Source: Skelsey, M. 1995. "Yesterday's darling". The Daily Telegraph Mirror, December 6: 11.
For over a decade, Darling Harbour has undergone a redevelopment phase. Precinct by Precinct, dating as far back as 1983, have been demolished and rebuilt.
Some precincts, such as Tumbalong Park, have had their own upgrades to reflect the changes occurring around them.
Renovations, redevelopments and construction can take their toll on any precinct, while the work has occurred. I have had to adjust to the fact that at present there is one precinct undergoing work on any visit. This may keep visitors away and lead to a downturn in business trade, but Darling Harbour has shown resilience. Many still trek there on a weekend.
In 2026, the focus is on the site of the former Harbourside Shopping Centre. It closed early in 2023 to make way for a new retail complex and, rising above it, a luxury apartment tower. It is due to be completed next year.
In 1995, The Daily Telegraph Mirror reported that Darling Harbour was undergoing a slump and the Harbourside Shopping Centre was struggling most.
It is not surprising that the centre had struggled throughout its first incarnation. Apart from the restaurants that lined the space facing the waterfront, the general retail space did not offer anything that could make it stand out. There were tacky souvenir stores selling overpriced items, some chain fashion stores, and even lolly shops selling overpriced lollies that could be found cheaper elsewhere.
Just before its closure in 2023, it even had a convenience store selling overpriced USA candies, drinks, and snacks.
Harbourside was also fortunate to be the only retail centre that could trade every night until late, and that was still not enough to pull them in.
The broader precinct at the time was also under scrutiny, though the IMAX theatre opened the following year. Cockle Bay Wharf on the opposite side of Cockle Bay was opened in 1998. Sega World opened in 1997, but closed in 2000, with the space remaining dormant until demolished in 2008 for the Darling Quarter complex.
At the time of the article (1995), Ron Finlay, who was a former member of the Darling Harbour Authority Board, felt that Darling Harbour needed to evolve to continue attracting visitors.
Fast forward three decades, and those redevelopment works, renovation and construction work. That represents evolution and fulfils Finlay's concerns.
There has been controversy, especially the demolition of the Sydney Entertainment Centre and the Sydney Exhibition and Convention Centre. Both were combined to form the International Convention Centre on the Exhibition and Convention Centre site.
The redevelopment of the Exhibition and Convention Centre Site was necessary because it had become a victim of its own success. Over the years, Sydney had gained a reputation globally for hosting exhibitions and conventions, and they were popular in themselves for hosting major events. The NSW Coalition Government (2011-2023) wanted to maintain the competitive edge and ensure that Sydney's Exhibition and Convention Centre could continue hosting major global events. Architecturally, they were fine examples of 1980s architecture in Sydney, but consider that in the 1980s, no one foresaw the success that they would experience.
Darling Square, which was built on the former Sydney Entertainment Centre site, has been a success, notably for its dining and public spaces, while also acting as a residential neighbourhood within central Sydney. It enabled Darling Harbour to become a place that could call home, and not merely be a place to just visit. Pre-development, it was seen that the area surrounding the Entertainment Centre was an underutilised area, except when concerts and events were on, and that mixed-use development (residential and commercial) and then mixed with dining, public spaces and even a public library could allow the area to have activity at all hours of the day. This was used to justify the redevelopment.
The redevelopment of the Harbourside Shopping Centre is part of the evolution. It was overdue for redevelopment at any scale. The restaurants lining the waterfront will return, and hopefully a retail offering that caters to locals and visitors. It will also need to cater for the office workers who will work above the complex and those who will reside in the apartment tower rising above it.
Its challenge, though, is how to stand out from other city retail complexes. Do extended trading hours provide that answer, as with the original centre? Should it be more neighbourhood based? Does focusing on dining (its strong point in the original centre) and specialising in it make it the focus? Do the tacky souvenir stores and fast food chains have their place or belong elsewhere?
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