The suburb takes its name from the area of Dulwich in London.
The name Dulwich Hill appears in Sands Directory of 1892.
It had been known by several different names prior to this.
Following European settlement, it was called Petersham Hill.
It later took the name Wardell's Bush, a reference to Dr Robert Wardell, one of the area's early landowners.
Other names the area was given were South Petersham and Fern Hill.

The area became part of Sydney's expanding tram network in 1889 and, like many suburbs in the inner-west, experienced rapid growth in the early twentieth century.
As a consequence, the suburb has a large number of examples of Australian Federation architecture.
It also features examples of Edwardian, Gothic and Italianate architecture.
The tramway ran up until 1957.

Listed on the Register of the National Estate is the former public school in Seaview Street, which now operates as the Dulwich Hill High School of Visual Arts and Design.
The building was designed by W.E.Kemp in the Romanesque style and built circa 1892.
Situated in the same street is the former location of the Dulwich Hill Library, a converted cottage in the Victorian Gothic style.
The suburb takes its name from the area of Dulwich in London. The name Dulwich Hill appears in Sands Directory of 1892. It had been known by several different names prior to this. Following European settlement, it was called Petersham Hill. It later took the name Wardell's Bush, a reference to Dr Robert Wardell, one of the area's early landowners. Other names the area was given were South Petersham and Fern Hill.
The area became part of Sydney's expanding tram network in 1889 and, like many suburbs in the inner-west, experienced rapid growth in the early twentieth century. As a consequence, the suburb has a large number of examples of Australian Federation architecture. It also features examples of Edwardian, Gothic and Italianate architecture. The tramway ran up until 1957.
Listed on the Register of the National Estate is the former public school in Seaview Street, which now operates as the Dulwich Hill High School of Visual Arts and Design. The building was designed by W.E.Kemp in the Romanesque style and built circa 1892. Situated in the same street is the former location of the Dulwich Hill Library, a converted cottage in the Victorian Gothic style.
Dulwich Hill, New South Wales