The Gangs of Balmain

How the Liver Push and their rivals shaped Balmain’s violent gang culture in late 19th century Sydney

More on Balmain

By Elliot Lindsay

In the late nineteenth century, Balmain, a bustling industrial suburb on Sydney’s waterfront, was a hotbed of larrikinism, characterised by gangs known as "pushes" that terrorised the community with violence, gambling, and public nuisances.

The most notorious of these was the Liver Push, named for their association with the Glebe Island Abattoirs, where many members worked as butchers or labourers, handling offal and blood, which inspired their moniker. Here we shall explore the Liver Push’s activities, their rivalries with other Balmain gangs—namely the Soudan Push, Warwick Push, Black-and-Red Push, and The Dock Push—and their impact on the suburb, drawing on specific incidents, locations, and the socio-cultural context of Balmain’s streets, pubs, and buildings.

The Rise of the Liver Push and Balmain’s Gang Culture

Balmain in the 1880s and 1890s was a working-class enclave with a gritty edge, its docks, abattoirs, and pubs fostering a rough subculture. The Glebe Island Abattoir, located off Pyrmont Bridge Road, was a central hub for the Liver Push, employing many of its members in slaughtering and processing cattle, sheep, and pigs. The abattoirs’ unsanitary conditions—blood seeping into the soil, odorous “soup-tanks” for manure production—mirrored the chaotic environment in which the Liver Push thrived. Their territory centred around the abattoirs and extended to nearby streets like Margaret Street (known as the “Divio” to the gang), Terry Street, Beattie Street, Weston Street, and Mullens Street, where they were frequently reported causing trouble.

The Liver Push was one of four prominent Balmain gangs, alongside the Warwick Push, Dock Push, and Black-and-Red Push. These gangs maintained distinct territories, often clashing over control of key locations like pubs, dance rooms, and public spaces. The Liver Push’s dominance in Balmain’s West End, particularly around the abattoirs and Darling Road, set them against rivals like the Soudan Push (possibly based in the East End) and the Warwick Push, whose name likely derived from the Warwick Castle Hotel that once occupied the corner of Darling and Mort Streets (now the site of Chemist Warehouse). The Dock Push likely controlled areas near Balmain’s waterfront, such as Mort Bay, while the Black-and-Red Push’s territory is less clear but may have overlapped in central Balmain streets, although many of its members also worked in the abattoir. These rivalries fuelled violent encounters, as pushes defended their turf with fierce loyalty, often using stones, bats, bottles and knives. 

Infamous Riots, Battles and Beatings

The Elliott Street Riot (1885) 

Location: Corner of Elliott Street and Darling Road

Details: On Sunday, 18 October 1885, the Liver Push clashed with the Soudan Push in a massive brawl involving around 200 armed men and women. The groups hurled stones and wielded sticks, creating chaos that forced residents to flee the streets and take cover. Senior-Constable Stuart, described stones flying in all directions. This turf war hurled the Liver Push into infamy and made its captain, William Shepherd, one of the most feared men in Balmain.  

The Temperance Hall Stabbing (1886) 

Location: Temperance Hall, 8 Montague Street

Details: On Christmas night 1886, a melee outside the Temperance Hall saw Liver Push members, including William Shepherd and his thugs attack James Chapman, who was linked to the Warwick Push, though he denied membership. Shepherd, identified as the gang’s captain, stabbed Chapman twice with a pocket-knife, causing severe injuries near his shoulder blade and right side. The brawl began when Shepherd struck Chapman unprovoked, escalating into a fight with over 20 Liver Push members, who threw stones and assaulted Chapman’s group. At the Balmain Police Court, the magistrate committed Shepherd and five of his gang to trial at the Quarter Sessions, where Shepherd received one month’s imprisonment for using a knife.  

The Exchange Hotel Bashing (1887)

Location: Beattie Street and Mullens Street (The Exchange Hotel).

Details: On Saturday night, 2 April 1887, Liver Push members William Shepherd and William Smith assaulted Robert Gay after he intervened to protect a youth, “Silly George,” from their attack. The incident occurred amidst a Saturday night crowd at Cohen’s Corner (Cohen owned the Exchange Hotel), a known trouble spot. When Gay threatened to report them, the gang followed him, struck him on the chin, and knocked him down, forcing him to seek refuge in a shop. On Monday, Senior-Constable Beadman arrested Shepherd, who resisted, struck the constable, tore his coat, and called on the gang to stone him. Smith incited the resistance. At the Balmain Police Court, Captain Fisher, S.M., sentenced Shepherd to three months for assaulting Gay, six months’ hard labor for assaulting the Constable, and two months for damaging the coat. Smith received three months for assaulting Gay, two months for inciting resistance, and three months’ hard labor for assaulting the constable, all cumulative. The court noted the Liver Push’s fearsome reputation, with citizens warned against intervening due to their threat of violence.

The Dance Room Battle (1899)

Location: A dance room on a “busy Balmain street” (possibly Darling Road or Beattie Street).

Details: On 9 November 1899, the Liver Push clashed with the Black-and-Red Push in and around a dance room, described as a “Boer and Basuto war.” The fight involved a bombardment of blue metal and sandstone rocks, accompanied by volleys of obscene language, creating a “dreadful” scene. The dance room, a known haunt for larrikins with flashy attire, was condemned as a breeding ground for immorality. The event prompted calls for police to suppress such venues to protect Balmain’s property values and reputation.

Decline of the Balmain Push

The Liver Push’s reign was marked by relentless assaults on Balmain’s pubs, shops, and residents, alongside petty crimes like the 1889 horse tail theft near the Glebe Island Abattoirs and disruptive gambling on Margaret Street, known to the gang as the “Divio.” By the late 1890s, Balmain’s community, exasperated by the persistent violence, demanded that authorities reclaim their streets. The decline of the Liver Push and its rivals—the Soudan Push, Warwick Push, Black-and-Red Push, and Dock Push—was driven by intensified police efforts and severe judicial penalties, including fines and imprisonment for members like Michael Tancred, William Shepherd, and Charles Kemp. Despite lingering into the late 1890s, as seen in the 1899 dance room clash, the Liver Push’s influence had significantly waned by 1900, their organised legal support—through weekly solicitor retainers and witness tampering—unable to withstand mounting law enforcement pressure.

Intriguingly, whispers in the 1890s suggested that some aging Liver Push members, outgrowing their larrikin days, transitioned into political spheres, with claims they were among the founding figures of the Labor Party at the Unity Hall Hotel in Balmain in 1891. Yet, even with such rumoured connections in high places, the Liver Push could not forestall the end of their golden era as the new century dawned. While their legacy faded, Balmain’s streets would not remain quiet for long. Less than a decade later, a new wave of pushes emerged, heralding a fresh chapter of larrikinism—a story for another time.