1967: De Burgh's Bridge opens

On 15 December 1967, the De Burgh's Bridge which carries Lane Cove Road over the Lane Cove River, was officially opened to traffic. It replaced the bridge of the same name which was opened in 1899. It improved road access between North Ryde and Pymble and also driver safety.

 

Source: Anon. 1967. "End of a bottleneck". The Daily Telegraph, December 15: 13.

Property Advert of the Week: Normanhurst Land Release (1962)

Below is a newspaper advertisement from 1962 promoting the final release of land at the Yaralla Park Estate at Normanhurst on the Upper North Shore. The £1250 price ($2500) equates to the equivalent of $40 800 today, according to the RBA Inflation Calculator. 

 

Source: Anon. 1962. "Yaralla Park Estate". The Daily Telegraph, April 14: 57. 

1998: When Darrell Lea said "No" to developers

Above: The Darell Lea store in 2006. Photo was taken by the Author.

In 1998, as the 400 George Street development rose over George Street, the Lea Family (founders and original owners of Darrell Lea) revealed that they had refused offers from developers to sell the site of which was home to their then flagship store. The building was also on the National Trust Register, protecting it from demolition. Developers had proposed incorporating the building into the structure, by the Lea family had doubts about the future of the building had they opted to sell. 

   

Source: Blake, E. 1998. "City keeps its sweet spot". The Daily Telegraph, March 2: 15. 

Darrell Lea closed the store in 2012 when they quit the speciality shop trade as part of a restructuring of the company following financial difficulties and the sale of the family-run business to VIP Petfoods. The company was sold again in 2018 to the Quadrant Equity Group. Currently, the site is home to a Telstra Store and has had restoration works.

The building today. Photo was taken by the Author (2019).

The Lea family must be credited for helping save a building that didn't just mean something to them, but to the City of Sydney as well. While Darrell Lea may no longer sell its chocolates and sweets from this building, it allows a piece of Darrell Lea's history to live on. It is the family's legacy to Sydney.

Property Advert of the Week: Mala Homes Estate - St Marys (1969)

Below is a 1969 newspaper advertisement by Mala Homes to promote a "new sewered estate" at St Marys. Unfortunately, there are no details as to where it was built within the suburb. A $595 deposit bought a home and a block of land.

  Source: Mala Homes. 1969. "Mala Mala" (Advertisement). The Daily Telegraph, July 26: 48.

1977: Sydney Advertising Buses Feature

Today, Sydney buses are generally regarded as moving billboards, to the point that window views are generally obstrucutred. 

"Advertising Buses" in Sydney have been around for nealy fifty years, and began with five government buses in the 1970s. At least the windows were not covered. 

  

Source: Glascott, G. 1977. "Surfing lions and popsicle-eaters ride the buses". The Sydney Morning Herald, January 1: 5. 

Joseph Glascott wrote a feature article for The Sydney Morning Herald in 1977 on the buses. Views were mixed. 

"oldtapecaptures" uploaded a clip to Youtube of a Stevie Wonder Segment featuring the Stevie Wonder themed bus above. The bus itself played Stevie Wonder music. 

Property Advert of the Week: AVJennings 'Don't Miss The Boat Sale' (1989)

Below is a 1989 newspaper advertisement by AVJennings to promote their 'Don't Miss The Boat Sale'. House and land packages were offered at Bligh Park, Minto, Abbotsbury, Castle Hill, Kariong (Central Coast), Ambarvale and Minchin Hills from $99 000. 

   

Source: AVJennings. 1989. "AVJennings 'Don't Miss The Boat Sale.'" (Advertisement). The Daily Telegraph, August 12: 111.

1992: Ultimo's Australian Mercantile Land and Finance Co. Building destroyed by fire

Some readers may remember the fire that destroyed the Australian Mercantile Land and Finance Co. building at Ultimo in 1992.

Originally built in 1909, the former Woolstore in Ultimo had been abandoned and was facing redevelopment into an office, retail, apartment and hotel complex while preserving the heritage-listed building.

 

The fire began at lunchtime on 6 July 1992, but media reports reported that the fire "took hold" around 12:40pm. Being a former woolstore, lanolin, which had been embedded in the floors of the building, acted as an accelerant.

At around 12:51pm, a section of the wall along the western side collapsed, followed minutes later by sections of the eastern wall which lasted until 1:40pm.

Above: Coverage by The Sydney Morning Herald on 7 July 1992. 

The collapse of the eastern wall led to the destruction as many as 20 cars parked in Bullecourt Lane, catching alight as the heated walls rained down on them. Fortunately, the Monorail Depot escaped the carnage, though was hit by debris.

Firefighters from 15 fire stations fought the blaze, which took two hours to control but was smouldering for many hours afterwards. Four firefighters were injured.

Flames were reported to have risen as high as fifty metres into the air, with smoke visible from the suburbs.

Given the severity of the fire, 800 people were evacuated from nearby homes and businesses while thousands watched the fire burn from nearby vantage points.

The site eventually became the home of the Ian Thorpe Aquatic Centre and the Bullecourt apartment complex. The Aquatic Centre was opened in 2005 and was designed by Harry Seidler. 

Above: Ian Thorpe Aquatic Centre. Photo taken by the Author (2009).

Above: The Bullecourt Apartment Complex. Photo taken by the Author (2015). 

Property Advert of the Week: Wimpey Homes (1960)

Property Advert of the Week is back for 2023. This advertisement was published by Wimpey Homes in 1960 to promote a new residential estate that they were building at East Ryde (located to the north of The Field of Mars Cemetery). Based on the information provided, the display home was located at 28 Cilento Close and has since been demolished.

 

Source: George Wimpey & Co. Ltd. 1960. "Wimpey Homes" (Advertisement). The Daily Mirror, September 30: 30.