Lidcombe – Origin of Street Names

Name

Origin & Meaning

Source

Birnie Avenue

New road between Parramatta Road and Bachell Avenue approved by the Municipality of Lidcombe as Birnie Avenue on 6 February 1940. Road was extended replacing a section of Australia Avenue in Homebush Bay located between Parramatta Road and Edwin Flack Avenue on 16 September 1998 by the former Auburn Council (now Cumberland Council)

Municipality of Lidcombe : Alteration of street names (1940, February 7). The Cumberland Argus and Fruitgrowers Advocate, p. 10.

Council notices Auburn Council (1998, October 2). Government Gazette of the State of NSW, p. 8062.

Canning Street

The design and manufacture of tinned food cans was a production breakthrough in the late 1700s and early 1800s, allowing meat and other foods to be easily transported and preserved for longer periods. Alban Gee was a skilled technologist who came to Australia from England in 1866. He introduced advanced preserving techniques to many food companies in Australia, including the Sydney Meat Preserving Company. The Sydney Meat Preserving Company processed surplus stock for graziers, and sold its products in both Australia and Asia from its operations. The Company’s successful application of advanced technology made it a leader in food processing in Australia. Alban died in 1917 at his home at Homebush. He is recognised with the naming of Alban Street in Lidcombe.

Farrer, Keith Thomas Henry (2005). To feed a nation: A history of Australian food science and technology, p. 35. 

Wayne, Michael. (2013, April 10). Past/Lives Flashback #8: Sydney Olympic Park – Homebush, NSW. In Past/Lives of the Near Future : Revealing traces of a former Sydney

Carter Street

Carter Street was part of Lidcombe before the 2000 Sydney Olympics, but later became part of Homebush Bay. On 2 October 2009, the suburb of Homebush Bay was dismantled into two new suburbs, Sydney Olympic Park and Wentworth Point, with Carter Street reabsorbed into Lidcombe. Part of the Homebush State Abattoir subdivision plan. Street name theme based on people connected with the meat industry. Carter Street is named after William John Carter, former President of the Australasian Meat Industry Employees Union and Meat Board chairman. Forms the major boundary for the Carter Street Precinct project started by the former Auburn Council before it was amalgamated into the City of Parramatta in 2016.

State Library NSW (1878-1935) Plan of Proposed Subdivision of Part of Homebush Abattoirs, [Auburn subdivision plans], 411 - Z/SP/A10/398 

Meat Industry Act, 1915-1960—by law. (1962, October 5). Government Gazette of the State of NSW, p. 2887. 

Workers in action (1964, July 29). Tribune, p. 12.



 

Drift Lane

A group of young pigs is called a drift, drove or litter. With the

establishment of the State’s abattoirs at Homebush in the early

1900s, drifts of pigs were often held in holding areas on site.

City of Parramatta Council. (2019). Carter Street Precinct : Naming the Roads, Streets, Lanes and Open Spaces.

Egret Street

The Eastern Great Egret is a tall white-feathered water bird, with a

yellow bill and long grey legs. Egret can be spotted wading through

shallow water in creeks and wetlands, where they hunt for fish or

frogs. Many egrets develop striking turquoise colours on their face at

the peak of the breeding season

City of Parramatta Council. (2019). Carter Street Precinct : Naming the Roads, Streets, Lanes and Open Spaces.

Feed Street

Animals were given grains, hay, straw or other plants to feed on

while they were held in the stockyards.

City of Parramatta Council. (2019). Carter Street Precinct : Naming the Roads, Streets, Lanes and Open Spaces.

Fence Street

Fences were used to keep animals in paddocks in the early farming

days, and around stockyards, which were a major part of the meat

industry operations in the area.

City of Parramatta Council. (2019). Carter Street Precinct : Naming the Roads, Streets, Lanes and Open Spaces.

Flock Lane

A flock is a group of sheep or birds, usually more than two, that have congregated together.

City of Parramatta Council. (2019). Carter Street Precinct : Naming the Roads, Streets, Lanes and Open Spaces

Grazier Street

Grazier refers to a person who raises cattle or sheep until they are grown and ready to sell at market. Graziers and other professions such as stockmen, butchers and drovers were vital to the meat industry. Many of the local residents in the area were highly-skilled and worked onsite or in pastoral and related meat industries.

City of Parramatta Council. (2019). Carter Street Precinct : Naming the Roads, Streets, Lanes and Open Spaces

Hills Road

Part of the Homebush State Abattoir subdivision. Street naming theme based on people connected with the meat industry in the 1960s. Hills Road appears to be named after Phillip Stanley Hill, former member and from 1 January 1972, Chairman of the Metropolitan Meat Industry Board.

State Library NSW (1878-1935) Plan of Proposed Subdivision of Part of Homebush Abattoirs, [Auburn subdivision plans], 411 - Z/SP/A10/398 

Meat Industry Act, 1915-1960—by law. (1962, October 5). Government Gazette of the State of NSW, p. 2887. 

Workers in action (1964, July 29). Tribune, p. 12.

Ibis Street

The Australian White Ibis is a large bird with a white body, bald black head and black neck with a long curved black bill. Their natural habitat is terrestrial wetlands, grasslands and sheltered estuarine areas (where the river meets the sea) where they nest in trees and feed on frogs, crayfish, fish, crickets and beetles. Whilst Ibis populations are increasing in urban environments, populations across natural habitats are declining.

City of Parramatta Council. (2019). Carter Street Precinct : Naming the Roads, Streets, Lanes and Open Spaces

Kestrel Park

Carter Street Precinct. Park named after carnivorous birds that have been sighted in the nearby parklands and wetlands including Sydney Olympic Park.



The Nankeen Kestrel is a bird with a rich iron colouring, a black-tipped tail, and creamy underparts dotted with brown and black. This raptor is commonly found around open fields and grasslands, searching for small mammals, mice, lizards and insects to eat. It is one of the top ten most commonly seen birds across Australia. Nankeen Kestrels have the ability to hover in one spot, allowing them to search for, identify and then pounce on prey.

City of Parramatta Council. (2019). Carter Street Precinct : Naming the Roads, Streets, Lanes and Open Spaces

Little Eagle Green

Carter Street Precinct. Wetland named after carnivorous birds that have been sighted in the nearby parklands and wetlands including Sydney Olympic Park.



The Little Eagle is a small yet powerful bird, with a short broad head and a moderately long tail. Its feathers vary in colour from light to dark brown. A pale broken ‘M’ across the upperparts and a pale M-shaped band on the underwing are striking features. The Little Eagle has long, broad wings, spanning over one metre. Although uncommon to the precinct area, the Little Eagle has been observed soaring in tight circles and gliding on up-draughts.

City of Parramatta Council. (2019). Carter Street Precinct : Naming the Roads, Streets, Lanes and Open Spaces

M4 Motorway

Since early 2013, the Roads and Maritime introduced a new road numbering system and new names for some important routes across the state network which includes a combination of a letter and a number from 1 to 99. ‘M’ stands for motorway.

Wikipedia contributors. (2020). M4 Motorway (Sydney). In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia

Osprey Park

Carter Street Precinct. Park named after carnivorous birds that have been sighted in the nearby parklands and wetlands including Sydney Olympic Park.



The Eastern Osprey is a medium-sized bird of prey with a dark brown crown and wings that contrast with pale-coloured feathers. The Osprey patrols the river from above searching for food. When prey is identified, the bird will fold its wings, swoop down and snatch food with its talons. The Osprey is listed as an endangered species due to threats such as egg collection, hunting and tree removal, which have disrupted its nesting practices.

City of Parramatta Council. (2019). Carter Street Precinct : Naming the Roads, Streets, Lanes and Open Spaces

Paddock Street

From the early establishment of farmland by European settlers, through to the late 1900s, sections of today’s Carter Street Precinct were once divided into paddocks and stockyards.

City of Parramatta Council. (2019). Carter Street Precinct : Naming the Roads, Streets, Lanes and Open Spaces

Parramatta Road

Previous names: Sydney Road

Parramatta Road began as a convict made bush track between 1789 and 1791 connecting the settlements of Parramatta and Sydney. In 1797, the "road to Parramatta” was laid out under the direction of the Surveyor-General Augustus Alt. It became one of the colony's most important early roads, and for many years remained one of Sydney's principal thoroughfares. It was named based on destination.

Wikipedia contributors. (2020). Parramatta Road. In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia 

Quail Street

The Brown Quail is a small ground-dwelling bird often difficult to spot. A shy bird, they prefer to hide in low-lying areas next to wetlands or in grasslands and will often flee when approached.

City of Parramatta Council. (2019). Carter Street Precinct : Naming the Roads, Streets, Lanes and Open Spaces

Shale Street

The land spanning the precinct and surrounds has a soil composition of shale soils (fine grain rock). Wianamatta shales easily support the growth of native vegetation, however harvesting crops such as vegetables can prove difficult. When early settlers attempted to cultivate crops on the land, the shale soils quickly lost their fertility. Livestock became the predominant resource as the soils were too poor for agriculture.

City of Parramatta Council. (2019). Carter Street Precinct : Naming the Roads, Streets, Lanes and Open Spaces

Stockyard Road

Stockyard Road is named after the many stockyards that were associated with the NSW State Government abattoirs. According to the Conservation Management Plan for the Abattoir Heritage Precinct at Sydney Olympic Park, the State Abattoirs moved from Glebe to Homebush in 1907 and closed in 1988. It was Australia’s largest abattoir during this period, responsible for the centralised control of meat processing, sale and distribution in Sydney. The abattoirs were associated with 1,500 acres (607 hectares) of stockyards, used for holding and sorting cattle, pigs, goats and sheep from the Flemington saleyards nearby

City of Parramatta Council. (2019). Carter Street Precinct : Naming the Roads, Streets, Lanes and Open Spaces

Uhrig Road

Part of the Homebush State Abattoir subdivision. Street named based of people connected with the meat industry. Uhrig Road is named after Leslie Earl Uhrig (died 2 December 1974), producers' representative, and elected member of the Metropolitan Meat Industry Board until his death.

State Library of New South Wales (1878-1935) Plan of Proposed Subdivision of Part of Homebush Abattoirs, [Auburn subdivision plans], 411 - Z/SP/A10/398

Meat Industry Act, 1915-1960—by law. (1962, October 5). Government Gazette of the State of NSW, p. 2887.

Workers in action (1964, July 29). Tribune, p. 12.

Meat Industry Act, 1915-1965—by law. (1966, April 22). Government Gazette of the State of NSW, p. 1690.