1988: The Bond Building (Chifley Tower) is unveiled

This week, we again come to share when a building or structure was unveiled. Recently, former Billionaire Businessman Alan Bond passed away. Even though he was from Perth, he did have strong business interests in Sydney. Tooheys was part of Bond Brewing. In 1982, he bought department store Waltons. He had property interests as well.

Source: Kelly, M. & Chisholm, B. 1988. "Bond pays record $306m for site: State's offices to topple for hotel". The Daily Telegraph, January 7: page unknown. 

He had proposed a major development of the Waltons Site at Town Hall (Now Galeries Victoria & 1 Park Street) with one of the world's tallest buildings. At the same time, he had proposed another building at Chifley Square, where Commonwealth Offices were based. In early 1988, he had paid over $300 million to buy the Commonwealth Government Centre.

In 1988, he unveiled the Bond Building, which was to replace the building.

Source: Chancellor, J. 1988. "Wraps come off Bond Building". The Sydney Morning Herald, June 22: 5. 

An advertisement advertising tenders for the construction of the tower.

Construction began the following year and was completed in 1992 as planned. You might remember from an entry last year that as part of the construction, he wanted the Commonwealth Government Centre to be imploded, which he was not allowed to do.

Originally, Level 41 was destined to be a penthouse for Bond, but rather became a high-end restaurant which traded for nearly 20 years. The restaurant (Forty One) closed in April 2010. 

Two decades later, it is still one of the most recognisable buildings on the city skyline.

Photo was taken by the Author. 

Property Advert of the Week: Richelieu, Ramsgate (1965)

This weeks property advertisement takes us to Ramsgate where you could buy units in The Richelieu apartment complex in Florence Street. For 4750 pounds ($9500), you could have your own unit within a short walk of the shops and Lady Robinsons Beach. According to the RBA Inflation Calculator, that is the equivalent of $117 000 today.

Source. E. L. Rostron & Co. 1965. "Presenting Beautiful "Richelieu (Advertisement)". The St George and Sutherland Shire Leader, November 10: Page Unknown. 

1965: Sydney Airport's International Terminal is conceived

Sydney Airport's current international terminal has loyally served the city since 1970. As the city has grown alongside that of air travel, it has been expanded several times. This week, I want to go back to when it was conceived. It was in 1965.

On April  1965, the Federal Government announced that a ten million pound (20 million dollars) international terminal would be built at Sydney Airport. The Federal Government had deemed as "Australia's major international airport" and the gateway to Australia. The new terminal would be capable of holding up to thirty-two jets. Twenty would be accommodated within a "loading finger", while twelve would fit in an apron area.

It was aimed to have the terminal opened by no later than "early 1970", which they met.

The terminal was designed with future extensions in mind. This has helped it to grow and cement it as Australia's leading international airport. In 2014, 25.5 million passengers had accessed the international terminal.

Source: Anonymous. 1965. "Sydney's Air Gateway to Australia; £10 million terminal by 1969". The Daily Telegraph, April 2: 3. 

In July 1965, renders were released to the public.

Source: Anonymous. 1965. "Exclusive: First Pictures; New jet terminal for city". The St George and Sutherland Shire Leader, July 7: 1-2. 

Property Advert of the Week: Vista Court Rozelle (1965)

This weeks property advertisement is from 1965 when apartments in the Vista Court Apartment Complex at Rozelle went on sale. 395 pounds was all that you needed for a deposit to live just live minutes away from the city.

Source: Landmark Limited. 1965. " Vista Court Rozelle (Advertisement)". The Daily Telegraph, July 22: 25.

1995: The ANZAC Bridge is joined together

This week will be 20 years since the two spans of what was then known as the Glebe Island Bridge was joined together. Below is an article from the afternoon edition of  The Daily Telegraph on June 20 1995, when the two spans finally met. The bridge was opened to traffic less than six months later.

 

 Source: Sheridan, P. 1995. "Together at last - our new bridge". The Daily Telegraph, June 20: 1.

Property Advert of the Week: Homeworld II Advertisement (1993)

In October 2014, I posted a HomeWorld II advertisement from 1991, here is one from 1993 promoting the 88 homes that one could inspect at Prospect.

Homeworld. 1993. "88 new homes to see. One Address to visit" (Advertisement). The Daily Telegraph Mirror, December 3: 20-21. 

1989: Sydney's filthy beaches

I was five years old in 1989, but too young to understand the talk about Sydney's dirty beaches at the time. Older readers might remember the weekly beach reports telling you if it was clean to swim or not. I have a number of clippings that talk about the issue.

During 1989, beach pollution had become a major issue with swimmers complaining of various infections that resulted from swimming in the water.

Source: Mealey, E & Craig, O. 1989. "Beachside doctors tell of surf victims". The Sun Herald, March 12: 6-7.

Surfers were also prepared to boycott events at Sydney beaches and even lifesavers were unwilling to rescue swimmers.

Source: Feneley, R. 1989. "Surfies boycott Sydney's oceans of filth". The Daily Telegraph, January 7, page unknown. 

At the time the deep water ocean outfalls were under construction at the Sewage treatment plants at North Head, Bondi & Malabar. Instead of sewage being directly discharged into the sea from the cliff tops, the sewage would be pumped through pipes that extended to four kilometres off the coast. The sewage would be diluted and dispersed further out to sea.

These works had been commissioned by the Water Board in 1984 in response to the rising occurrence of pollution at Sydney beaches. The clifftop pipes meant that the effluent easily washed onto city beaches, making it unsafe for swimming. Currents sent it drifting up and down the coast resulting in pollution at other beaches.

Below is an advertisement educating the public on the ocean outfalls.

Source.: Water Board. 1989. "We are committed to ending pollution of Sydney's beaches (Advertisement)". The Daily Telegraph, January 16, 12. 

A Waterboard Study during that year found that only one beach was safe for swimming. It was Elouera at Cronulla. South Curl Curl Beach was the most polluted.

 

Source: Olsen, S. 1989. "Pollution report lists just one clean beach". The Daily Telegraph, November 24, 3.

The outfalls at Malabar was completed in September 1990, North Head in December 1990 and Bondi in September 1991.

Since then, water quality at Sydney beaches has improved dramatically as the sewage is less likely to be swept onto the beaches.

It was interesting this past week to have a look at the Beachwatch reports online and noting that the coastal beaches were generally safe for swimming with the exception of Boat Harbour due to the possibility of contamination.

However though when it rains, you are generally advised to avoid swimming for a day at coastal beaches (two days elsewhere) due to stormwater run-off.

I have other clippings, and hopefully in the future can comment further and add to what is here.

Property Advert of the Week: Bridgeport Ad (1997)

This week, our property advert of the week is for the Bridgeport Apartments at Bridge Street in central Sydney from 1997. Apartments were selling solidly in the tower. As of July 1997, 60 % of apartments had been sold. Studios started at just under $200 000, with Penthouses on sale from $1.382 million.

  

Source: Australand Properties. 1997. "Setting the Mark for City Living Bridgeport (Advertisement)". The Sydney Morning Herald, July 5: 14 [Real Estate lift out].

1967: Rare photo of the view from level 43 of Park Regis

In 1968, the Park Regis building was completed and was the first major high-rise apartment tower to be built in the Sydney CBD. This week, I share a photo of the view from the tower when it was under construction in 1967, showing the spectacular view looking north from level 43. Obviously, that view has been blocked as city towers rose in the decades that follow.

Source: Anonymous. 1967. "View from the 43rd floor". The Daily Telegraph, November 4: 3. 

I have managed to collect some material on the tower itself, yet have struggled to find reports relating to the initial proposal. At this stage, I cannot provide a more comprehensive feature.

In the 1960's there was a push to encourage unit development in central Sydney which was largely commercial, particularly in the southern sections of the city. Unit development in the Sydney CBD didn't begin to gain momentum until the 1980s.

At the time of completion it did break some records for its time:

• Tallest residential building in the southern hemisphere - 45 levels or 136 metres tall. It held the record until 1983 when the  47 level Peninsula Towers at Surfers Paradise, Queensland took the record by one metre (137 metres tall).
• Second tallest building in Sydney after Australia Square Tower (46 levels, 170 metres tall).
• Remained the tallest apartment tower in Sydney until 1996 when the 46 level (168 metres tall) The Peak Apartment tower was completed at Haymarket.

Even today, it still maintains a strong presence in midtown Sydney as these photos from my personal collection (or secret stash to friends) show.