Property Advert of the Week: Parkes Ideal Homes, Carlingford Village (1968)

In 1968, Parkes Ideal Homes sold homes that could be built on your own block of land for $7390. According to the RBA Inflation Calculator, this is equivalent to spending at least $115 100 to build your own home. 

Their display village comprised 23 homes located at Dryden Avenue, Carlingford.

Source: Parkes Ideal Homes. 1969. "expo 69" (Advertisement). The Daily Mirror, November 22: 52. 

VISIONS OF SYDNEY: Sydney Cove Redevelopment Scheme (1963)

Source: Anonymous. 1963. "A look into the future".  The Sydney Morning Herald, June 17: 15.

Over the years, I have come across a few clippings relating to proposals to redevelop the blocks adjacent to Circular Quay Railway Station.

In 1963, the Sydney Cove Area Development Committee unveiled a proposal to redevelop the blocks immediately to the South of Circular Quay Railway Station. This included the construction of skyscrapers around the height of the AMP Building in the blocks adjacent to Circular Quay Railway Station, i.e., north of Bridge Street. Customs House would have been preserved as part of any redevelopment of the area. 

The model was displayed for two weeks in the vestibule at the Sydney Town Hall.

Sourced From: Anonymous. 1963. "A look into the future".  The Sydney Morning Herald, June 17: 15.

Property Advert of the Week: Bennelong Apartments (1999)

The residents of Bennelong Apartments have not had the best week, following news that the State Government is easing restrictions and regulations on hosting events on the Sydney Opera House forecourt.

Below is a 1999 newspaper advertisement promoting apartments for sale in the building itself.

Source: Colliers Jardine & Jones Lang LaSalle. 1999. "Bennelong Apartments" (Advertisement). The Sydney Morning Herald, November 27: 31A (Domain Liftout).

VISIONS OF SYDNEY: Bondi of the future exhibition - revisited (1968)

Sourced from: Grace Bros Bondi Junction. 1968. "See Bondi of the future" (Advertisement). The Wentworth Courier, November 13: 19.

Back in 2014, I posted an entry which would appear under Never Built Sydney, focusing on a 1968 Exhibition at Grace Bros, Bondi Junction, involving University of New South Wales Architecture students displaying their visions for Bondi in the year 2000.

I have posted this entry under Visions of Sydney as it aligns with "never builts" or future visions for redevelopment of suburbs that never proceeded or were early or alternate schemes or in this instance, university students predicting how Bondi may look over thirty years into the future.

Below is a newspaper advertisement from Grace Bros showing one of the proposed schemes. It is the same featured from the article I posted back in 2014, but with Ben Buckler in the foreground. Its familiar midrise unit blocks would not have survived. It would have been completely rebuilt from scratch, incorporating a mixture of residential and tourist development. Having a hotel located there would have utilised not just the views of the beach, but also those of the ocean. If the idea had evolved into a real proposal and then been built, it would likely have been amongst Sydney's most famous hotels, simply for its headland location.

Source: Grace Bros Bondi Junction. 1968. "See Bondi of the future" (Advertisement). The Wentworth Courier, November 13: 19.

And there is one feature from The Wentworth Courier (20 November 1968) that either shows another scheme or could be part of the initial scheme. I think the featured model could be one of how Campbell Parade may have been envisioned as looking in the year 2000.If so, much taller, larger buildings were predicted line the strip than in 2000 and 2026, six decades later. 

Source. Anonymous. 1968. Untitled. The Wentworth Courier, November 20: 4. 

Related Entry

NEVER BUILT SYDNEY: Bondi of the Future Exhibition (1968)

Property Advert of the Week: Hobartville Estate, Hobartville (1971)

Below is a 1971 newspaper advertisement promoting homesites at Hobartville, near Richmond. homesites were on offer for from $4300, which is equivalent to one spending around $51 150 today (RBA Inflation Calculator).

 

Source: Proud Projects Pty. Ltd. 1971. "Sewered Land" (Advertisement). The Sun, September 17: 69. 

VISIONS OF SYDNEY: Parramatta Road Light Rail as envisioned in 2002

Below is a 2002 newspaper article from The Daily Telegraph reporting on a proposal to build a light rail line along Parramatta Road. Twenty-five years later, it is still being explored as an option to revitalise the road corridor, which has struggled to attract business and development. 

The aim was to build the line to take advantage of the construction of the M4 East Expressway (which eventually became WestConnex), which would have removed cars from Parramatta Road.

It didn't mention of any specific stretch of road but forewarned that branch lines could have been included to connect with railway stations on the Inner West line.

Work on the expressway was estimated to have commenced in 2005, but the road itself (WestConnex) did not open until 2019. The M4 East was built as part of the broader project, which also included the construction of the M8 motorway to connect the M4 and the M5. Construction had commenced in 2015, meaning it took an extra decade for it to become a reality. 

Source: Skelsey, M. 2002. "Light is right for clogged Parramatta Rd". The Daily Telegraph, October 30: 6. 

Momentum for light rail has gained traction in recent times. Inner West mayors have expressed their support for a Light Rail Line, and that could lead to the construction of 50,000 homes along the road. Click here to read a 2025 article from The Daily Telegraph (Subscription Required).