Eden Terrace (10 to 14 Charles Street Erskineville) is located on the eastern side of Charles Street (known as George Street prior to 1912), between the railway line and Albert Street. Originally a row of seven two-storey terraces, three remain today.
The first mention of the row that would become Eden Terrace is an invitation for tenders for brickwork by Peter James of Swanson Street in February 1887, and a subsequent tender for plastering and plumbing in March 1887:
Sydney Morning Herald Wednesday, 9 February 1887
Sydney Morning Herald Friday, 25 March 1887
(also appearing Saturday 26 March 1887)
By July 1887 the houses appear to have been completed, and were offered for rent for 10 shillings a week:
Sydney Morning Herald Saturday, 23 July 1887
The first mention of the houses as Eden Terrace occurs several weeks later, with two remaining houses offered for rent:
Sydney Morning Herald Saturday, 3 September 1887
(also appearing Monday 5 September 1887)
Here are the first appearances of the residents of Eden Terrace in the 1888 Macdonaldtown Council Assessment Book; and the 1889 edition of the Sands Directory:
Occupants of 1 to 7 Eden Terrace and owner (Peter James)
Macdonaldtown Assessment Book 1888 – North Ward
City of Sydney Archives item 610/10
Eden Terrace – 1889 Sands Directory
Occupant of 2 Eden Terrace not listed,
Occupants incorrectly listed south of Thomas (now Albert) Street
Subsequent references to Eden Terrace depict the regular goings-on of suburban Sydney life. Lost animals, births, rental advertisements and some on-the-quiet home business activities. The original numbering of the terrace (as 1 to 7 Eden Terrace) corresponds with the modern numbering of the street (as 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12 & 14 George/Charles Street).
Evening News (Sydney) Friday, 14 September 1888
(Joseph Worrill, Bootmaker – No. 1 Eden Terrace/2 George Street – demolished)
Sydney Morning Herald Thursday, 15 March 1888
(5 Eden Terrace – known today as 10 Charles Street)
Evening News (Sydney) Friday, 3 May 1889
(No. 2 Eden Terrace/4 George Street – demolished)
Evening News (Sydney) Saturday, 29 June 1889
(No. 5 Eden Terrace – known today as 10 Charles Street)
Evening News (Sydney) Monday, 8 July 1889
(No. 1 Eden Terrace/2 George Street – demolished)
Evening News (Sydney) Saturday, 7 December 1889
(Farren James, Upholsterer. 6 Eden Terrace – known today as 12 Charles Street)
Evening News (Sydney) Saturday, 16 November 1889
(Farren James, Upholsterer. 6 Eden Terrace – known today as 12 Charles Street)
Evening News (Sydney) Saturday, 8 November 1890
Evening News (Sydney) Monday, 24 November 1890
Evening News (Sydney) Tuesday, 14 July 1891
(Wife of James J. Leonard, Printer. No. 3 Eden Terrace/6 George Street – demolished)
Sydney Morning Herald Thursday, 24 March 1892
(Wife of Henry Mills. No. 2 Eden Terrace/4 George Street – demolished)
No further references to the row as Eden Terrace have been identified from the newspapers, but of course life went on for the residents with pleas for the return of a lost diamond ring (1907); request for a sailing boat (1923); and furniture for sale (1924 & 1930).
In 1914 number 4 Charles Street Erskineville and the story of May Allport ‘the little girl with the Rickets’ appeared in advertisements around the country for Dr. William’s Pink Pills. Here below is the advertisement. There is more about May Allport at Neighbours Astounded – Little Girl Wonderfully Restored to Health.
The Argus (Melbourne) Friday, 20th February 1914
The original owner of Eden Terrace, Mr. Peter James J.P. passed away on 25 July 1891 aged 71 at his Swanson Street residence ‘Carlisle Villa.’
The Sydney Mail and New South Wales Advertiser Saturday, 1 August 1891
The following commemoration appeared in the Evening News on 28 July 1891:
Evening News (Sydney) Tuesday, 28 July 1891
Peter James was appointed as a ‘Trustee of the land at Macdonaldtown, resumed for the purposes of a Public Park’ (Macdonaldtown Park) in 1885; and was for a time the Macdonaldtown Park caretaker. Following his passing Alderman John Baldwin passed a motion at a meeting of the Macdonaldtown Council on 10 August 1891 that a letter of condolence be sent to Peter James’ widow, further adding to the motion ‘that the deceased gentlemen had always taken a great interest in municipal work and had been the means of many improvements being effected.’
Peter James owned several properties in Erskineville and beyond, the extent of which was revealed at the dissolution of his estate (after the passing of considerable time) in 1902:
Sydney Morning Herald Saturday, 12 April 1902
Lot 1 refers to Eden Terrace; Lot 2 refers to two cottages behind Eden Terrace (now demolished) on Thomas Street (now the park on Albert Street between Charles and Burren Street); Lot 3 on Burren Street was known as Railway Terrace (now demolished); and Lots 5 & 6 would later be subdivided and sold in 1903 as the James’ Estate.
The row originally contained seven houses adjacent to the original location of Macdonaldtown Station (depicted in this map of 1886). Number 2 was demolished around the time of the railway duplication and quadruplication works of 1891-2. Here is an extract of a map published in 1894 showing Eden Terrace as a row of six at the time (the two weatherboard cottages in Thomas Street are also shown):
1894 – City of Sydney Section Erskineville – Sheet 6
Numbers 4; 6; and 8 would be demolished with the further widening of the railway in 1925.
