Old Pyrmont Cottages, historic site in New South Wales, Australia
Old Pyrmont Cottages is a row of small houses built in the late 1800s in Pyrmont, New South Wales, near the harbour area. They are single-story brick buildings with simple Victorian Georgian vernacular design, featuring timber floors and original weatherboard and brick walls.
These cottages were built in the late 1800s as simple homes for workers near factories and quarries after European settlement developed the area. In the 1970s and 1980s, they became central to an artistic movement, and protective heritage laws later helped preserve them.
These cottages housed working families for many decades and offer insight into ordinary life in the area. Artists painted and drew the houses, and they later became spaces for creative communities and artistic expression during the 1970s and 1980s.
These houses are located on Cross Street in Pyrmont and are easily reached on foot, as they are situated near other historic buildings in the area. The best time to visit is during daylight hours when light illuminates the brick walls and the quiet surroundings are most visible.
In the 1970s and 1980s, these cottages became central to an art movement when people moved in without permission and used the space for music, art, and community activities. The painter Sali Herman immortalised the street in 1949, highlighting their significance to the local artistic community.
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