Located in Sydney’s Inner West, Leichhardt has long been a cultural hub for the city’s Italian community. It is named after the Prussian explorer Ludwig Leichhardt, who vanished in 1848 while crossing Australia. While Leichhardt is predominantly residential, the suburb is renowned for its restaurant scene and is home to a fascinating transportation museum.
Things to do in Leichhardt
Stroll through the historic heart of Leichhardt to admire its 19th-century buildings, including the 1888-built Post Office and the Leichhardt Town Hall. Colourful murals adorn many of the streets, with a highlight being the Hawthorne Canal Tunnel Mural. In Pioneers Memorial Park, you’ll find a war memorial and a rotunda, as well as grassy lawns and landscaped flower beds.
North of Leichhardt is the Sydney Bus Museum, which restores and displays buses dating from the 1920s to the 2000s. Highlights of the collection include a 1923-built Ruggles once operated by the Riley Brothers of Ettalong Beach and a Parramatta Bus Company semitrailer. The museum also boasts Sydney’s largest collection of double-decker buses from as far afield as London and Hong Kong.
For a taste of Italy in the Sydney suburbs, head to Norton Street or Marion Street, both of which are lined with Italian trattorias and alfresco cafes. With its Tuscan-inspired architecture and spacious piazza, the Italian Forum is the place to go for designer fashions and Venetian masks. Coincide your visit with the annual Italian Festa to experience Leichhardt at its liveliest.
Getting around Leichhardt
Leichhardt is around 15 minutes’ drive from the centre of Sydney and 30 minutes from Sydney International Airport, which has flights to destinations across the globe. Trains connect to the nearby Petersham and Lewisham railway stations while light rail services travel along the western edge of Leichhardt.