VISIONS OF SYDNEY: Otis Personal Rapid Transport System for Central Sydney (1974)

Did you know that in the 1970s, the Otis Elevator Company proposed a personal rapid transport system to transport people in central Sydney?

Below is a newspaper feature from The Sydney Morning Herald in 1974. 

Along the four-mile proposed route (Approximately 6.5 kilometres) from the Sydney Opera House to Central Station, vehicles seating up to 24 people would operate either at ground level or on elevated rails. This was seen as a solution to traffic congestion and air pollution in central Sydney. It was even suggested that it could be used to serve the Northern Beaches, which at the time (and still is) not served by heavy rail. 

Source: Anon. 1974. "Air cushion travel proposed". The Sydney Morning Herald, January 30: 3. 

Property Advert of the Week: Ingleburn Town Estate (1974)

Below is a 1974 newspaper advertisement promoting a land release in Ingleburn located to the east of the town centre. Blocks were on sale from $10 750, equivalent to approximately $104 500 today (RBA Inflation Calculator)

 

Source: Bill Hall Real Estate. 1974. "Beat This: Ingleburn Town Centre" (Advertisment). The Daily Telegraph, June 29: 41.

1974: End of the Lugarno Ferry

The opening of the Alfords Point Bridge in 1973 resulted in the end of the Lugarno Ferry. The Lugarno Ferry was a punt service carrying vehicles and people across the Georges River between Lugarno and Illawong. 

In March 1974, it was announced by the Main Roads Department that the ferry service would conclude on June 30 1974. It was not received well in Illawong, with some residents indicating that they would be forced to move homes.

Source: Anon. 1974. "Lugarno heartbreak: families to quit homes". The St George and Sutherland Shire Leader, April 3: 1. 

Sutherland Council backed the proposal given that daily patronage was averaging 540 vehicles, down from 1720 prior to closure. 

Source: Anon. 1974. "Bridge displaces ferry at Lugarno". The St George and Sutherland Shire Leader, April 3: 15. 

 

Source: Anon. 1974. "Ferry's six-month reprieve". The St George and Sutherland Leader, June 5:3. 

In June, it was announced that the ferry would close on December 12 1974. However, a reduced service would operate for the final five months of its operation.

While residents on both sides of the river were happy that the service would continue to operate in the short term, concerns were raised that youths and the elderly would be disadvantaged as they did not have cars and were dependent on the ferry to cross the river. 

 

Source: Anon. 1974. "Ferry to stay". The St George and Sutherland Shire Leader, June 12: 5.

Residents had petitioned Hurstville and Sutherland Council to maintain the service. While Hurstville Council backed the residents, Sutherland Council believed that the service was "no longer needed". The costs of operating the ferry had become financially unviable in its final years of operation, even though the service did not provide a toll

 

Source: Anon. 1974. "Champagne as ferry ends run". The Sydney Morning Herald, December 4: 9.

Source: Anon. 1974. "Lugarno Ferry R.I.P". The St George and Sutherland Shire Leader, December 18: 3. 

December 12 1974, saw the ferry undertake its final run after 131 years of operation. There was a ceremony to mark its closure involving representatives of Sutherland and Hurstville Councils along with the Department of Main Roads. The ferry was relocated to Berowra.

Related Entries

MILESTONE: Alfords Point Bridge turns 50 (1973) - Opening

MILESTONE: Alfords Point Bridge turns 50 (1973) - Proposals and construction

SYDNEY DEPARTMENT STORES: Demise of the Hordern Tree (1974)

Last week, I shared an entry on the end of Anthony Horderns focusing on the takeover of the company by Waltons in 1970. This week, I will focus on the demise of The Hordern Tree at Razorback Ridge near Camden.

Anthony Hordern's motto was "While I live I'll grow" and this was symbolised by a budding tree on the crest of their coat of arms. An oak tree at Razorback Ridge near Camden bore a striking resemblence to the tree and Anthony Hordern arranged with landowners in the 1920's to have the company motto plced at that location.

The 1960's was not kind to the Anthony Hordern's. It lost trade as rival department stores opened suburban stores along with the rise of shopping centres reducing the need for shoppers to trek to central Sydney to do their shopping.

In 1967, tree vandals tried to posion the tree but it was unsuccessful.

 

Source: Anon. 1974. "The tree vandals tried to kill". The Sun, May 10:31. 

However, the "Sygna" storm of 1974 would finally claim the tree when it split in two. This came months after Horderns Mid City store was closed by its owner - Waltons (Click here to read more about their takeover from 1970) the previous year. It is believed that the demise of the tree was linked to the end of the Anthony Hordern's Department Store chain. 

Source: Anon. 1974. "'While I live I'll grow' - no more". The Sydney Morning Herald, May 28: 2. 

1974: TAA build another new terminal at Sydney Airport

Last week, I published an entry on the opening of the Trans Australia Airlines (TAA) Terminal at Sydney Airport in 1962.

In the years following the opening of the terminal, growth in jet travel exploded along with the introduction of new innovations in airport design and travel meant that TAA needed to build a new terminal to cater for passenger growth and provide modern facilities for passengers.

In December 1974, TAA opened a new terminal to the north of its 1962 Terminal Building curving around Shiers Avenue. It was three times bigger than the previous terminal building.

Facilities included:

• Five aerobridges - Passengers no longer had to worry about walking across the Tarmac to board their flight.
• Faster baggage collection and handling systems
• Escalators to departure lounges
• Electronic Information Boards
• Special Group Convention Lounge
• Shops (Newsagent and snack bar), Restaurant and Bar

The now former 1962 terminal building was handed over to East-West Airlines. 

Part of the terminal still remains as part of the Qantas (T3) Terminal, home to Gates 16 and 17 as this recent image from Google Maps shows.

 

COVID-19 Restrictions have meant that I cannot locate media coverage of the actual opening from the Microfiche reels, but I have included a newsreel (top of page) with this entry but also a newspaper advertisement that was promoting the new terminal from mid 1974. It is likely that a follow-up entry will occur at a future date.

Source: Trans Australia Airlines (TAA). 1974. "For business travellers - TAA flying ahead" (Advertisement). The Daily Telegraph, May 6: 19. 

1974: Ansett Terminal Upgrade Advertisement

I've decided to turn last weeks entry on Miranda Fair/Westfield Miranda into a series on Westfield as it motivated me to go a "little further" into the evolution of the shopping centre.

In the mid 1970's, Ansett Airlines undertook an upgrade of their terminal (now T2). In 1974, they published a two page spread in The Daily Telegraph to inform travelers of the construction. The scan below is from the edition published on September 2.

The upgrades made it possible for a person to be dropped off in the carpark and go to the gate without venturing outdoors through using a skybridge linked in the carpark. All gates would have aerobridges and facilities would use the latest technology.

1974: The end of the Manly Harbour Pool

Manly's famous Harbour Pool had served the people of Sydney well since 1931, but in May 1974 it fell victim to the 'Sygna' Storm.

The bathing closure was located to the west of Manly Wharf and its walkway allowed a person to walk directly from the wharf to Marineland (Oceanworld). It even had a popular diving board and floating platforms for swimmers.

On the Weekend of May 25 and 26 1974, the harbour pool was battered by strong swells as the 'Sygna' Storm pummelled the NSW coast. The swells had surged through the heads causing chaos in harbourside suburbs.

The damage occurred during the evening of May 25 when the worst of the storm unleashed its fury. It was not until daylight that the magnitude of the damage became apparent. Page 1 of The Manly Daily on May 28 1974, summarises the carnage.

Much of the walkway had completely collapsed into Manly Cove and had washed up onto the beach. Whatever was left had buckled. Within weeks, the remnants had been demolished. Page 16 from the same edition of the paper published the famous photo of the buckled remains of the walkway.

  

 A netted swimming enclosure replaced the harbour pool which remains to this day.

There have been calls to rebuild the harbour pool such as in 1984 but was deemed to be "cost prohibitive". However in 2012, a group lodged their case for the rebuilding of the harbour pool, but with an eco-friendly twist that preserved the aquatic environment yet encouraged tourism.

1974: The battle to save beachfront homes at Bilgola Beach

I was motivated to do this entry after what occurred back along the beachfront at Collaroy in June. Ten homes fronting the beach were threatened with collapse after heavy swells caused by an East Coast Low eroded the beachfront.

The East Coast Low of May 25-26 1974 (known as the Sygna Storm) is regarded as the most ferocious storm to ever strike Sydney.  The city was pounded by heavy rain, strong winds (up to165km/h) and record swells of nine metres along the city's coastline. the worst damage was reported on the city's beaches, which were heavily eroded. The following fortnight saw another two East Coast Lows hit the city, which only worsened erosion.

The worst hit area was at Bilgola Beach, where homes in June 1974 were threatened with collapse which was quite similar to what happened at Collaroy this year. Below is the front page of the  June 5, 1974, edition of The Manly Daily.

A seawall was built (presently under the dunes) to protect the homes. Fortunately, they were saved as this front page clipping from The Manly Daily of June 12, 1974, shows below.

 An almost intact pool fell into the sea, just like at Collaroy earlier this year.

It is inevitable that the homes on the beachfront will be threatened again in the future as natural processes reshape the beachfront and retreat inland. There is no date for when it will happen, but luckily locals have not had to deal with the threat of losing their beachfront homes since that storm.

  

Property Advert of the Week: President Towers, Brighton-Le-Sands (1974)

This week, we head to Brighton-Le-Sands when in 1974 apartments in the newly completed President Towers were available for sale. Four decades later, those views cannot be built out due to restrictions on building heights for developments along The Grand Parade by Rockdale Council.

Source: Lidan Realty Pty. Ltd. 1974. "President Towers" (Advertisement). The St George and Sutherland Shire Leader, April 2, 30.