Taking a stroll through history

Ask Sue Tronser, President of the Heritage Group of Leichhardt District, about the changes she’s experienced in the area over 15 years, and she’ll speak with the enthusiasm of one who retains a true passion for their craft. “There’s been a huge number of changes… but I think it’s been quite good in many ways. A lot of old houses have been saved as a result of this gentrification, for want of a better word.”

Charting the history of Leichhardt Municipality is the aim of the group’s recent publication, Exploring Leichhardt Heritage: Selected Walks in the Municipality, which features details of 11 walks highlighting the area’s past. The book contains detailed maps and colour photos, and describes the history of many notable buildings and streets in the area.

“There has been quite a lot of interest, particularly when people find out [such a publication] exists,” Ms Tronser said. “It’s either people looking around their own district, which they’ve never really looked at properly, or new people coming into the area who are innocent in the background of their streets or houses.”

One highlight of the book is the Beale Pianos factory site on Trafalgar Street in Annandale, now home to units and townhouses. “The main building is a lovely old building; I think Beale started around 1903, and were selling, in their heyday, something like 3,000 pianos a month!” Ms Tronser said. The site also made its contribution to the war effort in World War I, being converted to manufacture aeroplane parts.

The Heritage Group of Leichhardt District celebrates its fifth birthday in 2010. Funding for Exploring Leichhardt Heritage – as with a number of other projects undertaken by the group – comes from Leichhardt Council.

Exploring Leichhardt Heritage costs $20 and is available at Leichhardt and Balmain Libraries, at the Balmain Association, and at Shearers Bookshop in Norton Street, Leichhardt and Journeys Bookshop in Booth Street, Annandale.