New Years Eve 25 Years Ago: 1999 (Millennium Celebrations)

Tomorrow is New Year's Eve, and each year, I post an entry on how Sydney welcomed the new year 25 years beforehand.

The year of focus is 1999.

This New Year's Eve was widely accepted as the last of the second millennium, though it will always be disputed as there was no year "zero". The millennium ended at 11:59 pm on December 21 2000, as it would mark exactly two thousand years.

Cities, towns and villages around the world all wanted to present the biggest celebration that they could do for their citizens to mark the new millennium. 

By the end of the 1990s, Sydney had built up a reputation for its New Year's Eve fireworks shows, whether at 9pm or to welcome in 1999, at midnight and was attracting global coverage. 

The changeover from 1999 to 2000 was also significant for Sydney because 2000 marked the year it would host the Olympic Games that year and the world would converge on the city for two weeks of sporting competition. 

It meant that Sydney had to welcome the new year in Olympic style. It had to be the biggest and the best.

How did it happen?

Program

• From 8:30 pm to 11:20 pm - Floating Sea Creature Parade on Sydney Harbour - This comprised a loop around Sydney Harbour. From any vantage point, the parade lasted 25 minutes from the passing of the first sea creature. 
• 9 pm - Family Fireworks
• 12 pm - Midnight Fireworks

Below is the soundtrack and how the midnight display would work.

Sourced from: Anon. 1999. "NYE Last-minute guide". The Daily Telegraph, December 31: 40.

Launch positions

Sourced from: Anon. 1999. "NYE Last-minute guide". The Daily Telegraph, December 31: 40.

• Four barges were located in Sydney Harbour - Off Cockatoo Island, Goat Island, Fort Denison and Bradleys Head. 
• The Sydney Harbour Bridge
• Sydney Opera House (It was meant to be a "one-off" but became permanent in 2013)
• Sydney Tower
• Skyscrapers in the Sydney and North Sydney CBDs including Chifley Tower, Goldfields House and Grosvenor Place. 

There will be eight barges for 2024. Apart from the four locations in 1999, there will be a second barge off Goat Island (one on its eastern side and one on the other side of the island, one just west of the harbour bridge, one to the north of the Opera House and one located off Garden Island. 

Bridge Effects

Sourced from The Sun Herald, January 2, 2000

Two lighting effects were featured during the display:

• Smiley Face (As featured in the 1997 New Year's Eve Fireworks Display) - It is the only bridge effect to be used more than once.
• Arthur Stace's etching of Eternity - This appeared at the end of the show and was in tribute to the late Arthur Stace, a Christian man who etched Eternity fifty times a day from the 1930s until he died in 1967. Bells were rung from St Marys Cathedral and St Andrews Cathedral as it was switched on. 

A recreation of the Sydney Harbour Bridge with Eternity was featured in the 2000 Olympic Games Opening Ceremony held at Stadium Australia, Sydney Olympic Park on September 15, 2000, as part of a pyrotechnics display in the Eternity segment. The segment was about paying tribute to those who have been involved in building infrastructure across Australia over time. 

TV Broadcasters

• Nine Network
• ABC 

This was the first and only time two television free to air networks broadcast the Sydney New Year's Eve fireworks. 

The Nine Network had an agreement to broadcast the fireworks with Sydney City Council from 1997-2000 and ended up with the "official" footage and accompanying soundtrack in its broadcast.

The ABC partnered up with TV Broadcasters from 60 nations as part of 2000 Today, which was the world's biggest TV Broadcast to date. ABC provided its own footage of the fireworks and could not play the soundtrack that accompanied them. Footage of Sydney's fireworks would be interspersed between other celebrations that occurred at the same time - Melbourne, Canberra and Hobart, with the soundtrack that of Melbourne's midnight fireworks, which could be played on any broadcast (Channel Nine also did the Melbourne fireworks soundtrack for when they aired the Midnight fireworks immediately following Sydney's Fireworks). 

Interestingly, the BBC (UK) Broadcast of 2000 Today accommodated footage from both the Nine Network and the ABC. Click here to view the coverage presented by Michael Parkinson and Rolf Harris. 

The Nine Network tried to prevent the ABC from broadcasting the fireworks by claiming "exclusive rights" in the Federal Court, but was unsuccessful. 

In 2024, ABC will broadcast the fireworks. 

Transport

For the Millennium celebrations, train services operated on a 24-hour timetable to give revellers plenty of time to travel to and from the city.

However, due to concerns about the Y2K bug, all underground stations were closed between 11:45 pm and 1:45 am to ensure that passengers were safe in case. Those leaving the city immediately after the midnight fireworks had to walk either to Central or Milsons Point to take trains home. 

A three-day rail ticket was offered for $10 to cover rail travel between December 31 and January 2. Sydney Buses provided their $10 Millennium tickets, which covered 36 hours from 12:00 am on New Year's Eve until 12 pm the following day.

 

Source: New South Wales Department of Transport. 1999. "24 hour trains on New Year's Eve" (Advertisement). The Sunday Telegraph, December 26:10.  

Below is a map of Sydney CBD closures and bus terminals.

The Sunday Telegraph and The Sun Herald (January 2, 2000) reported that public transport services ran smoothly, with 250 000 travelling by rail, 150 000 by bus and 33 000 on Ferries. 

Facts of interest

• The festivities cost an estimated $5 million. This year, the fireworks are estimated to cost $6.3 million.
• An estimated 200,000 individual fireworks were launched. 
• The midnight fireworks lasted approximately 25 minutes, the longest show to date.
• As many as 1.5 million attended the fireworks.
• An estimated 6000 spectator craft were on Sydney Harbour (About 7000 spectator craft were reported to have been on Sydney Harbour for the Bicentenary celebrations in 1988). The Sydney Morning Herald (January 1, 2000) estimated that 100,000 people watched the fireworks from a boat in Sydney Harbour.  

Coverage

There was extensive coverage in newspapers, given the historical significance of the celebrations. The front page of The Daily Telegraph featured at the top of the post published a special wrap round as part of a 16-page special. 

The Sydney Morning Herald 

They also published a dawn edition several hours after their regular metropolitan edition to focus on the first sunrise over Sydney of the new millennium. It was an overcast morning.

   

The Weekend Australian

The Sun Herald (January 2, 2000)

A complete broadcast of the midnight fireworks from Channel Nine was uploaded to Youtube by TheSydneyFireworks if you wish to view the entire show.

2000 Today (ABC) - Uploaded by scana1979 to Youtube.

There was extensive coverage internationally by the press including TV Networks. I have posted a direct link to the BBC coverage above under TV Broadcasters.

ABC America

Uploaded by Mason R to Youtube

CNN & CNN International 

Uploaded by Hutchinson Video Archive to Youtube.  Sydney Fireworks coverage begins at 28:36 in the video.

That is how Sydney welcomed 2000 and the new millennium in a nutshell. I wish you all a very happy new year. Remember This? returns for its summer series from next week. 

Christmas Snapshot: 1999

Christmas Day falls on Wednesday (December 25), and this entry focuses on how Sydney marked Christmas 25 years ago. The year in focus is 1999, the last Christmas of the 20th Century and the second millennium.

In 1999, Christmas Day fell on a Saturday, which gave one plenty of time to prepare in the week leading up to the day. 

Carols in the Domain - December 18

It was held on December 18, 1999, and attracted a crowd of about 100,000 people. The event was hosted by Andrew Daddo and Belinda Emmett. ​ Entertainers included Lisa McCune, who made a dramatic helicopter entrance from her performance in "The Sound of Music," Vanessa Amorosi, The Wiggles, Monica Trapaga, and the Von Trapp children from "The Sound of Music." Other performers included Chelsea Gibb, Simon Burke, Sharon Millerchip, Doug Parkinson, Ignatius Jones, and the Sydney Youth Orchestra. The event also featured a pre-show with performances by the Real Blondes and the Daisy Dolls. ​

Further Reading:

Minogue, K. 1999. "Lisa to fly in for Domain carols". The Daily Telegraph, December 18: 17.

Rumble, T. 1999. "Choppers and Changes For Busy McCune". The Sun Herald, December 19: 44. 

Newspaper Front Page - Christmas Day

In 1999, The Daily Telegraph was the only newspaper published on Christmas Day in Sydney. The Daily Telegraph/The Sunday Telegraph published Christmas Day editions between 1994 and 2004. 

The Sunday Telegraph, allocated one page (page 4) for Christmas features in its edition of December 26. Features included the Christmas Addresses from the Catholic Archbishop of Sydney - Cardinal Edward Clancy, and the Anglican Archbishop of Sydney, Harry Goodhew.

The weather started "wet and wild" before clearing to a sunny afternoon. 

Bondi Beach proved popular with British Backpackers, who held their traditional Christmas Day party on the beach.

Christmas Sales

It was reported by The Daily Telegraph in its afternoon edition on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day that an estimated $200 million had been spent by shoppers in NSW on December 24, and a total of $2 billion in the lead-up to Christmas.

Source: Lawson, B. 1999. "$2bn splurge: Record Christmas spending". The Daily Telegraph, December 24: 1 & 2.

The afternoon edition on Christmas Eve also included a feature on the marathon trade at the Sydney Fish Markets, a tradition that continues to this day.

Christmas Planners

I love posting the Christmas Planners because they provide a great snapshot of services over Christmas. Compared with today, services available on Christmas Day have remained relatively unchanged if we focus solely on what is featured below. I remember with eateries, many were shut on the day, but some especially fast food chains such as McDonalds have since decided to trade on the day.

 

The most significant changes in what's available have focused on Boxing Day, with retail trade permitted on Boxing Day across the Metropolitan area since 2015. In 1999, Boxing Day fell on a Sunday and no retail trade was allowed as a public holiday had been gazetted for December 28 (December 27 was to make up for Christmas Day falling on a Saturday). 

To close off this entry,  a newspaper feature on Christmas lights adorning the homes at Johnson Close at Bonnet Bay in the Sutherland Shire. The competition for the best-lit street at Christmas has gotten fiercer every year since. 

Source: Tsavdaridis, N. 1999. "The Bay of lights". The Daily Telegraph, December 25: 15. 

I wish you all a very Merry Christmas.

 

1990: Train Skipping

In 2024, one may find that a timetable service may not stop at your station or you are on the train and then find out that the service will not stop at your destination.

Sometimes on the T4 line, a South Coast Line service that is meant to terminate at either Martin Place or Bondi Junction ends up terminating at the interurban platforms at Central forcing "all out, all change".

Usually, this happens when a train is delayed. It is done to assist in maintaining on-time running or to aid in getting the broader timetable on time following a major delay, e.g., signal failure.

In 1990, The Sunday Telegraph interviewed Rob Schwarzer (CityRail Chief) about the situation after NSW Shadow Transport Minister Brian Langton (ALP, Kogarah) had revealed to Parliament the previous week that drivers had been ordered to skip stations. He cited one example where a train from Sutherland bound for the city skipped 14 stations. The driver was directed to run it express to Redfern. Langton himself was a regular rail commuter.

Source: Grimshaw, P. 1990. "Trains told to skip stations". The Daily Telegraph Mirror, November 29: 1 & 4.

The interview gave us answers. Schwarzer was asked whether or not train skipping was acceptable. He responded with "it is a standard operating practice" and that is necessary to do so. Either cancel the train and "get it out of the road" or return it to the regular timetable. Another element considered, according to Schwarzer, was whether there was a suitable alternate service after the now-altered service. Another question arose - What if commuters are already on the train and want to get off if stations were to be skipped? He stated it was "very rare" as stopping patterns were not generally changed once the run began. The second part of the interview focused on reforms to CityRail and even one question about a new North Shore line (likely a reference to what is now the Epping-Chatswood line, originally heavy rail, now a section of the M1 metro line). 

  

Source: Quinn, S. 1990. "Train Skipping". The Sunday Telegraph, December 2: 16-17.

What is the reality in 2024?

My introduction to this entry would sum up the reality. It does happen, but the concern is whether this will receive the same coverage in the media as in 1990? The state of the rail network was under scrutiny, particularly with job losses, ageing infrastructure, timetabling and overcrowding. Even today, there is scrutiny; though the challenges that face the network are more complex, some of the issues confronting the rail network in 1990 still linger. The question has to be asked - What do commuters value as most important to them when accessing Sydney Trains? 

As a commuter, it is annoying that trains sometimes skip stations, whether I am left stranded on the platform or forced to change trains to complete my journey.

Hopefully, this entry and article will make commuters aware of the situation, whether from the perspective of those operating our network or from a commuter's perspective.

Property Advert of the Week: Meriton Pyrmont Projects Ad (2000)

This is the last Property Advert of the Week for 2024. Below is a newspaper advertisement from Meriton that appeared in The Inner West Courier on August 14 2000. It was to promote "The Palladium" and "Richmont" in Pyrmont. 

Source: Meriton. 2000. "Untitled" (Advertisement). The Inner West Courier, August 14: 124. 

Property Advert of the Week returns on the first Saturday in February 2025.

1982: Introduction of Random Breath Testing (RBT)

In 1978, 1384 people died on New South Wales (NSW) roads and it was the deadliest year on record for road fatalities in the state. At the end of the 1970s and into the early 1980s, around 1300 people were dying on average in road accidents across New South Wales.

Drink-Driving was identified as a significant factor contributing to the death toll, with around 40% of road fatalities resulting from a driver driving under the influence of alcohol. Such deaths were identified as preventable.

In September 1982, the State Government Safety Road Committee recommended the introduction of Random Breath Testing (RBT). It was to be trialled for three years and became permanent in 1985.

Source: Grimshaw, P. 1982. "Tough new blitz on roads". The Daily Telegraph, September 30: 1.

RBT commenced on Friday, December 17 1982, and drivers were warned of police presence on the roads.

Source: Stanley, A. 1982. "Breath test blitz all weekend". The Daily Telegraph, December 17: 2. 

The first tests were undertaken on Parramatta Road at Granville after 7 pm.

Source: Crosthwaite, R.  1982. "First drivers all under limit". The Daily Telegraph, December 18: 2. 

It was reported that road deaths had started decreasing in the lead-up to the introduction of RBT because it triggered, for drivers, a fear of being caught drink driving. RBT led to the introduction of the booze buses where further testing could occur.

Source: Stanley, A. 1982. "Publicity on tests hammers fear in drivers". The Daily Telegraph, December 16: 5. 

Below is a newspaper advertisement explaining how RBT would work. It was "quite simple".

The legacy of RBT

The introduction of RBT has contributed to the overall decrease in the road toll in NSW. By 1985, the annual road toll had dropped to less than 1100. By 2021, the road toll had dropped to 270, the lowest figure since 1923 (COVID restrictions, especially in the second half of 2021, meant fewer vehicle movements), before settling at 349 in 2023.

Other key figures that show the success of RBT include:

• The share of deaths resulting from drink driving annually has halved from around 40% to as little as 17%.
• The overall number of deaths as a result of drink driving has decreased by nearly 90% in the past four decades.

RBT has also changed the way that people drink when they are out. One could no longer stop at the pub for a drink on the way home if they were driving or restricted their drinking. On the positive side, it encouraged responsible drinking, and for those who wished to have a drink, consider other options for transport, such as using public transport, having a friend or family member drive who would not drink, or using taxis (and ride-sharing in more recent years).

Property Advert of the Week: Bovis Display Homes Ad (1984)

Below is a newspaper advertisement from 1984 by Bovis, to promote the sale of the Huntsgreen. It could be built from $33 550, There was an.offer of a $3000 discount for the first 20 buyers that visited a Bovis Display Village.

Source: Bovis. 1984. "Cheep, cheep, cheaper" (Advertisement). The Daily Telegraph, May 5: 35. 

1991: Conception of the Rivercats

Rivercat Nicole Livingstone in action on the Parramatta River. Taken by the Author (2022)

Last year saw the commencement of the retirement of the Rivercat ferry fleet on Sydney Harbour. It commenced with Betty Cuthbert, followed by Evonne Goolagong and Nicole Livingstone. Only four Rivercat ferries remain, with the new Parramatta Class ferries being introduced into service.

In 1991, Transport Minister Bruce Baird announced that seven Rivercats would be built, providing seating for 150 people. This would also enable the extension of ferry services to Parramatta, which commenced in 1993.

 

Source: Anon. 1991. "Higher". The Daily Telegraph Mirror., May 11: 4. 

At the time, ferry services on the Parramatta River were operated by First Fleet class ferries. The new Rivercats promised commuters faster trips along the Parramatta River. Express ferries from Parramatta to Circular Quay, stopping only at Rydalmere, would only take fifty minutes to complete the journey.

The NSW Government followed through, with seven Rivercats entering service between 1992 and 1995, ultimately having a capacity of 230 people.

Related Entry

1993: Rivercat Services to Parramatta Commence

Property Advert of the Week: 3 Kairawa Street, South Hurstville (1971)

Below is a newspaper advertisement from 1971 promoting the sale of apartments in a small complex at 3 Kairawa Street, South Hurstville. The complex only contains six apartments, each with two bedrooms. Prices were close to identical (from $ 16,750), with buyers only paying $200 extra for apartments on the first floor.

Source: Norman Brown P/L & Upton Smith & Co. 1971. "3 Kairawa Street" (Advertisement). The Daily Telegraph, June 12: 43. 

1994: Demolition of St Margaret's Convent, Ryde

Between 1892 and 1992, the religious order Little Company of Mary ran Mount St Margaret's Hospital, a psychiatric hospital along with a convent on the site.

In the 1990s, the site was redeveloped into an aged care precinct comprising an aged care home (Calvary Ryde) and a retirement village (Dalton Gardens). Calvary Health Care manages them, which is owned by the religious order Little Company of Mary, which is associated with the Catholic Church. 

Below is an article from The Sunday Telegraph dated June 12 1994 focusing on demolition of the former buildings on the site on June 11 1994. The convent building was demolished by implosion and Sister Louise (Little Company of Mary) pressed the plunger. Demolition was undertaken by Power Demolitions.

Source: Harris, S. 1994. "Holy Smoke!". The Sunday Telegraph, June 12: 3. 

Property Advert of the Week: Centennial North Randwick (2004)

Below is a 2004 newspaper advertisement from The Sydney Morning Herald promoting the Centennial apartment complex at 88-98 King Street, Randwick. The apartments were on sale from $475,000.

What is not advertised is that it is located next to the Randwick Bus Depot.

Source: Anon. 2004. "Centennial North Randwick". The Sydney Morning Herald, June 5, 19A (Domain Apartments Liftout).

MILESTONE: 25 Years of Stadium Australia (1999)

This year marks 25 years since Stadium Australia (currently known as Accor Stadium) was completed and hosted its first events ahead of the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games.

In 1999, it was in its Olympic configuration, with a capacity of 110,000 and two temporary stands erected at the northern and southern ends of the stadium. Both stands were demolished after the Olympic Games in 2000 when the stadium was reconfigured into its current configuration of 83 500, and stadium roofing was extended over the northern and southern stands.  

Some of the highlights from its first year included:

NRL Double Header - March 6 1999

To mark the start of the 1999 Rugby League season, the National Rugby League (NRL) decided to host a doubleheader at the stadium in round one, which attracted a world record attendance of 104 583. 

In the first match, Newcastle defeated Manly 41-18, while Parramatta defeated St George-Illawarra 20-10. The night was also historic because it was the first match featuring the joint venture team St George Illawarra, formed after a merger of the St George Dragons and Illawarra Steelers at the end of the 1998 NRL season.  

Bee Gees concert - March 27 1999

The Bee Gees claimed bragging rights for the first concert at the stadium, held just three weeks after the NRL Double Header. Over 60,000 attended the concert, the only Australian concert in its six-concert world tour.

Source: Scatena, D. 1999. "Bee Gees a sure thing in the poll that counts". The Daily Telegraph, March 27: 15. 

However, the concert was overshadowed by the lack of train services to transport those travelling home to the Western Suburbs after the concert. As for the concert itself, there were issues with food and drink, but the sound was "great". Barry Gibb (Bee Gees) was "very impressed" with the stadium and the sound.

Source: McMillan, A. 1999. "So, where were the trains". The Daily Telegraph, March 29: 7.

Official Opening - June 12 1999

Stadium Australia. 1999. "The Official Opening of Stadium Australia" (Advertisement). The Daily Telegraph, June 11: 17.

I was fortunate to attend this event with my family on a cold june evening, sitting in the temporary southern grandstand. 88 000 people were treated to an entertainment spectacular before the feature event - an international football (soccer) match between the Socceroos and the Fifa All Stars. Australia prevailed 3-2. 

NFL American Bowl - August 7 1999

Held on August 7, the American Bowl was hosted in Australia for the first time, featuring the Denver Broncos and San Diego Chargers. Watched by a crowd of just under 74,000 people, Denver won 20-17.

Bledisloe Cup - August 28 1999

On August 28, Stadium Australia hosted its first rugby union international test. Australia faced New Zealand in the Bledisloe Cup.  It set a world record for the most attended rugby union game - 107 042, only to be broken the following year when the same nations played before a crowd of 109 874. Australia won 28-7 to retain the Bledisloe Cup.

Also, John Williamson led the crowd in singing Waltzing Matilda after the All Blacks performed the pre-game haka. 

NRL Grand Final - September 26 1999

Held on September 26, 1999, St George Illawarra returned to the ground where they began their season and faced up to the Melbourne Storm, who were playing in their first grand final. Melbourne Storm defeated St George 20-18 after a penalty try was awarded to Craig Smith (Melbourne) late in the game and was converted by Matt Geyer. 

The 1999 NRL Grand Final also had the highest attendance of a rugby league game in the world, beating the record set six months earlier in the same venue, with 107,999 in attendance.  

Source: Stephens, T. 1999. "Lazarus and the miracle of the Melbourne stealers". The Sydney Morning Herald, September 27: 1.

The Sydney Morning Herald published a photospread in its Sporting Life section on September 27 1999.

 

Property Advert of the Week: Landcom Ad (1994)

Below is a 1994 newspaper advertisement from Landcom. Homesites were on offer at St Helens Park, Currans Hill, Mount Annan, Ambarvale, Eagle Vale, Narellan Vale, Cecil Hills, Casula, Cabramatta, Menai, Bangor, Parklea, Hassall Grove, Cranebrook, Castle Hill, Glenhaven, Beacon Hill and Oatlands.

 

Source: Landcom. 1994. " "First choice for homebuyers" (Advertisement). The Daily Telegraph Mirror, June 4: 65.

1997: Rydalmere as Sydney's Geographic Centre

The question will arise from time to time - Where is the geographic centre of Sydney?

The geographic centre of a city does not refer to the Central Business District (CBD) but refers to the centre point of a city based on its urban sprawl - Where can one be where the midpoint between two locations is consistently the longest based on the perimeter of the metropolitan area.

In 1997, the Geographic centre of Sydney was identified as Rydalmere. The Sunday Telegraph identified the residence where the centre was located (in the backyard). The home was located at the corner of Fallon and John Streets.

Source: Stuart, S. 1997. "Heart of the city". The Sunday Telegraph, October 5: 5. 

Sydney's Geographic Centre was most recently identified in 2018. Between 1997 and 2018, it had shifted north in a northwesterly direction, remaining within Rydalmere. At one point, it crossed to the northern side of Victoria Road as urban sprawl gravitated towards the Hills and Blacktown LGAs before it started to shift southwards in 2005. By 2018, it had settled in Dorothy Street.

Given that urban sprawl in Sydney shifted towards the southwest after 2000, the Geographic Centre of Sydney is projected to move to the southern shores of the Parramatta River. 

Additional Reading

Pike, B. 2018. "Dorothy St, Rydalmere now the heart of Sydney’s population shift" The Daily Telegraph, December 13, https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/nsw/dorothy-st-rydalmere-now-the-heart-of-sydneys-population-shift/news-story/8718dc8b4f9349dcaea1c89b460d80ac.

Property Advert of the Week: Hitter Homes Advertisement (1966)

Below is a 1966 newspaper advertisement promoting new estates at Panania, Fairfield West, Merrylands, and Cabramatta. Three-bedroom homes were on offer from £4300 ($8600). According to the RBA Inflation Calculator, that would be equivalent to spending $134,000 in 2024.

Source: Hitter Homes. 1966. Untitled (Advertisement). The Daily Telegraph, October 15: 27.

Note: Advertising goods and services in pounds, shillings and pence was permitted for a two-year period following the introduction of decimal currency on 14 February 1966.

East Circular Quay Redevelopment: Opera Residences (2021)

Above: Opera Residences as viewed from the Royal Botanic Gardens. Photo by the Author (2024).

This is the final entry in the series on the redevelopment of East Circular Quay. Last week's entry focused on the completion of the development of the four building Bennelong Apartments complex (Colonial Mutual Limited) and Quay Grand (Mirvac) in 1999.

With both developments complete, the southernmost building on the block, Coca-Cola Amatil Building (71 Macquarie Street), became the sole office building.

Coca Coca vacates 71 Macquarie Street

In 2010, Coca-Cola vacated the building at 71 Macquarie Street to relocate to North Sydney. They were the original tenants in the 15-level building, which was completed in 1966.

Following its departure, property owner AMP sought to redevelop the site into luxury apartments and partnered with Mirvac to redevelop the site. 

A concept plan was placed on exhibition in 2012.

In 2014, a Development Application was lodged with the Central Sydney Planning Committee for a 19-level apartment building containing 109 apartments (later revised to 104 apartments). 

Crone Architects, Tzannes and Make were the architects. 

The building was demolished in 2017. Construction commenced in 2019 and was completed in 2021. The final construction costs were approximately $140 million. 

Below are a few photos that I took of its demolition and construction

This was a photo of demolition in July 2017 taken from Circular Quay near Wharf 4. At this stage, the entire building was draped in scaffolding.

January 2020 - Construction at street level

November 2020

Nearing completion in March 2021

Final Remarks

I have reached the end of this series showcasing the redevelopment of East Circular Quay. It has encompassed more four decades, focusing on various plans to redevelop the site, whether on one site or the entire precinct, the role of planning authorities, Local, State, and even the Federal Government, the public backlash over its redevelopment in the 1990s, and its construction and completion.

I will leave it up to you to decide whether the redevelopment of East Circular Quay has been positive or negative.

Some positives of redeveloping East Circular Quay include:

• Removal of the roadway
• More space for pedestrians
• Development of a retail and dining precinct
• Provision of entertainment space - Cinema Complex
• Development of a residential precinct in Central Sydney

Negatives include:

• Views of Sydney Opera House from Circular Quay are obscured
• High cost of apartments - Unaffordable to most Sydneysiders
• Views to the Royal Botanic Gardens are blocked - lost opportunity to open the views.
• Height, bulk and design of the buildings
• Disrespects the location - close to the Sydney Opera House

The end

Entries in this series

1. East Circular Quay Redevelopment (Series): The first apartment block proposal (1979)
2. East Circular Quay Redevelopment (Series): Opera Garden Centre Scheme (1984)
3. East Circular Quay Redevelopment (Series): Unilever House Hotel Conversion (1986)
4. East Circular Quay Redevelopment (Series): Opera Garden Centre Scheme Revisited (1986)
5. East Circular Quay Redevelopment (Series): Unilever House Hotel Conversion (1987)
6. East Circular Quay Redevelopment (Series): CML's 1990 Scheme
7. East Circular Quay Redevelopment (Series): CML's Bennelong Centre (1991)
8. East Circular Quay Redevelopment (Series): East Circular Quay Redevelopment (Series): The Revolving Office Tower Scheme (1991)
9. East Circular Quay Redevelopment (Series): East Circular Quay 'Ideas Quest' (1992)
10. East Circular Quay Redevelopment (Series): Mirvac Hotel Scheme - 61 Macquarie Street (1992)
11. East Circular Quay Redevelopment (Series): New Planning Guidelines unveiled (1993)
12. East Circular Quay Redevelopment (Series): The shift towards residential development (1993)
13. East Circular Quay Redevelopment (Series): Residential Scheme unveiled (1994)
14. East Circular Quay Redevelopment (Series): Construction commences (1995)
15. East Circular Quay Redevelopment (Series): Construction continues (1996)
16. East Circular Quay Redevelopment (Series): Unveiling "The Toaster" (1997)
17. East Circular Quay Redevelopment (Series): The protests (1997)
18. East Circular Quay Redevelopment (Series): Redevelopment Visions (1997)
19. East Circular Quay Redevelopment (Series): NSW Government Response (1997)
20. East Circular Quay Redevelopment (Series): Completion of Bennelong Apartments (1998)
21. East Circular Quay Redevelopment (Series): Jorn Utzon's perspective (1998)
22. East Circular Quay Redevelopment (Series): The protests continue (1998) 
23. East Circular Quay Redevelopment (Series): Completion (1999)