01 — The Lead
Good morning!
40 Station Street sold, and I’m hearing one of you got it! Huge congrats! ;)
Great to be in the Petersham pocket when Sydney's average housing prices are trending down. Sydney home values are down 4.9% from last November's peak. Petersham units are up 12.3% over the year, one of the few Sydney suburbs still climbing.
02 — What's On
Round-Abouts, with Smile Practice and The Taps. Tonight, Friday, September 25, 2026, 8 pm to 11 pm. PBC. $15, 18+. Two new(ish) bands out of a shared inner west rehearsal room, plus The Taps down from Newcastle.
Crêam Söda, with Convict, Low Dogs and Wally Walton. Tonight, 7 pm. Jura Books, 440 Parramatta Road, Petersham.
Eva Whiu & Avaiki, with Nelda Nova, Belle Raine and Ellie Neill. Tonight, 6:30 pm. Gifts of Mercy Emporium, 452 Parramatta Road, Petersham. Under-18s need a parent or guardian. Your ticket gets you 20% off full-priced stock in the shop, which is a very Gifts of Mercy way to run a gig. Same block as Jura so that you can do both.
Human Poetry Collective. Tonight, 7 pm to 10 pm. Newsagency Gallery, 332 Stanmore Road, Petersham. A monthly poetry and art night. Some poets are booked, anyone can volunteer on the night, bands play the break, and you can sell your own art in the room. I didn't know this existed on Stanmore Road. Now I do.
Friday Night Social Trivia. Tonight, doors at 5:30 pm, trivia 6 pm to 7:30 pm. The Place, 10 Victoria Street, Lewisham. $15, BYO. Bring a team or turn up alone and get adopted. Nick Gell, who runs The Place with Kala Ellis, has hosted trivia around Sydney for more than a decade. Limited capacity - pay at the door if there's room.
Reekmind, with Goethe, Primeval Butcher and Offworld Morgue. Saturday, September 26, 2026, 6 pm. Gifts of Mercy Emporium.
Attica, with Opal Garden. Sunday, September 27, 2026, 6 pm. Gifts of Mercy Emporium.
Sophie Crosby, ‘I Promise, I'm Glad’. Sunday, September 27, 2026, 2 pm to 5 pm. PBC, 18+. Folk, jazz and a bit of country from a songwriter who sold out Lazybones earlier in her run. A Sunday afternoon at the Bowlo - soak it up, people!
Save the date: Marrickville Music Festival. Sunday, October 11, 2026, 12 pm to 6 pm. Marrickville Road and the surrounding laneways. Free. Six stages, with Polish Club, La Gati, The Slims, XääD, Cast Iron Kid, Aljamia and The Greasy Chicken Orchestra. More on this closer to the day.
03 — The Newcomer
Bar Lira is coming to Stanmore. The Sixpenny team, behind one of the country's best restaurants, is opening a wine bar 140 metres up Percival Road from Sixpenny, at number 124.
They're calling it a casual sister to Sixpenny, with the tagline “your neighbourhood hangout”. Twenty-eight seats. Snacks, small plates, a rotating main, and gelato for dessert. Wine by the carafe or the half-bottle means date night just got extra spicy.
Might need to swap out the PBC Pinot briefly.
Due to open in October.
04 — Council Watch
Is your street in Council's new housing plan? The second stage of Council's housing plan is out for comment, and this time it names all three of us: parts of Petersham, Stanmore and Lewisham. More homes along Stanmore Road and New Canterbury Road near the stations, shops with flats above, and dozens of houses removed from heritage conservation areas.
Put your address into Council's map to see what changes for you. Nothing is decided. Comments close Wednesday, October 28, 2026. Drop-ins are at the Petersham Service Centre on Fisher Street: Monday, October 12, 4 pm to 7:30 pm, and Saturday, October 24, 1 pm to 3 pm.
05 — Awesome Local Stuff 4 Sale
222 Corunna Road, Petersham. New on the market. Three-bedroom semi, one bathroom. Going to auction with The Agency, which is the same agency that just sold Station Street, so they'll be feeling good about themselves.
And for the rest of us, someone in Petersham is selling a 1960s Tarax soft drink bottle on Gumtree for $19. The label still says “Drink Tarax Icy Cold”. Collect from Petersham.
Enjoy the weekend!
— Bryan