Property Advert of the Week: Henley Homes Super Display Village Ad (1998)

Below is a 1998 newspaper advertisement for the Henley Homes Super Display Villages, which were located at Glenwood, Hoxton Park and Prestons. They also had one located on the Central Coast.

    

Source: Henley Properties Group. 1998. "A new super display village," (Advertisement). The Daily Telegraph, January 3: 4-5 (Homes Liftout).

1982: Weekend Shopping - SMH Feature

Forty years ago, retail trading hours for shops were heavily restricted on weekends. Shops were required to close at noon on a Saturday and were not permitted to trade on a Sunday. By the 1980s, major retailers such as Harvey Norman, Norman Ross and Waltons were challenging the laws by identifying loopholes with either success or failure.

Extending retail hours on weekends was opposed by the unions, citing the right of workers to have Sunday off and continued throughout the decade, though by the end of the decade, Sunday trading would be phased in, though gradually into the 1990s. 

Meanwhile, a court ruling in 1982 by Jim Macken in the NSW Industrial Commission raised concerns about big businesses i.e. Harvey Norman and Norman Ross extending their trading hours at the expense of small businesses, which relied on the weekend trade for their survival.

The Sydney Morning Herald's weekly Metro liftout published a feature in 1982 that provided Sydneysiders with a guide to shopping on weekends once the shutters went down at noon on Saturdays.

Reporter Mary Lord spent one weekend exploring the metropolitan area to see what was open on weekends and this is what she unearthed:

• Birkenhead Point offered "everything" on a Sunday.
• Manly offered options for "After-hours shopping" including clothing stores, bookstores and chemists.
• Kings Cross - most of the usual shops were open but 'very little" could actually be bought on Sundays
• Harvey Norman, Auburn - "mecca" on Parramatta Road, which attracted "more buyers at weekends".
• Norman Ross & Waltons conducted "warehouse sales" at Homebush, Homebush Bay or Granville as they would not be subject to general shop laws.
• Hardware stores - smaller stores were open on weekends.
• Hudson's in Miranda was "open at back and staffed by management only"

I have included the feature below with a full citation.

Source: Lord, M. 1982. "The Weekend Shopper". The Sydney Morning Herald, November 19: 2-4 (Metro Liftout).

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

Below is a newspaper advertisement promoting a land release at Avalon in 1962. Blocks were on offer from £1000 ($2000).

 

Source: Stapleton's. 1962. "Avalon Paradise Gardens Home Sites" (Advertisement). The Daily Telegraph, April 14: 46.

1974: End of the Lugarno Ferry

The opening of the Alfords Point Bridge in 1973 resulted in the end of the Lugarno Ferry. The Lugarno Ferry was a punt service carrying vehicles and people across the Georges River between Lugarno and Illawong. 

In March 1974, it was announced by the Main Roads Department that the ferry service would conclude on June 30 1974. It was not received well in Illawong, with some residents indicating that they would be forced to move homes.

Source: Anon. 1974. "Lugarno heartbreak: families to quit homes". The St George and Sutherland Shire Leader, April 3: 1. 

Sutherland Council backed the proposal given that daily patronage was averaging 540 vehicles, down from 1720 prior to closure. 

Source: Anon. 1974. "Bridge displaces ferry at Lugarno". The St George and Sutherland Shire Leader, April 3: 15. 

 

Source: Anon. 1974. "Ferry's six-month reprieve". The St George and Sutherland Leader, June 5:3. 

In June, it was announced that the ferry would close on December 12 1974. However, a reduced service would operate for the final five months of its operation.

While residents on both sides of the river were happy that the service would continue to operate in the short term, concerns were raised that youths and the elderly would be disadvantaged as they did not have cars and were dependent on the ferry to cross the river. 

 

Source: Anon. 1974. "Ferry to stay". The St George and Sutherland Shire Leader, June 12: 5.

Residents had petitioned Hurstville and Sutherland Council to maintain the service. While Hurstville Council backed the residents, Sutherland Council believed that the service was "no longer needed". The costs of operating the ferry had become financially unviable in its final years of operation, even though the service did not provide a toll

 

Source: Anon. 1974. "Champagne as ferry ends run". The Sydney Morning Herald, December 4: 9.

Source: Anon. 1974. "Lugarno Ferry R.I.P". The St George and Sutherland Shire Leader, December 18: 3. 

December 12 1974, saw the ferry undertake its final run after 131 years of operation. There was a ceremony to mark its closure involving representatives of Sutherland and Hurstville Councils along with the Department of Main Roads. The ferry was relocated to Berowra.

Related Entries

MILESTONE: Alfords Point Bridge turns 50 (1973) - Opening

MILESTONE: Alfords Point Bridge turns 50 (1973) - Proposals and construction

Property Advert of the Week: King Street Wharf (2000)

Below is a newspaper advertisement from 2000 promoting the sale of apartments in the King St Wharf precinct in Central Sydney.

 

Source: Multiplex. 2000. "Invest in Time. Live at King Street Wharf" (Advertisement). The Sun Herald, September 3: 61. 

1968: Highrise pools feature in "The Sun Herald"

Below is a feature article from The Sun Herald (7 July 1968) focusing on the construction of pools in highrise buildings. Two pioneers to install highrise swimming pools in a Sydney skyscraper include the Travelodge Hotel (now known as Mercure Sydney Wynyard) and the Park Regis building on Park Street. The Park Regis pool is, located on the roof level.

   

Source: Anon. 1968. "Floating on top of skyscraper". The Sun Herald, July 7:98. 

Some other Sydney skyscrapers that have pools on its upper floors include World Tower, ANZ World HQ (Penthouse), Pullman Sydney Hyde Park and the Sebel Quay West in The Rocks. Feel free to list any other highrise skyscrapers with pools on its upper floors in the Comments section.

Property Advert of the Week: Stewart Upton Homes - French's Forest/Belrose (1971)

Below is a 1971 newspaper advertisement by Stewart Upton Homes promoting the sale of new four and five-bedroom homes in French's Forest and Belrose. One of the homes featured was on offer for $36 500, and the other for $38 500. 

Source: Stewart Upton. 1971. "French's Forest - Belrose: So much more house for your money" (Advertisement). The Sun, September 17: 68. 

MILESTONE: Alfords Point Bridge turns 50 (1973) - Opening

Last week, I posted an entry relating to the construction of the Alfords Point Bridge. This week will focus on the opening of the bridge in 1973.

By February 1973, the span of the bridge had been built, and it was anticipated that the bridge would be open to traffic in June of that year. The photo below was taken at the northern approach to the bridge at Padstow Heights, looking south. Note the footings already in place for the future duplication of the bridge in 2008. 

 

Source: Anon. 1973. "A $5 million bridge". The St George and Sutherland Shire Leader, February 28: 5. 

It was announced in June that the bridge would open in September. The Lugarno Ferry, which operated downstream linking Lugarno and Illawong, would continue for "some time", before running its last service the following year. 

 

Source: Anon. 1973. "New bridge to open soon". The St George and Sutherland Shire Leader, August 1: 11. 

On 7 September 1973, the Alfords Point Bridge was officially opened to traffic by NSW Premier Sir Robert Askin. 2000 people were reported to have attended the opening ceremony, which included an opportunity for the public to walk across the bridge before opening to traffic. The final cost of construction was approximately $5 million. 

Below is coverage from The St George and Sutherland Shire Leader from September 12 1973.

Source: Anon. 1973. "Road snarl ease: Bridge skirts trouble sports". The St George and Sutherland Shire Leader, September 12: 1.

The bridge, when opened, initially carried two lanes of traffic (1 lane each way). This was increased to three lanes with a tidal flow arrangement in place.

Duplication of the bridge occurred in the 2000s. Construction of the new bridge commenced in 2007 and was opened to traffic in 2008. The original bridge reverted to two lanes and carried northbound traffic only, while the new bridge carries two lanes of southbound traffic.

Related Entry

MILESTONE: Alfords Point Bridge turns 50 (1973) - Proposals and construction

Property Advert of the Week: Landcom Ad (1993)

Below is a newspaper advertisement from 1993 to promote homesites that were on offer from Landcom. A special promotion enabled the first 100 buyers to receive a $500 bonus if they purchased a home site that was less than $65 000.

The homesite could be reserved for $100 with $900 to be paid within 70 days and the balance in 30 days. 

 

Source: Landcom. 1993. "Buy your homesite now... Get a $500 bonus!" (Advertisement). The Daily Telegraph Mirror, August 2: 15