Transport Marrickville became a municipality in 1948. The ground is higher in the north and west sloping gradually down to Cooks River. In the east, the ground runs gradually to the river between Shea’s and Gumbamorra Creeks. Marrickville serves as a transit suburb to the west and southwestern suburbs of Sydney. Sydney’s first road went to the farming town of Parramatta in 1790. It also served Stanmore and Petersham. Cooks River Road was the main southern road. It grew from Bulanaming Road at Newtown ridge and crossed Cooks River at Tempe. Later, Unwin’s Bridge Road was constructed. These roads were the only roads used by horse-drawn traffic. Other minor tracks were only suitable for walking on. In 1855, trains carried passengers and goods quickly. The track went through Newtown and Petersham to Parramatta. The fares were very expensive, so not many people travelled by train. But it did increase land subdivision in Marrickville. As suburbs developed, roads increased. By the 1890s,people used local railway travel with the introduction of cheaper fares. In 1881, tracks for steam trams were laid in Marrickville . The line was extended to Canterbury in 1889. The new tram service was cheaper than the railway and made Marrickville a more accessible place to live in. Marrickville map courtesy of Laurel Horton