Balmain is not a suburb known for its wide and car friendly roads and this is perhaps because the tram ruled the streets between 1882 and 1958. A long tram line ran the route of Darling Street from the wharf in Balmain East to Glebe via Victoria Road. Originally the trams were steam powered and used a unique “counter-weight” system on the steep incline in Balmain East to control the speed. A risky game was played by the young boys of Balmain, who would jump on to the cup used to buffer the tram on the hill and ride it as it travelled towards the wharf.

Much of Darling Street at that time was hilly and unsuitable for tram travel. Parts of the original street height were excavated by a few feet to allow a smoother run for the trams to pass through.



Balmain today: The drop from the original street height and stairs leading to an old tram stop.




In 1902, the old steam trams were replaced by electric models and extensive overhead cabling was installed down Darling Street to power them. These trams lasted for over fifty years as the main mode of transport from Balmain into the city until buses later replaced them in 1958. The old tram tracks were tarred over and the electric cabling removed. All that now remains of the old trams is the rusting tracks in the Rozelle depot yard.

It’s been an exciting week of sponsorship for Sarah Lorden Real Estate. On Saturday, our McGrath Breast Cancer Foundation Stall attracted a flurry of donations from Balmain’s generous public. Every October, Sarah Lorden Real Estate supports the McGrath Foundation by donating $500 for every home that is sold during the month. We also hold the popular stall every Saturday of October at Loyalty Square, selling merchandise from cook books, hats and wristbands. In particular, the face painting, balloons and cupcakes were a huge hit with the children. The stall has managed to raise over $800 in the past two weeks. Thank you to all the Sarah Lorden agents who generously donated their time at the stall, in particular, our property manager Ben who looked amazing in his pink apron! The stall will be on again for the next two Saturdays between 10am – 2pm. Come down and say hello to the team.












On Sunday, Sarah Lorden Real Estate was one of the major sponsors for the “A Day On The Green” Charity cricket match played at Birchgrove Oval. The Gods blessed us with an amazing day, with local celebs Samantha Tolj, Jonathan Pease and James Tobin MC-ing the 3 hour match. There was plenty for the family to do from watching the cricket, to the kids playing on the jumping castle to munching down on a good ‘ol sausage sizzle. We would like to thank everyone who came along and enjoyed the day. We look forward to next’s years battle!