the woolloomooloo land grant
the area was originality set aside by governor
Phillip as a reserve for local aborigines it took the name WALLA-MULLA
meaning young male kangaroo (the spelling being settled 1830.)
1793 john palmer the colony's commissary granted 100
acres at GARDEN ISLAND COVE
he built woolloomooloo house on what is now
part of palmer street
palmer had to sell the estate in the earliy1820's to
edward riley who's suicide in 1825 -leaving two differing wills-left the
area largely undeveloped because of litigation in relation to the estate
the matter was finaliy settled after the appointment
of a special commission and the eventual raffling of allotments to the
heirs.
this resulted in the formalising of crown street &
bourke street which soon became & remain major cross roads to south head
road / oxford street
