Undercliffe is situated 10 kilometres south-west of the Sydney central business district within the local government area of the City of Canterbury-Bankstown.

The area was initially recognised as Undercliffe Estate during the 1840s via land grant due to the presence of one or more permanent dwellings.

The quarrying of this sandstone between Wolli Creek and Cooks River provided the first local industry as well as material for the production of additional homes.

Unwin had bought his property from Arthur Martin in 1840 and built a large home known as Wanstead, named after a village in Essex, England.

[2] Between 1912 and 1957, electric trams operated through Undercliffe along Illawarra Road and Homer Street on their way to the west of Earlwood, providing service to the city via Marrickville and Newtown.