Petersham is crowded with fine examples of colonial, Victorian and Edwardian architecture. Terraces form the bulk of Petersham’s housing stock and they range in size from the rather modest to the very grand. Petersham also has some of the most impressive freestanding residences in the inner-city; some of the homes around Croydon and Clarendon streets can only be described as mansions. While some of these properties have been converted into studios, recent years have increasingly seen them returned to their former glory. Petersham also offers some great apartments, typically in small blocks. These – like other properties in the suburb – tend to sit on pleasant, tree-lined streets.

Petersham is renowned for its Portuguese restaurants - Audley Road and New Canterbury Road are lined with Sydney’s best. And while these restaurants will always be a big drawcard they’ve been joined by some interesting newcomers lately. Perama has gained a deserved reputation as one of Sydney’s best Greek restaurants. Blancmange also deserves a mention: sitting on the suburb’s north side opposite Petersham Park, this fine diner operates as a café on the weekend. Of course, there are lots of other options just beyond the suburb’s borders. Leichhardt’s Little Italy is five minutes away and Newtown’s King Street - lined with Chinese, Japanese, Thai, Indian, Lebanese, Mexican and modern Australian restaurants - is just as accessible.

In recent years the number of families with small children has risen and this has led to an increase in childcare providers in and around Petersham. Locally, you’ll find family daycare providers, long daycare centres and preschools. Older children are served by Petersham Public, which educates children from kindergarten to year six. Secondary education is offered by Fort Street High. Now a selective high school, Fort Street is Sydney’s oldest public school. Petersham also offers excellent access to tertiary education; the University of Sydney and the University of Technology, Sydney are less than five kilometres away and a campus of the Sydney TAFE Institute is located in Petersham itself.

Walking around Petersham’s leafy streets it’s clear that the suburb has a long history - many of the suburb’s public and private buildings are over 100 years old. What’s less obvious is that Petersham began life as one of colonial New South Wales’ most important agricultural areas. By 1793 the colonial administration had teams of convicts involved in the production of corn, wheat and other crops. Ringed by forest, Petersham was also home to a large colony of kangaroos and they too were a source of food for early settlers. By the 1850s however, Petersham had begun to transform. In 1855 the train line linking Sydney to Parramatta opened and a stop was soon established at Petersham. With the train line came a housing boom and many of the suburb’s terraces and freestanding homes were built in this period. By the end of the nineteenth century, Petersham had assumed its current shape. The twentieth century saw the arrival of European migrants, who brought with them a demand for cafés, delicatessens and restaurants. Recent years have seen another transformation take place as Petersham’s period homes have been painstakingly restored and revived. As a result, contemporary Petersham must rank as one of the most appealing places to live in inner-Sydney and - not surprisingly - homes here are highly sought after.

The shopping in Petersham just keeps on getting better. Everyday essentials are easily sourced: both Marrickville Metro and Leichhardt Marketown are close and home to large supermarkets. Within Petersham, you’ll find an unsurpassed range of bakeries, butchers and greengrocers, many of them specialising in Portuguese food. Petersham has been known as ‘Little Portugal’ for years, and you’ll find butchers serving Portuguese cuts of meat alongside bakeries serving Portuguese pastries. Naturally, Petersham is home to Sydney’s most addictive Portuguese tarts.

In a suburb dotted with picturesque parks, Petersham Park has to be the most impressive. Designed in the classic Victorian manner - with formal gardens encircling a cricket field - the park makes a great place for walking or running. The park is also home to the Fanny Durack Pool. While it’s smaller than some other public pools, it’s heated in cool weather and hosts a range of swimming and aqua-aerobics classes. Fringed by figs and date palms, the pool also makes a great place to relax. You’ll also find a great network of cycle-ways in Petersham and plenty of places to park your bike. Locals also enjoy easy access to a wide range of sporting competitions, including netball, basketball, tennis, rugby, rugby league, and touch football. Curves, a gymnasium, is also situated in Petersham.

Petersham is just six kilometres south-west of Sydney’s CBD. Residents have excellent access to public transport. Petersham railway station sits on the Inner West line of the City Rail network. Regular train services operate east to the city and west to Ashfield and beyond. An extensive public bus service also operates in Petersham, with the 428 providing a link to Circular Quay; the 412 a link to King Street Wharf in the city, and the 445 providing a connection to Balmain.