Property Advert of the Week: Hallmark Estates, Leumeah (1960)

Below is a 1960 newspaper advertisement for Hallmark Estates at Leumeah. Blocks of land were available for £600 ($1200), which is equivalent to just $13 000 in today's money (RBA Inflation Calculator). There was a home display village on-site as well, centred on Homann Avenue.

 

Source: Stewardson, Stubbs & Collett Pty. Ltd. 1960. "Hallmark Estates Leumeah" (Advertisement). The Daily Telegraph, August 6: 53. 

VISIONS OF SYDNEY: Woolwich Redevelopment Scheme (1960)

An artists impression of the redevelopment scheme. Full citation below.

Full citation below

Recently, I came across a 1960 newspaper clipping in The Daily Telegraph that mentioned plans to redevelop the Woolwich Dock, owned by Mort's Dock and Engineering Co. Ltd.

The redevelopment proposal was conceived in response to the company's liquidation, and the redevelopment of the site would enable creditors to recoup their losses.

It was envisaged that 2000 apartments would be built to house 5000 people. Around twenty high-rise towers would have been built under the scheme to accommodate the apartments.

In 1963, the Army purchased the site and occupied it until 1997. It was used for repairs and maintenance. In the late 1990s, plans were proposed to redevelop the site into housing.

Source: Anonymous. 1960. "Woolwich Development Scheme". The Daily Telegraph, August 26: 5.

Locals objected to any development and advocated for the land to be handed over for public use. In 2001, the Harbour Trust assumed control of the site and enabled public access. The privately owned Woolwich Dock continues to provide repair and maintenance services to boat owners.

The site as it looks today, with the St Leonards skyline rising in the background. Photo taken by the Author (2025).

1960: State Government "Declares" 5 Historic Homes

Source: Anon. 1960. "These historic homes will be preserved". The Daily Telegraph, August 5: 12. 

In 1960, the NSW Government declared five colonial homes as "places of historic interest". This would ensure that the buildings would be preserved and would be a forerunner to their eventual inclusion on the NSW State Heritage Register

 

Source: Anon. 1960. "Govt. "Declares" 5 Historic Homes". The Daily Telegraph, August 4: 7. 

Inclusion on the NSW State Heritage Register

The Heritage Act, 1977 (NSW) led to the creation of the NSW State Heritage Register, which oversees the protection of items identified as historically, culturally or architecturally significant. To obtain a state-level heritage listing, it would need to be heritage-listed at a local (i.e., council) level before moving to regional listing. If listed at the regional level, it may be considered for heritage listing at the state level.

The five buildings listed in 1960 were added to the State Heritage Register in 1999.

Remember This? Sydney Street-Eaters City (1960)

The Sunday Mirror published a two-page feature and photospread in 1960 focusing on the lunch hour in central Sydney, which in its view was between noon and 1 pm.

A reporter (name unknown) spent the week observing the habits of city workers during the daily lunch hour. They try to claim that Sydneysiders ate on the pavements more than anywhere else in the world, even though al-fresco dining was yet to appear on the scene in Sydney. 

It even went down as far as what people preferred to eat and the task of finding something suitable for lunch.

 

Source: Anon. 1960. "Sydney Street-Eaters City". The Sunday Mirror,  April 24: 18 & 31.

Property Advert of the Week: Wimpey Homes (1960)

Property Advert of the Week is back for 2023. This advertisement was published by Wimpey Homes in 1960 to promote a new residential estate that they were building at East Ryde (located to the north of The Field of Mars Cemetery). Based on the information provided, the display home was located at 28 Cilento Close and has since been demolished.

 

Source: George Wimpey & Co. Ltd. 1960. "Wimpey Homes" (Advertisement). The Daily Mirror, September 30: 30. 

1960: An even earlier proposal for Transport Oriented Development at North Sydney

In 2016, I published an entry on an early scheme for Transport Oriented Development at North Sydney dated 1968. 

Recently, I came across an even earlier proposal dating from 1960. The key differences between this and the 1968 scheme is:

• The Hotel was planned to be a hostel.
• The office building (13 Blue Street) was originally planned as a 22 storey apartment tower.
• The 9 storey office building (Zurich Building) appears to be longer.

Anticipated completion was 1962.

Source: Anon. 1960. "The Changing Face of North Sydney". The Sydney Morning Herald, September 20: 37.

Related Posting

1968: Early proposal for Transport Oriented Development at North Sydney

Property Advert of the Week: Gavin & Shallala (1960)

Below is a newspaper advertisement from Gavin & Shallala dating from 1960.

Source: Gavan & Shallala Pty. Ltd. 1960. "Luxury Full Size Family Home" (Advertisement). The Daily Mirror, June 3: 32.

NEVER BUILT SYDNEY: Imperial Arcade Tower (1960)

Source: Anon. 1960. "360-Feet High Building Plan". The Sydney Morning Herald, April 17: 5.

I recently located an artist's impression for a 36 level office tower that was to be built as part of a redevelopment of the Imperial Arcade (1891) in Pitt Street.

While the site was redeveloped to house a shopping complex of four levels with office space above, the office component was scaled back.

The Imperial Arcade was demolished in 2009 when Westfield merged and redeveloped its CBD shopping centres - Centrepoint, Imperial Arcade and Skygarden into Westfield Sydney.

Property Advert of the Week: Macquarie Fields "Garden" estate (1960)

For 3370 pounds ($6740) in 1960, you could have your own home and block of land at Macquarie Fields.

Source: A.T.A Homes Pty. Ltd. 1960 "Macquarie Fields" (Advertisement). The Daily Mirror, September 30: 41.


According to the RBA Inflation Calculator, this was the equivalent of $109 000 today.

Property Advert of the Week: Castle Homes (1960)

This week, I share with you a 1960 advertisement from Castle Homes.

 

Source: Castle Homes Pty. Ltd.  1960. Untitled (Advertisement). The Daily Mirror, September 30: 33.