsistency between the plan diagram and section diagrams, the plan diagram will prevail to the extent of the inconsistency
Objectives
To establish a consistent and cohesive streetscape that maintains a human-scale built form
Controls
In E1 Local Centre and MU1 Mixed Use Zones the street wall height is to be 3 storeys
Objectives
To establish a consistent and cohesive streetscape that maintains a human-scale built form
Controls
In E1 Local Centre and MU1 Mixed Use Zones the street wall height is to be 3 storeys. This control does not apply to any lots located within the Parramatta Road Commercial Precinct Heritage Conservation Area (C36)
The objectives and controls for:
- Hordern Avenue Heritage Conservation Area apply to the land listed as C75
- Morgan Street Heritage Conservation Area apply to the land listed as C77
- Petersham Commercial Precinct Heritage Conservation Area apply to the land listed as C78
- Petersham North Heritage Conservation Area apply to the land listed as C79
- Petersham South (Norwood Estate) Heritage Conservation Area apply to the land listed as C80
- Railway Street (Petersham) Heritage Conservation Area apply to the land listed as C81
- Rathlin Estate Heritage Conservation Area apply to the land listed as C82
The objectives and controls for the following Heritage Conservation Area are found elsewhere in this DCP.
- Parramatta Road Commercial Precinct HCA (C36) – Part 4.21 - Stanmore Neighbourhood
Hordern Avenue is important to the local area for its highly intact and cohesive Inter-War streetscape, achieved through consistent forms, materials, and detailing. It demonstrates the principles of infill development during the Inter-War period and is a rare example of small-scale speculative development by a single builder.
Key Features:
- Intact Inter-War streetscape with strong cohesion of built form and materials
- Group of Inter-War semi-detached bungalows and residential flat buildings with high-quality design, featuring:
- Decorative monochrome and polychrome brickwork
- Flattened-arched lintels to door openings
- Arched headers to recessed porch entries
- Soldier-header brick courses above windows
- Architectural styles include Inter-War Art Deco and Georgian Revival, with hipped roofs and tall, narrow brick chimneys.
- Symmetrical design at Hordern Avenue entry and consistent style, scale, roofscape, and façade configuration with wide frontages
- Minimal setbacks with side driveways to rear garages, limited garden space
- Low solid brick fencing matching buildings with decorative detailing
- Subdivision pattern of a narrow central road flanked by shallow lots, reflecting speculative development
- Public domain elements include street names set into the footpath
To facilitate development that is consistent with the statement of significance and controls for Hordern Avenue Heritage Conservation Area
Retain the following elements that define the heritage significance:
- a)All pre-1946 buildings
- b)The prominent roof form, particularly the long, low roof forms at the entrance to, and within, Hordern Avenue
- c)Timber framed casement windows set in groups (mainly pairs of double hung sashes):
- d)General lack of car parking infrastructure forward of the building line
- e)Street names set into footpath
- f)Provision for driveways to parking/garages at rear of lots
The Morgan Street Heritage Conservation Area is of local heritage significance as part of the 1890 Alexander Estate subdivision, representing residential development from 1890 to 1904. It demonstrates the historical pattern of modest Federation-style terraces built as rental housing and retains a cohesive streetscape with a distinctive cul-de-sac layout. The area has historical association with builder Alexander Ducros, who constructed several terraces between 1900 and 1904, and includes an unusual cottage with an ‘L’-shaped footprint that adds variety to the precinct.
Key Features:
- Subdivision dating from 1890, part of the Alexander Estate
- Historical association with builder Alexander Ducros
- Consistent group of modest Federation-style terraces built between 1900 and 1904
- Distinctive cul-de-sac subdivision pattern
- Intact gabled roofscape contributing to visual cohesion
- Separate cottage with unusual ‘L’-shaped footprint projecting towards the street
To facilitate development that is consistent with the Statement of Significance and controls for Morgan Street Heritage Conservation Area
Retain the following elements that define the heritage significance:
- a)All pre-1905 buildings
- b)Separate cottage demonstrating unusual built form being an L shape footprint with wing projecting towards street
- c)Lack of car parking infrastructure
The Petersham Commercial Precinct Heritage Conservation Area is of local heritage significance as a major suburban shopping precinct that evolved over more than 70 years following the arrival of the rail line in the mid-19th century. It demonstrates the historical development of retailing in Sydney’s Inner West and continues to serve as a cultural and commercial focal point for the community.
Key Features:
- Development spanning mid-19th century to early 20th century, reflecting major phases of suburban retailing
- Federation Freestyle retail group at 65–77 New Canterbury Road, an exemplar of its style
- Undulating alignment of New Canterbury Road, creating evolving views and vistas
- Consistent parapeted street wall with finely worked detailing, forming a strong skyline
- Surviving 1920s hanging ball white-way lights under awnings, a distinctive unifying element
- Narrow shopfronts and intact first-floor facades demonstrating the traditional suburban shopping strip typology
- Streetscape cohesion maintained through regular shopfront spacing and curved alignment of façades
- Cultural association as Sydney’s ‘Little Portugal’, providing food, entertainment, and community identity
To facilitate development that is consistent with the statement of significance and controls for Petersham Commercial Precinct Heritage Conservation Area
Retain the following elements that define the heritage significance:
- a)Commercial character demonstrated through the single and two storey 19th century and Federation period retail typologies
- b)Street tree plantings work with footway dining areas in Audley Street
- c)Intricate ‘skyline’ views above early decorative parapets
- d)Retail shops accessed directly from the footpath with no setbacks or arcades
The Petersham North Heritage Conservation Area is of local heritage significance as an area developed from the 1848 Petersham Estate subdivision, the 1854 Sydenham Estate subdivision, and subsequent subdivisions into the early 20th century. It reflects the layered history of subdivision and residential development in the Inner West and demonstrates the evolution of Petersham from an early estate to an urban cultural landscape.
Key Features:
- Evidence of layered subdivision history from 1848 through early 20th century.
- Range of high-style and modest dwellings representing different phases of development.
- Street and subdivision patterns showing increased density and reduced building scale over time.
- Socio-topographic stratification: substantial villas on higher terrain, modest housing on lower terrain.
- Representative examples of Victorian villas, terraces, Federation and Inter-War houses.
- Sandstone kerbing and street names inset in red cement at corners.
- Focal points provided by public open spaces such as Petersham Park and Brighton Street Park.
- Historical association with Percy Hordern, member of the Hordern retail dynasty.
To facilitate development that is consistent with the statement of significance and controls for Petersham North Heritage Conservation Area
Retain the following elements that define the heritage significance:
- a)All pre-1921 buildings
- b)Garden plantings in front of dwellings
- c)Garden settings of detached dwellings
- d)Lack of car parking infrastructure
- e)Petersham Park (including layout, plantings and infrastructure)
- f)Brighton Street Park
- g)Street tree plantings
- h)Street names set into footpath
- i)Central placement of development within lot
The Petersham South (Norwood Estate) Heritage Conservation Area is of local heritage significance as an area developed from the 1854 Norwood Estate subdivision and an extension to George Johnston’s Annandale Farm. It demonstrates the historical process of speculative development and re-subdivision, resulting in a diverse range of housing from the late 19th century through to the mid-20th century.
Key Features:
- Evidence of re-subdivision of earlier villa allotments into smaller residential lots
- Rich variety of built forms from Victorian Gentlemen’s villas to modest workers’ terraces, cottages, bungalows, and two-storey houses
- High-quality examples of architectural styles and typologies spanning 1863 to 1940
- Rare adaptation of built form to topography, including sandstone terracing and tiered retaining walls along Middleton Street
- Socio-topographic stratification: substantial villas on higher terrain, modest terraces on lower terrain, with later infill evident
- Consistent groups and runs of terraces demonstrating cohesive form, scale, rhythm, and materials
- High-quality detailing to front elevations of intact houses and terraces, with simplification of scale and detailing toward the rear
To facilitate development that is consistent with the statement of significance and controls for Petersham South (Norwood Estate) Heritage Conservation Area
Retain the following elements that define the heritage significance:
- a)All pre-1941 buildings
- b)Garden plantings in front of dwellings
- c)Garden settings of detached dwellings
- d)Lack of car parking infrastructure visible from the street
- e)Street tree plantings
- f)Marr Playground and Maundrell Park, including mature vegetation and civic improvements
- g)Street names set into footpath
The Railway Street (Petersham) Heritage Conservation Area is of local heritage significance as it demonstrates the evolutionary pattern of residential development in the Inner West between 1854 and 1940. The area reflects the history of subdivision and development in the former Petersham Municipality and contains a diverse range of high-quality architectural styles, including rare examples within the Inner West.
Key Features:
- Evidence of development from 1854 to 1940, reflecting the evolution of the Inner West
- Range of terraces and 19th/early 20th century built forms, including good examples of architectural periods and typologies
- Presence of rare architectural styles in the Inner West, such as Spanish Mission and high-style Federation
- Residential streetscape qualities and land use patterns maintained despite proximity to Parramatta Road corridor
- Diversity of bespoke homes built within a short period, contrasting with the speculative nature of other development in the area
To facilitate development that is consistent with the statement of significance and controls for Railway Street (Petersham) Heritage Conservation Area
Retain the following elements that define the heritage significance:
- a)All pre-1941 buildings
- b)Garden plantings in front of dwellings
- c)Garden settings of detached dwellings
- d)Lack of car parking infrastructure
- e)Street tree plantings
- f)Street names set into footpath
The Rathlin Estate Heritage Conservation Area is significant as the final subdivision of the historic Rathlin Estate, once part of the Petersham Estate and later the Salvation Army’s training college. It reflects the early suburban ideal through detached Federation houses on wide lots with side driveways. The area is valued for its cohesive streetscape of Federation bungalows, consistent subdivision pattern, roof forms, garden spaces, and public domain features such as sandstone kerbing and street tree planting.
Key Features:
- Subdivision pattern expressing the early suburban ideal
- Detached Federation and Inter-War Californian bungalows on wide lots
- Consistent setbacks allowing small front gardens
- Low-density streetscape with wide streets, verges, and single-storey houses
- Cohesive built form, scale, rhythm, and materials
- High-quality detailing to front elevations, roof forms, and finishes appropriate to the period
- Low face-brick fences (not rendered or painted)
- Street tree plantings of camellias and eucalypts
- Sandstone kerbing and other civic improvement elements
- Street views terminating at Marrickville Park
To facilitate development that is consistent with the statement of significance and controls for Rathlin Estate Heritage Conservation Area.
Retain the following elements that define the heritage significance:
- a)All pre-1920 buildings
- b)Garden plantings in front of dwellings
- c)Lack of car parking accessed from the primary street frontage
- d)Street tree planting
- e)Sandstone block kerbing
- f)Single storey character