1961: Harry Seidler calls for demolition of the QVB

One of the most popular entries on this blog since its inception has been my entry on the 1959 proposal by Sydney City Council to demolish the Queen Victoria Building and replace it with a public square and underground carpark. 

I mentioned in that entry that one supporter of its demolition was architect Harry Seidler and made reference to the 1970's when he called for a carpark to replace the building.

In that search for information on Harry Seidler and his advocacy for demolition, I had come across photos on the internet of a scanned newspaper article which in inital searches was undated - "Tear down this city horror". However one photograph taken of a pasted article from one of his scrap books had "Mirror 26/9/61" which was enough for me to locate the article which was featured in the September 26, 1961 edition of The Daily Mirror.

Below is a Microfische copy of the article.

What was Seidler's position?

Seidler told The Daily Mirror that the building was "an architectural monstrousity, a wasteful stuipd building". At the time, the building housed the Sydney County Council and construction had been halted on the building of its new offices at the corner of George and Bathurst Streets (not completed until 1968). He argued that there was a "desparate need" for a Civic Square and underground carpark in central Sydney.

Seidler had his supporters including Professor Denis Winston, Professor of Town and Country Planning at Sydney University who stated that "the time to act is now" along with Cr. W. Doherty, Chairman of the Sydney County Council. 

How did Sydney City Council respond to the article?

Source: Anon. 1961. "Only a bomb will shift it". The Daily Mirror, September 27: 7. 

The following day (September 27), Lord Mayor Harry Jensen, told The Daily Mirror that "insurmountable obstacles" had stopped the building from being demolished. The civic square could only be built if the Sydney County Council vacated the building. Construction had been halted on its purpose built headquarters at the corner of George and Bathurst Streets due to construction costs. The building was not completed until 1968. 

Jensen believed that any Civic Square on the site of the QVB would be determined by future councils and not him.

Finally note this statement at the introduction to the article: 

"...todays teenagers will probably be old men and women before they see the last of the building's clutter of columns, cornices and cuploas." 

In 2021, the teenagers referred to in 1961 are now senior citizens. The QVB is here to stay following its restoration into a retail complex during the 1980's. This was opened in 1986 and 2021 is 35 years of retail trading at the QVB. 

And the headline "Only a bomb will shift it" is true in itself. 

Property Advert of the Week: The Gateway, Pyrmont (1999)

Below is a 1999 newspaper advertisement promoting the sale of apartments in "The Gateway" at Pyrmont.

The complex is located at the corner of Murray Street and Pirrama Road and not to mention, just one block away from The Star Casino and Darling Harbour. 

 

Source: Mirvac. 1999. "The Gateway" (Advertisement). The Sydney Morning Herald, June 5: 19RE (Real Estate Liftout).

1988: Monorail Test Runs

Sydney's Monorail network which connected central Sydney with Darling Harbour operated between 1988 and 2013. It was controversial from its conception, construction and while in operation.

The Monorail was supposed to have commenced service in January 1988 as part of Bicentennial Celebrations with Prince Charles and Princess Diana to be the first passengers, but delays saw the monorail commence service in July, 1988.

 

Source: Aubin, T. "Ghost drivers in the sky: Sydney's monorail gets a test run". The Sydney Morning Herald, October 20: 1. 

In October 1987, the Monorail trains began the first of their test runs, using the tracks at their Maintenance Centre at Ultimo and travelling to the Haymarket Station.

Test runs were meant to have been run on the route from November 1987, but did not occur until February 1988. The first test run was on February 13 1988 in Liverpool Street and featured on the front page of The Sun Herald on February 14, 1988 (below). At the time it was anticipated that passengers could use the line from April, three months behind schedule. This did not eventuate. 

 

Below are another two newspaper clippings relating to test runs conducted soon after.

Source: Anon. 1988. "Everything's still up in the air but all aboard for $1 soon". The Daily Telegraph, February 27: 3. 

Source: Stevens, R. 1988. Untitled (Photograph). The Sydney Morning Herald, February 24: 1. 

In May, 6000 people were provided with an opportunity to ride the circuit ahead of its opening. 

Source: Hewett, T. 1988. "A hum of satisfaction from above". The Sydney Morning Herald, May 16: page unknown. 

James Oram was one of the first journalists to ride the monorail and shared his insights.

Source: Oram, J. 1988. "Magic Carpet Ride at 33km/h". The Sunday Telegraph, March 30:17. 

Finally, I published an entry in 2018 that looked at the opening of the monorail in 1988. Click here to view the entry.

Property Advert of the Week: Harbourview Bondi Junction (1997)

Below is a 1997 newspaper advertisement advertising apartments for sale in the Harbourview tower at Bondi Junction. It is located at 257-259 Oxford Street where Oxford Street intersects with Old South Head Road and Syd Enfield Drive. 

Studio apartments started at $185 000, two bedroom apartments from $450 000 and three bedroom apartments for $675 000. 

 

Source: Walker Corporation. 1997. "Style Beautiful Finishes Views" (Advertisement). The Sydney Morning Herald, May 24: 15RE (Real Estate Liftout).

1974: TAA build another new terminal at Sydney Airport

Last week, I published an entry on the opening of the Trans Australia Airlines (TAA) Terminal at Sydney Airport in 1962.

In the years following the opening of the terminal, growth in jet travel exploded along with the introduction of new innovations in airport design and travel meant that TAA needed to build a new terminal to cater for passenger growth and provide modern facilities for passengers.

In December 1974, TAA opened a new terminal to the north of its 1962 Terminal Building curving around Shiers Avenue. It was three times bigger than the previous terminal building.

Facilities included:

• Five aerobridges - Passengers no longer had to worry about walking across the Tarmac to board their flight.
• Faster baggage collection and handling systems
• Escalators to departure lounges
• Electronic Information Boards
• Special Group Convention Lounge
• Shops (Newsagent and snack bar), Restaurant and Bar

The now former 1962 terminal building was handed over to East-West Airlines. 

Part of the terminal still remains as part of the Qantas (T3) Terminal, home to Gates 16 and 17 as this recent image from Google Maps shows.

 

COVID-19 Restrictions have meant that I cannot locate media coverage of the actual opening from the Microfiche reels, but I have included a newsreel (top of page) with this entry but also a newspaper advertisement that was promoting the new terminal from mid 1974. It is likely that a follow-up entry will occur at a future date.

Source: Trans Australia Airlines (TAA). 1974. "For business travellers - TAA flying ahead" (Advertisement). The Daily Telegraph, May 6: 19. 

Property Advert of the Week: Hyde Park Plaza (1996)

Below is a newspaper advertisement dating from 1996 for apartments in Hyde Park Plaza in College Street. Hyde Park Plaza is a hotel (currently known as as the Oaks Sydney Hyde Park Suites). Investors would be purchasing a hotel apartment with the hotel acting as the "tenant".

 

Source: Mirvac. 1996. "Sydney's Top Performer Hyde Park Plaza From $145 000" (Advertisement). The Sydney Morning Herald, June 22: 16RE (Real Estate Liftout).

1962: TAA Terminal opens at Sydney Airport

Source: Trans Australia Airlines. 1962. "TAA opens new, Jet-Age Sydney Airport Terminal" (Advertisement). The Daily Mirror, May 16 1962: 14. 

Trans Australia Airlines (TAA) was an airline established by the Federal Government in 1946 to operate domestic passenger services within Australia. It operated under this name until 1986 when it was renamed Australian Airlines and was merged with Qantas in 1993.

In 1962, TAA undertook a significant upgrade of its terminal at Sydney Airport at a cost of £150 000 ($300 000) which doubled the space of the terminal and improved passenger comfort and capacity. The new layout separated departures from arrivals along with an upgraded baggage handling system. Passengers waiting for flights could purchase a meal, snack or drink from a coffee shop or buffet. In addition there was an airconditioned dining room for passengers and visitors awith a flight deck to view arriving or departing aircraft.

Also the new terminal had a new phone service where passengers could be paged and receive phonecalls at points located around the terminal.

Above: The 1962 TAA Terminal Building as viewed from above on Google Maps, which is currently part of the Qantas (T3) Terminal. 

The Terminal was located in what is now the southern end of the T3 (Qantas) Terminal. In 1974, the terminal was handed over to East-West Airlines after TAA opened a new terminal next to the building on its northern side. However it was intergrated into the T3 Terminal. Gates 18 and 19 are located at the rear of the building. 

Property Advert of the Week: Beverly Crescent, Penshurst subdivision (1971)

In 1971, Penshurst was a well developed suburb, but I came across an old advertisement from The St George and Sutherland Shire Leader promoting the sale of six lots of land in Beverly Crescent.

All lots were sold for $16250 each, equivalent to around $182 000 in todays money according to the RBA Inflation Calculator.

Source: Norman Brown Pty. Ltd. 1971. "Introducing - New Subdivision" (Advertisement). The St George and Sutherland Shire Leader, November 17: page unknown.