Modern Paddington is one of Sydney’s most hip suburbs, a mecca for trendy shoppers and diners and well known for its markets, charming National Trust listed Victorian architecture and for the many art galleries on the northern side of Oxford Street.

The first cottages in Paddington were built around the still important Victoria Barracks Army base. Constructed by convicts between 1841 and 1846, this impressive Regency style building is considered to be one of the world’s best examples of a military barracks.

Other historic Oxford Street buildings include Paddington Town Hall, completed in 1891, and Georgian Juniper Hall, built for gin distiller Robert Cooper in 1824 and one of Paddington’s oldest homes. Later, fine terrace houses were built for Sydney’s respectable middle class.

These became run down and unfashionable in the early 20th century, but their charms were soon recognised in the first wave of gentrification of the inner city in the 1960s.

South of Oxford Street is the Moore Park precinct, which contains the famous Sydney Cricket Ground and Aussie Stadium, two of Sydney’s great sporting grounds, and Fox Studios, a popular dining, shopping and entertainment complex.
 

Shopping

Shop for antiques, books, the latest fashions, gifts and homewares, deli goods and fresh food on Oxford Street . The street is at its best on Saturdays when the long running Paddington Markets feature stalls selling hand crafted goods, clothing, plants, books, flowers, gourmet foods and much more, as well as live entertainment and delicious food. There is also late night shopping and markets at Fox Studios.
 

Dining

There is no shortage of places to eat along Oxford Street – all the way from Darlinghurst to the corner of Jersey Road. The best dining strips, however, are west of Victoria Barracks - mostly pubs and ethnic restaurants - and east of Paddington Town Hall, an area that is particularly good for daytime cafes and pub restaurants.
 

Leisure & Entertainment

Visit Fox Studios or the Australian Centre for Photography, take a stroll in nearby Centennial Park, or join a guided tour of Victoria Barracks. There are also sporting events and behind-the-scenes tours at the Sydney Cricket Ground and Aussie Stadium. Paddington’s cinemas – the Chauvel in the Town Hall and the Palace Academy Twin and Palace Verona – specialise in foreign and art house films. Also on Oxford Street are plenty of ‘happening’ clubs, pubs and bars, the Paddington RSL which features live bands, and occasional events in the Town Hall.

Did You Know?

The name Paddington comes from the property of one of the area’s earliest settlers, John Cooper, who probably named his house after the London suburb.

The main block of Victoria Barracks is an extraordinary 226 metres long. Tours each Thursday take in a military museum and band performance as well as the historic barracks themselves.