Shannon Reserve, Surry Hills

Charles Touma here, and today I’m on Crown Street between Foveaux and Collins Street, to talk about a much loved local facility that we now know as the Shannon Reserve, including how it evolved. The Surry Hills Market here was established 41 years ago on the first Saturday of the month, back in 1981. Now known as Vintage Market, it offers an eclectic mix of recycled, second-hand, and handmade products. However, the history of Shannon Reserve goes back a lot further. If we go back to 1844, the piece of land that included Shannon Reserve was owned by Thomas Burdekin, who was one of the most successful businessmen of the area at the time, with his ironmongery business. Surely the Burdekin Hotel in Oxford Street was named after Thomas.

In fact, he owned a huge parcel of land that on his death bed, was transferred to his 5-year-old son, Sydney Burdekin, who became a councillor and served as Lord Mayor in 1890 and 1891. In 1884, a horse stable was established here by James Egan, which traded until 1906. A brick shop was built on the corner of Crown and Foveaux, next to Samuel Maisey’s wood and coal yard, which traded until 1921. It later becoming a car wrecking business owned by Oliver Cooper until 1932, selling used car parts with a huge sign on the wall outside. Meanwhile, the brick shop became a saddlery business, then a sign-writer, then a painter until 1928. In 1936, the block of land was handed over to the council to be turned into a public park. At the time, it was to be named Brookfield Reserve.

However, the council decided to honour Councillor Thomas Shannon instead, it hence became the Shannon Reserve. During World War 2, a 245-foot concrete-lined trench was built in the reserve, which formed a local air-raid defence. In the 1950s, weekend afternoons featured live bands here, some of which were broadcasted live throughout Sydney radio stations. Now, over the 20-years plus I’ve been selling real estate in Surry Hills and Redfern, I’ve sold many properties within a short walk of the Shannon Reserve. Including 20 at 500 Crown Street. A two-bedroom apartment I sold for $2.5 million. 58 Marshall Street, a three-bedroom house, I sold for $2 million. And 1 Bennett Street, in Surry Hills, which I’ve recently sold for $3.05 million. I hope you found this dive into Surry Hills interesting. My name’s Charles Touma, my office on Thurlow Street’s always open for you to come in and have a chat.