Little Portugal
In the heart of Petersham, on Audley Street and New Canterbury Road between Audley and Hunter Streets, sits the Inner West precinct now known as Little Portugal.
The renaming of the precinct, voted on by Council in July 2019, symbolises the deep ties between Portugal and the Inner West as reflected in the large concentration of Portuguese businesses and residents in the area.
Over the last 40 years, Petersham has become the go-to destination for authentic Portuguese cuisine and culture. There is no finer example of this than the perennially popular cultural event, Bairro Português.
Since 2003, the annual Bairro Português Petersham Festival has attracted thousands to the Inner West, where local businesses and performers showcase the finest Portuguese handicrafts, traditional dance, Fado music, local wines, savoury foods and sweet treats.
At Bairro Portugues 2018, Inner West Council signed a Friendship Agreement with Portugal, followed shortly afterwards by a plan to progress community-Council collaborations embedding more Portuguese art and design motifs in the area.
Examples of Portuguese public art in Petersham include 'Fragile World in Constant Expansion', a stunning mural created out of 8000 handmade tiles by Portuguese artist and lecturer, Luís Geraldes.
Geraldes' traditionally crafted work was initially installed in Audley Street in 2003. It was relocated in 2016 and is now situated in Trafalgar Street, where it welcomes visitors to the area. Elsewhere, the mural 'Galo and the Cockatoo' by artist Rodney Monk can be seen rising above New Canterbury Road. The work features a rooster and a cockatoo , symbolising the strong connection between Petersham and the Portuguese community.
In February 2019, the Consulado Geral de Portugal wrote a letter to Mayor Darcy Byrne thanking the Inner West for its longstanding friendship, and reiterating the idea of honouring the link between the two countries by renaming a local precinct.
Following a Council resolution and consultation with businesses and community, the new name for Petersham's centre was approved by the Geographic Names Board on 15 May 2020. And so, Little Portugal was born.
The Portuguese community was one of the earliest European communities to settle in Australia, and the strong history of affection between our two nations shows no sign of slowing down.
In 2023, after a three-year COVID hiatus, over 20,000 people flocked to Little Portugal to experience the return of Bairro Portugues. Long may the friendship continue!
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