1992: The creation of St George Bank

This year is thirty years since the St George Building Society (established in 1937 as the St.George Co-operative Building Society Ltd) was granted a banking licence and listed on the Australian Stock Exchange as a public company. 

In January 1992, St George went public with its plans as reported in The Daily Telegraph Mirror on 15 January 1992.

Below is a newspaper advertisement that was published on 1 July 1992 when it offically became a bank.

   

Source: St George Bank Limited. 1992. "A bank remembers its promises." (Advertisement). The Daily Telegraph Mirror, July 1: 24-25. 

During the 1990's St George Bank took over Advance Bank and BankSA. In 2008, St George merged with Westpac. Despite the merger, the brand has been retained in NSW. Its branches in Victoria were rebranded as the Bank of Melbourne in 2011.

St George still maintain their headquarters at Kogarah, where it has been based since 1990, still connected to the region in which it was founded. Originally, they were based at Hurstville. 

Below is the advertisement that I believe was the "launch" advertisement. Southern Sydney does feature. Guess the locations.

Property Advert of the Week: Watermark Manly Cove (1995)

This week, we head over to Manly. 5-7 Victoria Parade had two luxurious penthouses on offer for either $1.15 million or $1.25 million in 1995.

 

Source: Anon. 1995. "Watermark Manly Cove" (Advertisement). The Sydney Morning Herald, June 24: 80.

The apartments are located two blocks from The Corso and Manly Wharf . Beaches were short stroll away on either side with views of Manly Cove and the Sydney CBD on offer. 

One of the two apartments advertised was reportedly sold for $5.5 million last year. 

1995: Golf Driving Range in the Sydney CBD

Angel Place spent the 1990's as one of Sydney's "Black Holes" after a failed attempt by the AMP at the end of the 1980's and early in the decade to build a major office tower on the site. By the mid 1990's AMP were still discussing how to develop the site, but golf fans were given a treat when the empty site hosted a temporary golf driving range. City office workers could practice their golf swing during their lunch breaks.

The article below is from The Daily Telegraph Mirror in 1995.

Source: Skelsey, M. 1995. "Concert hall for city's black hole". The Daily Telegraph Mirror, August 16: 27.

Click here if you want to find out why the site ended up becoming one of Sydney's "Black Holes" from the 1990's. 

Property Advert of the Week: Coral Estate, Baulkham Hills (1966)

Below is a 1966 newspaper advertisement by John L. Nichols & Co promoting the Coral Estate at Baulkham Hills. A full deposit of fifty pounds ($100) guaranteed your block of land.

 

Source: John L. Nichols & Co. Pty. Ltd. 1966. ""Coral" Estate" (Advertisement). The Daily Telegraph, February 12: 39. 

1987: When the NSWRL wanted to slug $32 per ticket at the Sydney Football Stadium

On August 28, the rebuilt Sydney Football Stadium was officially opened followed by the first sporting fixture on September 2 when the Sydney Roosters played the South Sydney Rabbitohs in Round 25 of the NRL Premiership Competition, before meeting again in an elimination final last weekend. 

Tickets for that match ranged from $40 through to $100 for adults 

That was very good value when compared with the $32 that the NSWRL wanted to slug fans for matches played at the original Sydney Football Stadium as part of the 1988 NSWRL Premiership. The price also applied to children. 

The RBA Inflation Calculator equates $32.00 to approximately $76.78 in todays money. 

Source: Rothfield, P. 1987. "$32 To watch top league here". The Daily Telegraph, November 18: 1-2. 

Did the fans get good value for money? No

While the new Football Stadium had hosted regular season NSWRL matches, its first major sporting fixture was on May 17 1988 when 26 441 attended the first match of the State of Origin Series. Queensland defeated NSW 26-18. 

The crowd was down 16 000 on the previous fixture held at the SCG the previous year, suggesting that high ticket prices had turned them off. For the fans that turned up, they were unhappy at what $32 bought them. The facilities were underwhelming.

If you check out the footage of highlights from the game on Youtube, you will find that the areas behind the goalposts were deserted. 

Source: Bowditch, S. & Bilkey, M. 1988. "Football stadium a loser in big game". The Daily Telegraph, May 19: 4. 

In the end they were forced to reduce prices - $20 for adults and $10 tickets for children for the upcoming rugby league tour by Great Britain. Compared to other sporting venues and codes, it was still high. The discounted tickets applied to seats on the wing or behind the goal posts. Sitting on the halfway line still cost patrons $32. Only 24 000 attended the First Test at the stadium on June 11 and and 16 000 for the third test. 

 

Source: Bowditch, S., Bilkey, M. & Chesterton, R. 1988. "$12 cut for end seats at stadium". The Daily Telegraph, May 21: 5. 

Property Advert of the Week: The Gallery, Cremorne (1998)

Below is a 1998 newspaper advertisement promoting selected apartments for sale in "The Gallery" complex on the corner of Military Road and Macpherson Street , Cremorne. 

Source: Winten Developments. 1998. "The Gallery" (Advertisement). The Sydney Morning Herald, May: 14 (Real Estate Liftout).

1971: When Pyrmont Bridge faced demolition

The Pyrmont Bridge has evolved as Sydney has grown and changed. For decades it served as a major arterial connecting western Sydney with the Sydney CBD. The Western Distributor may have made the bridge redundant, but was reborn into a pedestrian walkway with the redevelopment of Darling Harbour.

But half a century ago, Sydney was facing the possiblity of losing it forever, and the lost opportunities that went with it.

In 1971, the first stage of Western Distributor from the Harbour Bridge Tollgates to Day Street was under construction while plans to extend the freeway from Darling Harbour to Glebe were underway. 

The freeway would render the Pyrmont Bridge redundant and would be demolished, when the expressway was in full operation by 1978.

Source: Anon. 1971. "Pyrmont to lose bridge". The Daily Telegraph, June 3: 22. 

In 1980, the westbound viaduct from Day Street to Harris Street was completed. The Pyrmont Bridge was reconfigured to permit eastbound traffic. When the eastbound viaduct from Pyrmont Street to Day Street was opened the following year, the bridge was closed to all traffic.

 

Source: Name obsecured. 1981. "Pyrmont Bridge closing, but future open to suggestions. The Sydney Morning Herald, July 24: 9. 

With Darling Harbour set to be redeveloped, the bridge was still threatened with demolition. It was reported that the bridge was hindering redevelopment opportunites, while the argument to retain the bridge gained momentum.

Sydneysiders protested against plans to demolish the bridge and the NSW Government investigated alternative schemes. In 1983, it was suggested that the bridge be converted into a pedestrian walkway connecting Pyrmont with Market Street with shops and restaurants. The previous year, there was a proposal just to retain the ends and relocate the swinging span.

Source: Coultan, M. 1983. "Bridge may get the Florence touch". The Sydney Morning Herald, May 9: 3. 

Some pushed for what became what it is now a pedestrian and cycleway only. 

When redevelopment plans for Darling Harbour were released in 1984, it's future would be secured. It became the pedestrian and cycleway that the public longed for. From 1988 until 2013, it carried the monorail.

Property Advert of the Week: Ashton Square, Rockdale (1995)

Below is a 1995 newspaper advertisement promoting the Ashton Square complex at Rockdale. The complex was built by Meriton. Ashton Square adjoins the Rockdale Plaza complex. 

Source: Meriton Premier Apartments. 1995. "Ashton Square" (Advertisement). The Sydney Morning Herald, June 24: 94.