The area now known as Balmain East was part of a 550 acre grant to colonial surgeon Dr. William Balmain made in 1800 by Governor John Hunter. Balmain was first settled in 1836 and by 1861 had been divided into the well populated eastern areas of Balmain and the sparsely populated western area, extending to the gates of Callan Park. The small peninsula that jutted out from the main Balmain Peninsula, along which the main artery road Darling Street ran, was known to locals for decades as either "East Balmain" or "The East End" and generally encompassed the area east of Hart St and Balmain Bowling Club. This dividing boundary was originally a natural swamp that was reclaimed early the early 19th century. Whilst the area was almost always referred to as East Balmain by locals, it was still generally regarded as just a name for the eastern peninsula of the suburb, in a similar way in that Birchgrove was the name given to the area of Balmain that encompassed Snails Bay. The Balmain markets showcases elements of the suburbs past, with antiques and second hand books, whilst also highlighting the area as a cultural hub in the region. Held weekly on Darling Street, the markets operate between 8:30am and 4pm.
Heritage listings
Balmain East has a number of heritage-listed sites, including:
upgraded in 2015, provides access to the Cross Harbour ferry services, with ferry services to Circular Quay and Darling Harbour. There are two bus services that leave from Balmain East, the 442, which is a service from Balmain East to the Queen Victoria Building and the 445, which is a service that terminates at Campsie, and runs through the suburbs of Balmain, Rozelle, Leichhardt, Petersham and Campsie via Leichhardt Marketplace.
According to the 2016 census, there were 1,932 residents in Balmain East. 63.5% of people were born in Australia. The next most common country of birth was England at 8.9%. 79.8% of people only spoke English at home. The most common responses for religious affiliation were No Religion 40.7%, Catholic 22.5% and Anglican 13.2%. Balmain East's population is typically wealthier than the average, with a median weekly household income of $2,485, compared with $1,438 in Australia. The most common types of occupation for employed persons were Professionals, Managers, and Clerical and Administrative Workers. 65.2% of the suburb's occupied private dwellings were family households and 31.1% were lone person households.
