Property Advert of the Week: 73 Milton Street, Ashfield (1970)

Our last Property Advert of the Week entry for 2025 sends us back to 1970, when apartments were on offer at 73 Milton Street, Ashfield, from $13 950, and the complex contained just nine units. 

 

Source: Rightway Real Estate. 1970. "Ashfield - 73 Milton Street" (Advertisement). The Sun, January 23: 60.

According to the RBA Inflation Calculator, this would equate to paying around $198 000 in today's money. The three-bedroom apartments, which started from $16,300, would be equivalent to spending around $231,000 today.

Property Advert of the Week returns on Saturday February 7.

1987: No New Years' Eve Fireworks

Source: Aubin, T. 1987. "Why the New Year won't begin with a bang". The Sydney Morning Herald, December 21: 1. 

In two weeks, I will do the annual lookback at how New Year's Eve in Sydney was marked 25 Years ago (New Year's Eve, 2000 is this year's focus), but let's look back at a year that there wasn't a fireworks spectacular on New Year's Eve.

That year was 1987.

But why?

The focus, according to the Festival of Sydney Organisers, was on 26 January 1988 - Australia's Bicentenary. This was confirmed on December 21, ten days before New Year's Eve. Stephen Hall (General Manager, Bicentennial Committee and Director of Special Bicentennial Events) told The Sydney Morning Herald (December 22, 1987) that the decision not to have a fireworks show was made the previous year

By then, it was too late for Harbour Cruise operators, city hotels and restaurants, some of whom expected a show and had advertised New Year's packages around it.

Was this the right decision?

No

New Year's Eve festivities in the 1980s were incorporated into the Sydney Festival and were regarded as the festival's launch. It lacks the scale of celebrations in recent years, but there was an expectation that a public event would be organised for Sydneysiders to welcome the new year. The first official New Year's Eve fireworks show on Sydney Harbour was held at midnight on New Year's Eve 1976 to welcome in 1977.

To use the Bicentennial celebrations on January 26 as an excuse was not justified. Any fireworks show was not going to overshadow what would happen just weeks later. The program on January 26 1988, was a day-long affair, with the fireworks spectacular just one of a number of major events on that program, which included the arrival of the First Fleet re-enactment ships and the Tall Ships parade. A fireworks show at midnight to welcome in 1988, would have been a good means to launch the Bicentennial Year in Sydney, even if it was only a scaled back version of what was planned for January 26.

Do we use New Year's Eve as an excuse not to have a fireworks show on Australia Day because both are just weeks apart - we don't. There is still a fireworks show for Sydneysiders on January 26. In recent years, it has shifted to Circular Quay just off the Sydney Opera House and is integrated with a concert on the Sydney Opera House forecourt and the Sydney Harbour Bridge is lit up. It is even relegated the Darling Harbour Fireworks Show, which has been the traditional Australia Day fireworks show for Sydneysiders, to the side

It also meant that Melbourne could claim bragging rights to the biggest New Year's Eve party in Australia that year as they organised a midnight fireworks show to launch the Bicentennial Year, which also coincided with celebrating the arrival of the Tall Ships at Port Melbourne. The event was televised on Channel Seven and Prime Minister Bob Hawke led the countdown to midnight

How did Sydneysiders welcome in 1988?

Extra public transport services were provided to give Sydneysiders a chance to travel to the city to welcome in the New Year. An estimated 150,000 people gathered at The Rocks, while 20,000 were reported to have gathered at Kings Cross. No fireworks meant it was quieter than past years according to The Rocks police. 

Below is a two page spread from The Daily Mirror (January 1, 1988)

Police ensured that they had a tough presence. Even before the sun set the first arrest had already been made.

Source: Brown, M. "Handcuffs at 7.15 started a quiet New Year's Eve". The Sydney Morning Herald, January 1: 2.

And believe it or not, organisers decided not to do one to welcome 1989. The reason given by the organisers of the Sydney Festival of fears of violence or "rowdy behaviour"

Another lost opportunity as well - It could have closed off the Bicentennial Year with a "bang".

New Years Eve 1989 marked the return of New Years Eve fireworks to Sydney with the main show (promoted as Skyshow) at a friendlier time of 9pm. This would encourage families to attend and to enable people to celebrate either at home or elsewhere at midnight.  

Entry of Interest

New Years Eve 25 Years Ago:1989

 

Property Advert of the Week: AVJennings Renaissance Collection (1996)

Below is a 1996 newspaper advertisement promoting the AVJennings Renaissance Collection, a set of model homes offered by AVJennings.

Source: AVJennings. 1996. "AVJennings Renaissance Collection" (Advertisement). The Daily Telegraph, December 28: 16. 

The homes could be inspected in Sydney, Wollongong, Central Coast and Hunter Valley. Within greater Sydney, they were located at Kellyville, Hoxton Park, Cecil Hills & Mt Annan. 

1989: Sydney Fish Markets Redevelopment

Source: Connolly, A. 1989. "It's swish fish". The Daily Mirror, November 24: 11.

Next month, the Sydney Fish Markets will move to a new purpose-built complex built right next to its current site on Bridge Road in Pyrmont. 

The new complex will replace the complex that has traded for 36 years. It opened on November 27 1989 and cost $27 million to build. 

In addition to new trading facilities for the markets and seafood retailers, there were food retailers, restaurants and a seafood school. You could learn how to cook seafood onsite with the establishment of a seafood school.

A boardwalk ran along the waterfront, and one could moor their boat in front of the building.

Prior to the opening, The Daily Mirror secured a preview of the redeveloped markets (see above).

They also published a special supplement on November 29 1989. 

Property Advert of the Week: Chipping Norton Land Sale (1982)

Below is a newspaper advertisement from 1982, promoting the sale of 17 homesites on Epsom Road at Chipping Norton. The blocks were on sale from $37, 950. This is equivalent to paying around $164,000 in today's money (RBA Inflation Calculator)

Source: Crighton Properties Pty. Pltd's. 1982. "Land Sale Chipping Norton" (Advertisement). The Daily Telegraph, September 17: 26. 

1992: Vacant Sydney CBD Office Space

Source: McDougall, B. 1992. "Rooms at the top". The Daily Telegraph Mirror, March 9: 10 & 11.

One of the biggest impacts of the 1990-1991 economic recession in Sydney was the increase in vacant space in city office buildings. 

In 1992, the recession had finished but was still making its presence felt. Unemployment in Australia would peak at 11.2 % of the labour force by the end of that year.

Also, building projects that were conceived during the boom years of the Australian economy during the 1980s were still under construction as developers hoped that strong economic times would continue and that businesses would lease space in office buildings in central Sydney and the suburbs. In early 1992, thre were 14 office buildings that were identified by The Daily Telegraph Mirror as under construction including Chifley Tower, Governor Phillip Tower and Governor Macquarie Tower. 

At the time, office vacancy rates in central Sydney ranged around 15%, but Chatswood was recording a vacancy rate of 30%. Around half a million square meters of office space was dormant.

There were some projects that did not go ahead e.g. 2 Park Street, Angel Place, Village Cinema Centre redevelopment. World Square was a major victim. A dispute between the developer, construction workers and unions saw the project grind to a halt in 1990 as it had raised concerns over the economic vialability of the project. Even in the early 1990s there was optimism that construction would recommence but built in stages over an extended period of time

Vacancy rates in central Sydney is currently at 13.7%, reflecting the reduced demand for office space associated with the appeal of work from home arrangements for workers which has seen a reduction in demand for office space. This is up from 5% in the period prior to COVID.