Filter by
Journey Walks

Once upon a crime in Paddington - A history walking tour

Where
2 Jersey Rd
Paddington NSW 2021
Australia
Your guide will be standing in front of The Light Brigade Pub
When

Sunday 23 March from 11am to 1:30pm

Revealing the secrets and stories of Paddington's sensational past.

  • 2.5 hour small-group tour

  • Finishing at The Royal Hotel, Five Ways

  • Local Crime Historian Guide

The Paddington we know today is a chic and sophisticated inner-city suburb with elegant rows of terrace houses, charming cafes, lively pubs and boutique shopping. 

But rewind just half a century and you’ll find yourself in a very different world. A world of crime, murder, slums, sly-grog, burglary, gambling, rats, snakes, sewers, mysteries, misfits, hold-ups, drugs, raids, riots and revenge.

While the old-fashioned streets of Paddington remain much as they once were many generations ago, this tour revisits the rags that came before the recent riches. Delving into the forgotten lives of its former residents, we’ll dig up tales of vice and villainy that played out between the 1890s and the 1960s. 

These were times when struggling tenants squished into decaying Victorian villas. Strange and sinister stories brewed behind closed doors and inside corner pubs. And newspaper articles summed up Paddington’s place in Sydney with shocking titles such as:

  • “The House of Death”

  • “Chased with an Axe” 

  • “I stabbed her — I love her”

  • “Double killing at drink party”

  • “Men drugged and robbed in Kate Leigh’s house”

  • “Squealing rats and rolling tins”

  • “Two-up school in disused bakery”

  • “A mystery of spontaneous combustion”

  • “The pangs of poverty”

  • “The plague in Paddington”

  • “Bitten by monkey”

  • “A clever confidence trick”

  • “Thieves’ amazing climb” 

  • “The Kid Bandit robs again”

  • …and many, many more.

Contact event organiser

Journey Walks

Advertisement

More events in Tours & experiences

Beauty Rich and Rare

Beauty Rich and Rare

Immerse yourself in a 180-degree visual experience depicting Australia’s unique flora and fauna
Today 10am to 5pm
Camping 101

Camping 101

A nature-filled night of camping and outdoor activities
Today 3pm to 10am
Free guided highlights tour: Anzac Memorial

Free guided highlights tour: Anzac Memorial

Discover the personal stories, stunning Art Deco architecture and commemorative symbolism behind the Anzac Memorial.
Today 10am to 11am
'Fading Glow' Art Exhibition

'Fading Glow' Art Exhibition

Fading Glow is an homage to the many iconographies of Hong Kong and the acknowledgement of its dwindling nature
Today 11am to 5pm
Barbara Licha Art Exhibition

Barbara Licha Art Exhibition

Artist Barbara Licha will present her oeuvre at the Polish Club Ashfield’s newest gallery space
Today 10am to 9pm
Chinatown – Street food & stories guided food tour

Chinatown – Street food & stories guided food tour

Sample a range of regional Chinese snacks while discovering Chinatown's secrets
Today 11.30am to 2pm
Get Messy. Splatter Paint.

Get Messy. Splatter Paint.

Sydney's ultimate splatter paint experience
Today 9.30am to 5.30pm
Ghost Tour around the Rocks

Ghost Tour around the Rocks

Venture back to historic Sydney. A time when prisoners were the law
Today 8pm to 9.30pm