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.