Property Advert of the Week: Kingston Heath (1995)

Below is an advertisement from 1995, promoting apartments in the Kingston Heath tower at Raleigh  Park.

Source: Mirvac. 1995. "Kingston Heath Apartments" (Advertisement). The Sydney Morning Herald, June 24: 87.

1988: Harbour Bridge debt is finally paid off...but the tolls stayed

After 56 years, the people of NSW finally paid off the cost of building the Sydney Harbour Bridge in 1988. However, the toll was still be levied to pay for the under-construction Sydney Harbour Tunnel.

Fast forward 30 years and the toll revenue is generally used for road projects across NSW. However, there is speculation by some that the current southbound toll ($2.50 to $4 depending on the time of day) could increase.

In Sydney, once a toll goes up on road, its hard to end. Even where it's been abolished (M4), it only has taken a few years for their return.

Below is coverage from the July 25, 1988 edition of The Daily Telegraph.

Property Advert of the Week: The Golden Gate Units, Maroubra Beach (1968)

This week, I share an advertisement by L. J. Hooker of Maroubra advertising apartments in the Golden Gate Units in Hereward Street at Maroubra Beach.

Source: L. J. Hooker Maroubra. (1968). "The Golden Gate Units (Advertisement)". The Daily Mirror, October 18: 48. 

1971: The Birth of Thursday Night Shopping

Coverage from The Daily Telegraph on December 11, 1971.

Extended retail trading hours in Sydney have their origins back in 1971, but not in the way one might see it. It was introduced in response to industrial action by Government bus drivers in November and possible industrial action on the rail network. With Christmas nearing, retailers had lost a significant amount of trade.

Above: The industrial action that bought on the changes...

To support retailers, The Askin Government quickly passed legislation to permit retailers to trade through to 9pm on December 16, 23 and 30, 1971.

Sydneysiders voted with their feet to the introduction of night shopping. Traffic in central Sydney was in bedlam on the night of December 16, 1971.

Above: Coverage from the December 17, 1971 edition of The Daily Telegraph. 

In 1972, the Shop Assistants Union called for night trading to be shifted to Fridays. The union wanted an end to Saturday trading altogether. Shop Assistants under the new regime would work five day weeks e.g. 5.5 days one week and 4.5 days on alternate weeks. Some retailers also called for the end of Thursday night trading, claiming that it had led to a drop in profits.

This was despite retailers such as Franklins reporting increased customers and profits i.e. 14 % of weekly trade was now on Thursday night across its supermarkets.

The Sydney Morning Herald supported the shoppers in its editorial on July 15, 1972. It gave Sydneysiders another option to shop at their own pace during a normal week and could avoid the Saturday rush as shops were permitted to trade through to 12pm.

A decade later in 1984, there was an attempt to extend night trading to Friday evenings but was not successful. Meanwhile, Saturday afternoon trading was introduced to great success. I remember as a young child that shops closed at 4pm on Saturdays.

Fast forward to today, where retailers are free to trade as they wish under the Shop Trading Act (2008) [NSW] except on restricted trading days which are:

• Good Friday
• Easter Sunday
• Christmas Day
• Anzac Day (until 1pm)

In 1992, Coles commenced trading 24 hours during the week at selected stores, though it is no longer in practice with midnight closings. Other supermarket chains followed with extended trading throughout the 1990s.

Other retailers have moved towards longer trading hours in the past decade. Kmart in 2009 commenced 24-hour trading at selected Sydney stores. 

Myer in the Pitt Street mall trades until 7pm most evenings with later trading on Thursdays (9pm) and Fridays (8pm). David Jones also trade similar hours in their city stores. 

The deregulation of trading hours during the week (and weekends) has benefited shoppers in providing flexibility to shop when needed and accommodates the myriad of commitments that one may have during the week.

Related Entries on Retail Trading Hours

1992: Introduction of Sunday Trading
1984: Introduction of Saturday afternoon retail trading

Property Advert of the Week: Merrylands West estate (1968)

Below is a 1968 advertisement from Stocks and Holdings advertising new homes at Merrylands West.

Source: Stocks & Holdings Projects. 1968. "Untitled" (Advertisement). The Daily Mirror, October 18: 68. 

1972: Feature on Transport Oriented Developments at Sydney Train Stations

Here is a 1972 article from The Sydney Morning Herald reporting on Transport Oriented Developments in the airspace above Sydney Train Stations but also developments on railway land.

Source: Anon. 1972.  "Railways in big deal with developers". The Sydney Morning Herald, August 16: 3.

The developments did proceed at Chatswood, North Sydney (built in two phases in the 1970s and 1980s), Kogarah (scaled down from the initial proposal), Redfern (Twin TNT Towers opposite the station) and Yennora.

It was proposed that Liverpool Station would end up with two office buildings but d
id not eventuate.

Property Advert of the Week: Hooker-Rex Homes at Winston Hills (1966)

In 1966, one was promised an "ultra modern" home at Winston Hills on a deposit of 680 pounds ($1360). Hooker-Rex were allowed in advertise in pounds as part of the two-year transition phase following the introduction of decimal currency in February 1966.

Source: Hooker-Rex Pty. Ltd. 1966. "Winston Hills" (Advertisement). The Sun, October 7: 66. 

1992: The BBC Home Depot - The foreunner to Bunnings!!!

In 1992, BBC Hardware opened the first of their Home Depot stores at Bankstown, introducing Sydneysiders to the concept of big-box hardware stores. By 1994, they were branded as Hardwarehouse. In 2001, owners (Howard Smith Limited) sold the stores to Wesfarmers, which were then absorbed into the network of Bunnings Warehouse stores.

Bunnings no longer trade on the Canterbury Road site, relocating several kilometres west to a larger site on Milperra Road at Bankstown Airport. Other bulky retailers including Officeworks and PetBarn occupy the former site.

Below is a series of advertisements that were published in October 1992 in The Daily Telegraph Mirror.

Property Advert of the Week: Display Homes at Castle Hill (1966)

Here is a very basic advertisement that might make you think that this is for an individual property. In truth, its an advertisement for display homes at Castle Hill. Geo. O. Gibbons were promoting the homes.

Source: Geo. O. Gibbons Pty. Ltd. "Untitled" (Advertisement). The Sun, October 7: 56.