The first land grant in the area was 100 acres on Woolloomooloo Bay granted to Commissary John Palmer in 1793. Palmer built his residence at Woolloomooloo in 1801. As a farmer and grazier Palmer was a success and he subsequently became one of the pre-eminent land and stock holders in the colony. He held the position of Commissary General until 1808 after which he returned to England to face an inquiry into the Rum Rebellion. While abroad, Palmer leased his land to Alexander Riley.
On arrival back to Australia in May 1814 he found himself in increasing debt, in order to meet his debts, Palmer sold his Woolloomooloo Estate to Ann Riley, Edward Riley’s wife, in 1822. Edward Riley, Esq. (1784-1825) was a merchant and early pastoralist, 1818 Director of Bank of NSW, 1821 appointed as a Magistrate for the Territory of New South Wales.
*Riley Street in Sydney is named after Edward Riley.
Riley's Estate extended from Woolloomooloo Bay to Surry Hills, it was amalgamated from many smaller land grants in the 1820s. When Edward died in 1825, the Estate was tied up with two conflicting wills. In 1845 after years of litigation, the Riley Estate was eventually divided into seven parcels of land of equal value and raffled amongst the seven heirs.
James John Riley, Esq. (1821-1882), son of Edward & Ann Riley, inherited this parcel of land, bordered by Bourke St, Burton St, Palmer St and Old South Head Rd (renamed Oxford St in 1875), identified as Block A1 & A2 of the Riley Estate. James Riley was a great public figure. He was the means of creating a Shire Council and became the first Mayor of Penrith (1871-1874).
Since its partition in 1845, the vast Riley Estate effectively acted as a land bank, releasing land onto the market as it became necessary. The Estate was gradually sold off by the Riley trustees on a flexible time payment system, drawing many lower-middle class tradesmen to the area. For a minimal deposit, an investor could build a modest house on credit, then sell it and pay off his debt with a small profit. By the late 1850s, new rows of two-storey brick or stone terrace houses or detached cottages appeared. They were generally well built and modest.
In the late 1800's this street was originally called 'Gordon St off Burton' and also appeared on some plans as 'Gordan Lane', it was renamed Sherbrooke Street sometime in the early 1900s.
The current owner purchased the property in 1992, and this is now your chance to add the next chapter in this chronicle…
GENERATED IMAGE.
Disclaimer regarding accuracy: The information provided was sourced from public information & archives, and is for general information purposes only.
