1981: Opening of Herald Square, Circular Quay

In 1981, as part of the 150th Anniversary of the founding of The Sydney Morning Herald (originally known as The Sydney Herald ), the publishers of the newspaper (John Fairfax & Sons Limited) gifted the city with a new public square in Alfred Street between George Street and Alfred Street.

Source: Glascott, J. 1981. "Five pools in a fountain ... and all yours". The Sydney Morning Herald, April 17: 3.

On April 16 1981, the square was officially opened by Lord Mayor Doug Sutherland.

The Tank Stream Fountain is the focal point of the square. It was designed by sculptor Stephen Walker and was inspired by the Tank Stream, which once ran through central Sydney but is now a stormwater pipe.

Below are a few photos of the square I took in 2025. 

Property Advert of the Week: The Savoy, Sydney CBD (1981)

Below is a 1981 newspaper advertisement for "The Savoy" apartment tower at the corner of King and Kent Street in central Sydney. It was among a number of apartment towers built in central Sydney during the 1980s

One-bedroom apartments were on offer from $126 000 which is equivalent to spending $606 000 today (RBA Inflation Calculator) 

 

Source: City Living. 1981. "The Savoy" (Advertisement). The Sydney Morning Herald, August 1: 13.

1964: The Lakes (Eastlakes) Shopping Centre opening feature

From Source: Anonymous. 1964. "Modern shop centre on racetrack site". The Daily Telegraph, November 9: 21. 

In 1964, The Lakes Shopping Centre (later renamed Eastlakes Shopping Centre) opened to serve the new estate being built on the former Rosebery Racecourse and surrounding suburbs. The centre traded in its original form until July 2025, when it was demolished as part of a redevelopment that will see a new shopping centre built along with apartments above the complex. The new centre will have 80 retailers (double the number of the original centre). Its redevelopment reflects a broader trend in which older shopping centres are being demolished and rebuilt with residential buildings above, as seen at Top Ryde City and Rockdale Plaza, turning shopping centres into communities in their own right. 

But in the 1960s, it was regarded as one of the larger shopping centres in Sydney with 42 shops and parking for around 500 cars, anchored by Woolworths and Flemings. The centre was opened on November 12, 1964, and traded in its original form until July 2025. 

Below is a feature from The Daily Telegraph, published on November 9 1964, to mark its opening.

Source: Anonymous. 1964. "Modern shop centre on racetrack site". The Daily Telegraph, November 9: 21. 

The Sydney Morning Herald published its own preview feature on November 10, 1964.

Source: Anonymous. 1964. "Finishing Touches At Rosebery". The Sydney Morning Herald, November 10: 23.

Property Advert of the week: Eastlakes Home Unit Village (1964)

Below is a 1964 newspaper advertisement from Parkes Developments promoting the sale of units at Eastlakes. Parkes Developments oversaw the development of homes at Eastlakes, which was built on the former Rosebery Racecourse. 

Apartment prices for two-bedroom apartments began at £4950 ($9900), which is equivalent to approximately $170 000 today, according to the RBA Inflation Calculator. 

Source: Parkes Developments. 1964. "A 1970 home unit now! Why wait?" The Sydney Morning Herald, November 10: 23. 

1991: Woolloomooloo Finger Wharf Fires

Source: de Vine, B. 1991. "Fire licks Finger Wharf". The Daily Telegraph Mirror, August 28: 1 & 2. 

In 1991, Woolloomooloo's Finger Wharf was a derelict building. In the 1970s and 1980s, its future had been debated by historians, developers, the State Government and Sydneysiders. It wasn't just whether or not the structure should be preserved for future generations, but also its use.

During the late 1980s, proposals involved converting the wharf into a mixed-use complex comprising a mixture of apartments, hotel rooms, retail and office space. However, in 1989, the NSW Government, led by Nick Greiner, made the decision to demolish the Finger Wharf to open up the space for the alongside increasing maintenance costs.

As part of efforts to prevent demolition, building unions imposed a green ban on the building and in January 1991, those who wanted the building preserved created a picket line to prevent demolition workers from accessing the site.

From Source: de Vine, B. 1991. "Fire licks Finger Wharf". The Daily Telegraph Mirror, August 28: 1 & 2. 

In 1991, the Finger Wharf was subject to three fires. One of the most notable was on August 28 1991. The quick response by firefighters, particularly the fire boat Shirley Smith, saved the wharf from being destroyed. Had fire crews arrived as little as five minutes later, the fire would have been out of control.

Source: Macey, R. 1991. "Wharf fire leaves burning questions". The Sydney Morning Herald, August 29: 2.

It was believed the fire originated in a liftwell at the number eight dock. 

The other fires occurred in April and October of that same year. Firefighters who fought the third fire on October 9, 1991, reported that the building was again minutes away from becoming totally engulfed. An arsonist is believed to have started that fire. 

 

Source: Kennedy, L. 1991. "Arsonists hit Finger Wharf for third time". The Daily Telegraph Mirror, October 10: 18.

The following year (1992), the future of the wharf would be sealed. It would not be demolished, with tenders invited to propose schemes for the redevelopment of the wharf. This would lead to the eventual redevelopment and restoration of the wharf with apartments, a hotel and a dining precinct, completed in 1999. 

    

Property Advert of the Week: Narellan House & Land Packages (1993)

Below is a 1993 newspaper advertisement by Pioneer Homes to promote House and Land Packages at Narellan starting from $115 000. 

 

Source: Pioneer Homes. 1993. "Narellan House & Land Packages" (Advertisement). The Daily Telegraph Mirror, May 1: 53.

2002: Removal & Relocation of Sydney Tower's Olympic Sculptures

From Source: Morris, S. 2002. "Olympians come down to earth". The Daily Telegraph, March 18: 11.

As part of the Sydney Olympic Games in 2000, AMP, an official sponsor decided to place three sculptures atop Sydney Tower to mark the event. They were installed on July 26 1998 alongside a digital countdown clock which counted down the days to the Opening Ceremony.

Source: Anon. 1998. "Games art reaches new heights". The Daily Telegraph, July 27:9.

They comprised a sprinter, a female gymnast and a wheelchair basketballer.

On March 17 2002, the sculptures were carefully dismantled by an Erickson Air-Crane nicknamed "Elvis", which was primarily used to fight bushfires during the Summer months. 

Source: Morris, S. 2002. "Olympians come down to earth". The Daily Telegraph, March 18: 11.

Once the pieces were dismantled from the tower, they were then transported to The Domain for further dismantling.

From Source: Morris, S. 2002. "Olympians come down to earth". The Daily Telegraph, March 18: 11.

The sprinter was relocated to Sydney Olympic Park and, in 2019, was placed on the M4 Motorway near the Sydney Olympic Park exit at Homebush Bay Drive. Click here to read more about its current home. The female gymnast and wheelchair basketballer were then moved to the Australian Institute of Sport, where they remain to this day. 

 

Property Advert of the Week: Gavan & Shallala Revesby House and Land Packages Ad (1969)

Below is a 1969 newspaper advertisement from Gavan and Shallala promoting house and land packages at Revesby. Based on the map, the estate featured was in Beaconsfield Street and Wall Avenue. As for the house (illustration) featured in the advertisement, it is located at 133 Beaconsfield Street. 

Source. Gavan & Shallala. 1969. "Completed homes with land for sale low deposit" (Advertisement). The Daily Telegraph, December 13: 27. 

1987: Launch of Sydney's Monorail Train

The Sydney Monorail ran between 1988 and 2013. In 1987, a year before its opening, the first monorail train, which ran on a 3.6-kilometre loop, was unveiled to the world at the Transpublic 87 Exhibition in Geneva. 

While the Monorail was causing controversy in Sydney, it was receiving praise for its innovation at an international level. Transpublic 87 Managing Director Rodolphe Huser praised it and hoped that other cities would follow Sydney's lead in adopting the monorail. 

Source: Anon. 1987. "Monorail steals limelight at show". The Daily Telegraph, April 28: 4. 

Property Advert of the Week: Landcom Estates (1986)

Below is a 1986 newspaper advertisement from Landcom, which contained a list of suburbs where homesites were on offer across Sydney, Newcastle, Illawarra (lumped in with Southern Sydney under "Southern Estates"), Central Coast and Hunter regions. 

Source: Landcom. 1986. "A complete guide to Landcom Estates" (Advertisement). The Daily Telegraph, April 12: 41. 

Sydney 2000 Olympics: Closing Ceremony (October 1, 2000)

This is our concluding entry in our series looking back at the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games. We have looked at in this series:

• The bidding process
• Torch Relay
• Opening Ceremony
• Newspaper Front Pages

Today, the focus is on the Closing Ceremony, which was held on October 1, 2000.

Overview of the Closing Ceremony

The Closing Ceremony comprised the following:

• Formalities - 
• Christine Anu performed My Island Home
• Flags were carried into the stadium, carried by one athlete representing the nation. Ian Thorpe carried the flag for Australia. 
• Entrance of the athletes. 
• National anthems of Greece and Australia
• Closing addresses
• Introducing Athens as the host city of the 2004 Olympic Games and the return of the games to its historic home (Greece). It was themed as Welcome Home
• Lowering of the Olympic Flag
• Extinguishing the Olympic Flame - Nikki Webster performed We'll be One before the flame was "captured" by an F-111 Jet from the Royal Australian Air Force

• Let's Party - Australian Rock Songs was performed involving the following artists
• Vanessa Amorosi
• John Paul Young
• Phil & Tommy Emmanuel
• INXS (featuring Jon Stevens)
• Jimmy Barnes
• Midnight Oil
• Yothu Yindi
• Kylie Minogue - She was the adult version of the "hero girl" from the Opening Ceremony, which featured Nikki Webster. She was brought into the stadium on a giant thong, accompanied by surf lifesavers 
• Parade of Icons - They were presented as floats showcasing Australian cultural icons, including:
• Greg Norman
• Bananas in Pyjamas
• Elle Macpherson 
• Paul Hogan as Crocodile Dundee
• Drag Queens and the bus from The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert 
• Bye from Oz, see ya in Athens (Final segment from Stadium Australia)
• The cast, led by Men at Work, performed "Down Under."
• Slim Dusty performed an acoustic version of Waltzing Matilda to close off the ceremony at the stadium

Below are scans from a liftout that appeared in The Daily Telegraph (October 2, 2000) with photographs from the Closing Ceremony

Closing Night Harbour Spectacular 

At the end of the Closing Ceremony at the Stadium, one of the largest firework shows held at that time to date globally commenced at Sydney Olympic Park before following its way downstream along the Parramatta River. The F-111 jet that "extinguished" the Olympic Flame returns to "dump" the flame on the Sydney Harbour Bridge to ignite the 25-minute show. Five Pyrotechnics companies under the direction of Foti International were involved in the production. At the end of the show, the lit Olympic Rings were switched off.

It was a truly Sydney way to finish off the Closing Ceremony and the 2000 Olympic Games.

"The best Olympic Games ever"

International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Juan Antonio Samaranch declared that the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games were "the best Olympic Games ever" given the success of the Olympic Games but also the organisation and management. This followed past convention where the remark "best games ever" would be delivered by the IOC President (except for Atlanta in 1996, where "Well done Atlanta" was given to avoid scrutiny over the delivery of those Olympics), but for Samaranch, he felt that Sydney exceeded what even excellent host cities had done in past years.

Future entries on Sydney 2000?

Given the amount of material, there is scope to post more entries on the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games. While preparing these entries, ideas for future entries began to emerge, such as focusing on a specific venue, event, newspaper features, advertisements, commentary, and so on. It can encompass the Olympic Bid or preparations in the lead up to 2000. There may be additional series or individual entries that encompass this topic. 

Entries in this series

Sydney 2000 Olympic Games: Sydney wins the Games (1993)

Sydney 2000 Olympic Games: The Torch Relay

Sydney 2000 Olympic Games: Opening Ceremony (September 15, 2000)

Sydney 2000 Olympic Games: Newspaper Front Pages (2000)

  

Property Advert of the Week: The Classics by AVJennings Homes (1983)

Below is a 1983 newspaper advertisement by AVJennings Homes to promote the five model homes that comprised of the "AVJennings Classics 84 Range". 

Source: AVJennings Homes. 1983. "The Classics by AVJennings Homes" (Advertisement). The Sydney Morning Herald, August 27: 17. 

Sydney 2000 Olympic Games: Newspaper Front Pages (2000)

In this series looking back at the Sydney Olympic Games in 2000, we have so far examined how Sydney won the Olympic Games, the Torch Relay, and last week's Opening Ceremony.

This week, I will share some newspaper front pages that captured some of the highlights of the Olympic Games, focusing on the successes of the Australian team.

September 17 2000

An early edition of The Sunday Telegraph (printed the evening before) featured Michelle Jones becoming Australia's first medallist at the 2000 Olympic Games, winning a silver medal in the women's triathlon.

The Sun Herald, in its morning edition, captures the victorious Men's Freestyle 4 x 100 metre relay team (Swimming) that defeated the United States the night before in a world record time. 

The afternoon edition had a victorious Ian Thorpe on the front cover after he won the 400 metres Freestyle (Swimming) the previous evening as well. 

September 19 2000

On September 18, Ian Thorpe was defeated by 0.48 seconds in the 200 metres Freestyle (Swimming) by Pieter van den Hoogenband (Netherlands). The winning time was 1 minute,45.35 seconds. The Australian captured the moment of defeat for Thorpe on its front page. 

The Sydney Morning Herald captured van den Hoogenband's leap into the air as he claimed victory. 

September 20 2000

September 19 saw Australia have one of its greatest days in Olympic History - three gold medals:

1. Three-Day Eventing Team (Equestrian)
2. Susie O'Neill in the 200 metres Freestyle (Swimming)
3. Men's 4 x 200 metre Freestyle Relay (Swimming)

September 21 2000

Susie O'Neill may have won silver in her pet event (200 metres Butterfly - Swimming), but her 200 metre Freestyle Gold Medal (Swimming) proved to be the catalyst for her to retire from professional swimming.

September 24 2000

On September 23, Grant Hackett claimed Gold in the Men's 1500 metre Freestyle (Swimming), defeating two-time Gold medallist Keiren Perkins. Perkins, who won the event in 1992 and 1996, claimed Silver despite qualifying fastest.   

September 26 2000
The previous evening, Cathy Freeman won Gold in the Women's 400 metres (Athletics).

September 28 2000

Jane Saville in the Women's 20km Walk (Athletics) is disqualified metres from entering Stadium Australia. TV replays show that the viewers found out around one to two seconds before she actually did. The image is captured straight off the TV feed via Channel Seven.  

On September 27, 2000, Lauren Burns won Australia's first gold medal in Taekwondo in the Women's under 49 kg class. The Australian had a page one feature, but a drugs scandal involving athletes and officials dominated much of the page. A record 18 Athletes and two coaches had been sent home after positive drug tests. It also dominated the front page of The Sydney Morning Herald in its morning (Metropolitan) edition. 

September 29 2000

Jane Saville's disqualification in the Women's 20km Walk (Athletics) the previous day is captured in four frames on Page 1 of The Australian, along with her in tears.

The evening edition of The Daily Telegraph captured the disappointment of the Australian Women's 4 x 100 metre relay team (Athletics) after they were disqualified after dropping a baton. 

Next week, I will conclude the series by examining the Closing Ceremony. 

Entries in this series

Sydney 2000 Olympic Games: Sydney wins the Games (1993)

Sydney 2000 Olympic Games: The Torch Relay

Sydney 2000 Olympic Games: Opening Ceremony (September 15, 2000)

             

Property Advert of the Week: Colmore Homes (1969)

Below is a 1969 newspaper advertisement for Colmore Homes promoting house and land packages at Moorebank for a deposit of $895. The Exhibition Village was located on Renton Ave. 

  

Source: Colmore Holdings Pty. Ltd. 1969. "New Exhibition Village" (Advertisement). The Daily Mirror, February 7: 48. 

Sydney 2000 Olympic Games: Opening Ceremony (September 15, 2000)

Sourced from The Sun Herald (September 17, 2000)

Today (September 15) is exactly 25 years to the day since the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games commenced. On the evening of September 15, 2000, the Opening Ceremony was held at Stadium Australia (now ACCOR Stadium) before a crowd of 110,000 people. 

The ceremony began at 7 pm when a solo horseman rode into the stadium, cracked his whip and was joined by 120 other riders carrying Australian Flags to represent horse riders within Australian culture - Light Horse Brigade, Melbourne Cup or simply out on the land to a musical number from The Man From Snowy River.

This was followed by the welcoming of the official party, including IOC President Juan Antonio Samaranch and Governor General Sir William Deane, and the national anthem performed by Julie Anthony and Human Nature. 

Those present and TV viewers around the world were treated to a presentation of Australian Geography, History and Culture with the following segments:

• Deep Sea Dreaming (Aboriginal Dreamtime)
• Awakening (Indigenous Australians)
• Fire
• Nature
• Tin Symphony (Colonial Australia)
• Arrivals (Immigration)
• Eternity (Australian Workers)

Sourced from The Daily Telegraph (September 16, 2000)

Just prior to the parade of Athletes, the Millennium Marching Band also presented a segment. 

This was followed by the Athletes Parade. Australia, as the host nation, was the last nation to enter and was given a massive welcome with Andrew Gaze (Basketballer) carrying the flag.  

Sourced from The Sun Herald (September 17, 2000)

Once the Athletes Parade concluded, there were the formalities in this order:

• John Farnham and Olivia Newton-John performed Dare to Dream
• Address by SOCOG President - Michael Knight
• Address by IOC President - Juan Antonio Samaranch
• Olympics declared officially open by Governor General Sir William Deane (First non-royal to open a Summer Olympic Games in a Commonwealth nation)
• Vanessa Amorosi performed Heroes live forever - a massive white flag projected images as it passed over the audience in the southern grandstand, and then covered the entire field.
• Raising of the Olympic Flag
• Taking of the Olympic Oath by athletes and officials
• Lighting of the Cauldron
• The final runners were Betty Cuthbert (aided by Raylene Boyle in her wheelchair), Dawn Fraser, Shirley Strickland de la Hunty, Shane Gould and Debbie Flintoff King. They were selected as a tribute to 100 years of women's participation in the Olympic Games
• Cathy Freeman was bestowed with lighting the cauldron. The cauldron was placed in a pool of water. Freeman lit the cauldron from the middle of the pool and rose around her. It would ascend up a waterfall in the northern stand and would rest on a silver pedestal above the stadium 
• Fireworks Finale

Sourced from The Sun Herald (September 17, 2000)

Below are newspaper front pages from the Opening Ceremony.

 

Our Series continues next week.

Entries in this series

Sydney 2000 Olympic Games: Sydney wins the Games (1993)

Sydney 2000 Olympic Games: The Torch Relay