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Dictionary of Sydney

The Dictionary of Sydney
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Commissary General 'Little Jack' Palmer 1800

The Dictionary of Sydney was archived in 2021.

Commissary General 'Little Jack' Palmer 1800

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State Library of New South Wales

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Surry Hills

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Palmer, John

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State Library of New South Wales

Surry Hills

Surry Hills, on Cadigal land, provided grazing, garden produce, timber, stone and clay to the new colony, and wealthy colonists built country houses there. Subdivision from the 1830s made it one of Sydney's most populous districts by the 1890s. Poor drainage and building rapidly created slum conditions, rife with crime and poverty. Demolitions and remodelling by city and state governments made some improvements, but after World War II, when industry moved out and residents shifted to newer suburbs, Surry Hills became attractive to new migrants and was revitalised.

Palmer, John

Purser of the Sirius who arrived in the first fleet, and later settled in Sydney with his family. Known as 'Little Jack' Palmer, he became an eminent and successful citizen, with extensive farms.

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