About the Dark Tales Project
The aim is simple, to bring the vibrant, interconnected history of the suburbs in Sydney's Inner West to life.
Through books and walks, we aim to showcase the dark tales and historical true crime events from Inner West Sydney that exist just outside living memory, but which are still so tantalisingly close at hand. The time period for these books is roughly 1800 - mid-1950s.
The project started with the original book Dark Tales of Lost Leichhardt, which was written to regenerate interest in the formerly bustling suburb of Leichhardt, Sydney. It covers 100 years from the disappearance of Ludwig Leichhardt in 1848 to the mid-1950s and includes tales such as the female highway robber on Parramatta Road, the cunning larrikin gangs of Norton Street, the truth that lies buried beneath Pioneers Memorial Park, the dangerous encampment at Ramsay's Bush, as well as some gripping murder cases.
On The Edge: More Dark Tales of Sydney's Inner West was the next book, mapping the dark tales and historical true crime events from suburbs that share a border with Leichhardt - Annandale, Balmain, Haberfield, Lilyfield, Petersham and Rozelle. You can buy the whole book, or the Annandale and Balmain and Rozelle-focused editions, which contain a suburb-focused sub-set of tales from the main book, plus a few new tales too. Find out about Balmain's coal mine catastrophe, the Basher Gangs of Rozelle, the underbelly of Annandale and the role of Petersham in the Pyjama Girl Murder.
For younger readers, there is an informative, history-based and much less grisly version of Dark Tales of Lost Leichhardt, featuring a timeline of the suburb in the Younger Person's Edition.
And for those of you who like a walk, tales from Dark Tales and On The Edge have been expanded into a walking guide, spanning Leichhardt, Haberfield and Lilyfield - Ten Walks of Terror.
Now the project is focusing on some of Inner West Sydney's most notable streets, with Dark Tales of King Street Newtown just published.
There will be more to come so please step in and immerse yourself in a world that lies underneath the everyday in the Inner West of Sydney. The author is a long-time Leichhardt resident, social researcher and local history buff.
Through books and walks, we aim to showcase the dark tales and historical true crime events from Inner West Sydney that exist just outside living memory, but which are still so tantalisingly close at hand. The time period for these books is roughly 1800 - mid-1950s.
The project started with the original book Dark Tales of Lost Leichhardt, which was written to regenerate interest in the formerly bustling suburb of Leichhardt, Sydney. It covers 100 years from the disappearance of Ludwig Leichhardt in 1848 to the mid-1950s and includes tales such as the female highway robber on Parramatta Road, the cunning larrikin gangs of Norton Street, the truth that lies buried beneath Pioneers Memorial Park, the dangerous encampment at Ramsay's Bush, as well as some gripping murder cases.
On The Edge: More Dark Tales of Sydney's Inner West was the next book, mapping the dark tales and historical true crime events from suburbs that share a border with Leichhardt - Annandale, Balmain, Haberfield, Lilyfield, Petersham and Rozelle. You can buy the whole book, or the Annandale and Balmain and Rozelle-focused editions, which contain a suburb-focused sub-set of tales from the main book, plus a few new tales too. Find out about Balmain's coal mine catastrophe, the Basher Gangs of Rozelle, the underbelly of Annandale and the role of Petersham in the Pyjama Girl Murder.
For younger readers, there is an informative, history-based and much less grisly version of Dark Tales of Lost Leichhardt, featuring a timeline of the suburb in the Younger Person's Edition.
And for those of you who like a walk, tales from Dark Tales and On The Edge have been expanded into a walking guide, spanning Leichhardt, Haberfield and Lilyfield - Ten Walks of Terror.
Now the project is focusing on some of Inner West Sydney's most notable streets, with Dark Tales of King Street Newtown just published.
There will be more to come so please step in and immerse yourself in a world that lies underneath the everyday in the Inner West of Sydney. The author is a long-time Leichhardt resident, social researcher and local history buff.