Sydney 2000 Olympic Games: Sydney wins the Games (1993)

 

Source: Brown, W. 1990. "Untitled" (Image). The Daily Mirror, September 19: 9. 

This year is a quarter of a century since Sydney hosted the Olympic Games of the 27th Olympiad. This week and in the month of September, I will post entries relating to the Olympic Games in 2000, which have been regarded as the "best Olympic Games ever".

In order to host the Olympic Games, cities have traditionally bid to host the Olympic Games. Sydney bid against Beijing, Manchester, Berlin and Istanbul. 

Sydney's Olympic Bid came from failures by Australia to secure the 1992 Olympic Games for Brisbane and 1996 for Melbourne. 

That would not stop Sydney. The day after, The Daily Mirror cartoonist Warren Brown presented then Premier Nick Griener in front of the Sydney Opera House with "Sydney Olympics 2000" coming out of the front sails. The perfect forewarning of what was to happen next. 

Sydney had to bid against Melbourne to be Australia's bid for 1996. They were unsuccessful. 

In Tokyo on September 18, 1990,  Atlanta was successful in their bid for the 1996 Olympic Games. Melbourne finished fourth, behind Atlanta, Athens and Toronto and ahead of Manchester and Belgrade. Prime Minister Bob Hawke was concerned that smaller countries like Australia would find it impossible to host the Olympics in the future, given the financial resources available to larger nations such as the United States. As a result, it may have been "well into the next century" before an Australian city would bid again.

Weeks later, the Australian Olympic Committee announced that Sydney had won the nomination, citing that it had "little chance" of bidding for the Olympic Games again and that Brisbane could not compete against other bidders, which were likely to include Berlin, London, Beijing, Milan, and Rio de Janeiro. The announcement was delivered by Australian Olympic Committee President John Coates on November 16 1990. Why the quick announcement? They wanted maximum time to prepare a bid.

Source: Grimshaw, P. 1990. "Sydney wins Games battle". The Daily Telegraph Mirror, November 17: 1 & 2. 

Sydney's Olympic Bid was officially registered with the International Olympic Committee in April 1992. However, in February 1991, it secured a Commonwealth Government loan to fund the construction of facilities, which then enabled the State Government to commence formal bidding. 

Source: Grimshaw, P. 1991. "$300m Games bid approved". The Daily Telegraph Mirror, February 27: 6.

The bid was launched on March 29, 1992, during the 60th Anniversary celebrations for the Sydney Harbour Bridge.

Those who were around in the early 1990s would remember the Share the Spirit advertisements that were screened on Sydney television. 

On September 23, 1993, in Monte Carlo, Sydney was successful in its bid to host the 2000 Olympic Games. It beat Beijing 45-43 in the final round of voting, despite Sydney being second to Beijing in the preliminary rounds. Other bidding cities were: Manchester, Berlin and Istanbul. Brasilia also placed a bid, but withdrew. 

The announcement was carried live on ABC, Seven, Nine and Ten Networks. Below is Channel Ten's coverage of the announcement, which was selected because it shows the raw reaction by the Sydney delegation, along with the local reaction simultaneously. The video was uploaded to YouTube by the "Sydney 2000 Olympic Games Vault" account. 

ABC, Seven and Nine Networks presented a joint broadcast anchored by Bruce McAveney (Seven) and Ray Martin (Nine). 

Newspapers provided extensive coverage; however, I will focus on the front pages of newspapers only.

The Daily Telegraph Mirror  

The headline "We Win" took up almost the entire front page.

 

The Sydney Morning Herald produced a special dawn edition for its readers  

This was the wraparound for The Sydney Morning Herald, which featured a full-colour rendering of how Sydney Olympic Park would look in 2000, based on the current scheme at the time. They had to do a reprint after all copies were sold out. 

   

September 25 1993

The Daily Telegraph Mirror

The Sydney Morning Herald

The Weekend Australian

 

I could do a whole series based on Sydney's Olympic Bid, but rather keep it in a nutshell. Next week, a look at the 2000 Olympic Games Torch Relay.

  

Remember This? Road sign error (1993)

It is rare that a road sign would incorrectly spell the name of a suburb, town or city. In 1993, a road sign for westbound traffic on the Hume Highway at Villawood incorrectly spelt Liverpool as Liveprool. The Daily Telegraph Mirror documented how two workers from the Roads and Traffic Authority corrected the error in twenty-five minutes.  

Source: Offord, J. 1993. "This time they got it right". The Daily Telegraph Mirror, December 10: 7.

Real Estate Advert of the Week: Narellan Gardens Estate, Narellan Vale (1993)

Below is a 1993 newspaper advertisement promoting the Narellan Gardens Estate at Narellan Vale. Blocks of land were available from $57,500.

Source: Monarch Investments Group of Companies. 1993. "New Land Release" (Advertisement). The Daily Telegraph Mirror, May 1: 53. 

East Circular Quay Redevelopment (Series): The shift towards residential development (1993)

In the 12th entry of my series, I will focus on the shift towards redeveloping East Circular Quay as a residential precinct.

Colonial Mutual Limited (CML) proposed and advocated for a commercial development of their site, while Mirvac wanted to build a hotel on it.

Economic factors also influenced the type of redevelopment that would result. Office vacancy rates in central Sydney were around 20% in 1993, stemming from the recession of 1990-1991 and recently completed commercial developments that were planned and had commenced construction prior to the recession. 

Sydney City Council were also advocating residential development in central Sydney to encourage more people to live in the city and increase street activity outside of working hours.

In November 1993, Mirvac decided to axe its plan to build a hotel on its site (61 Macquarie Street) and proceed with an apartment tower. CML was "exploring" the option of focusing on residential development.

 

Source: Harley, R. 1993. "Apartments the key for Quay projects". The Australian Financial Review,  November 11: 43.

In December 1993, it was reported that both CML and Mirvac would lodge plans the following year (1994) for redeveloping the sites, but CML had not ruled out a "tower" or "revolving building" based on previous schemes. 

Source: McDougall, B. 1993. "Back to drawing board on Quay". The Daily Telegraph Mirror, December 3: 27. 

Meanwhile, Mirvac's development application for 61 Macquarie Street (as covered a fortnight ago) had lapsed. The planning guidelines restricted the height limit to that of ICI House, which was currently occupying the site. CML purchased the airspace above ICI House for $12 million in compensation, as any redevelopment of East Circular Quay would limit Mirvac's redevelopment potential on its site.

Source: Harley, R. 1993. "Quay $12m for Mirvac". The Australian Financial Review, October 28: page unknown.  

Next week, I will focus on the unveiling of the scheme that we would see today.

Entries in this series

1. East Circular Quay Redevelopment (Series): The first apartment block proposal (1979)
2. East Circular Quay Redevelopment (Series): Opera Garden Centre Scheme (1984)
3. East Circular Quay Redevelopment (Series): Unilever House Hotel Conversion (1986)
4. East Circular Quay Redevelopment (Series): Opera Garden Centre Scheme Revisited (1986)
5. East Circular Quay Redevelopment (Series): Unilever House Hotel Conversion (1987)
6. East Circular Quay Redevelopment (Series): CML's 1990 Scheme
7. East Circular Quay Redevelopment (Series): CML's Bennelong Centre (1991)
8. East Circular Quay Redevelopment (Series): East Circular Quay Redevelopment (Series): The Revolving Office Tower Scheme (1991)
9. East Circular Quay Redevelopment (Series): East Circular Quay 'Ideas Quest' (1992)
10. East Circular Quay Redevelopment (Series): Mirvac Hotel Scheme - 61 Macquarie Street (1992)
11. East Circular Quay Redevelopment (Series): New Planning Guidelines unveiled (1993)

Property Advert of the Week: Ambassador Apartments, Auburn (1993)

Below is a 1993 newspaper advertisement promoting the sale of studio apartments in "The Ambassador Apartments" in Auburn. Prices started from just $59 000. 

 

Source: A&S Properties Pty. Ltd. 1993. "The Ambassador Apartments" (Advertisement). The Daily Telegraph Mirror, May 29: 6. 

East Circular Quay Redevelopment (Series): New Planning Guidelines unveiled (1993)

Sourced from: McDougall, B. 1993. "Secret Quay plans unveiled". The Daily Telegraph Mirror, March 22: 5. 

Source: O'Brien, G. 1993. "Lower heights, wider views: latest plan for Quay unveiled". The Sydney Morning Herald, March 24: 5. 

Welcome to Part 11 in the series, looking at the redevelopment of East Circular Quay.

Back on April 15, I posted an entry focusing on the 'Ideas Quest' that was organised by Sydney City Council in 1992 as they sought to develop new planning guidelines for the site, following its decision in 1991 to reject a $700 million scheme by Colonial Mutual Limited (CML) to redevelop five sites as a combined development which did not comply with guidelines as set at the time.

Also, in 1992, Mirvac unveiled its plans to redevelop 61 Macquarie Street into a separate development comprising a 22-story hotel tower, which was my focus last week.

In March 1993, Sydney City Council unveiled the new planning guidelines for East Circular Quay in collaboration with the owners - CML & Mirvac. 

Source: McDougall, B. 1993. "Secret Quay plans unveiled". The Daily Telegraph Mirror, March 22: 5. 

What were the new guidelines?

• The maximum height for buildings was set at 44 metres south of Moore Steps.
• The maximum height for buildings was set at 42 metres north of Moore Steps.
• The maximum height of buildings was set at an average of 33 metres at the northern end of the site.
• Public Colonnade along the roadway. 

A concept plan was also made public. 

The Federal Government also provided Sydney City Council with Customs House along with $22 million for refurbishment of the building in exchange for lower height limits. 

There was criticism of the scheme. The Institute of Architects raised concerns about the height and bulk along with detracting from views of the Sydney Opera House.

Source: Anon. 1993. "Architects cool on Quay plan". The Daily Telegraph Mirror, April 1: 17. 

The scheme was approved by Sydney City Council in a majority vote (4-2) on March 29 1993.

Prime Minister Paul Keating sought to intervene and in exchange for lower height limits and improved public access at street level (street closure), he would transfer ownership of Customs House from the Federal Government to Sydney City Council for no cost. 

   

Source: Anon. 1993. "Keating to rule on final Quay design". The Daily Telegraph Mirror, March 29: 6. 

Andrew Andersons was the architect and was forced to defend the criticism about his scheme. He was correct in stating that it was only a concept scheme and that the designs were not final. His argument for the development instead of conversion to a public space was that it provided "an enclosure around Circular Quay to the forecourt of the Opera House."

  

Source: McDougall, B. 1993. "Architect defends 'great opportunity'". The Daily Telegraph Mirror, March 25: 15.

The clipping above also featured an article by Kelvin Bissett revealing that Sydney City Council had approached the State Government and the Sydney Cove Authority about allowing CML to trade their East Circular Quay site for another site in the city to enable the conversion of the site into parkland. 

Ultimately, the guidelines would set the framework for the eventual development that we would see.

Our series continues next week.

Entries in this series

1. East Circular Quay Redevelopment (Series): The first apartment block proposal (1979)
2. East Circular Quay Redevelopment (Series): Opera Garden Centre Scheme (1984)
3. East Circular Quay Redevelopment (Series): Unilever House Hotel Conversion (1986)
4. East Circular Quay Redevelopment (Series): Opera Garden Centre Scheme Revisited (1986)
5. East Circular Quay Redevelopment (Series): Unilever House Hotel Conversion (1987)
6. East Circular Quay Redevelopment (Series): CML's 1990 Scheme
7. East Circular Quay Redevelopment (Series): CML's Bennelong Centre (1991)
8. East Circular Quay Redevelopment (Series): East Circular Quay Redevelopment (Series): The Revolving Office Tower Scheme (1991)
9. East Circular Quay Redevelopment (Series): East Circular Quay 'Ideas Quest' (1992)
10. East Circular Quay Redevelopment (Series): Mirvac Hotel Scheme - 61 Macquarie Street (1992)

Property Advert of the Week: Landcom Ad (1993)

Below is a newspaper advertisement from 1993 to promote homesites that were on offer from Landcom. A special promotion enabled the first 100 buyers to receive a $500 bonus if they purchased a home site that was less than $65 000.

The homesite could be reserved for $100 with $900 to be paid within 70 days and the balance in 30 days. 

 

Source: Landcom. 1993. "Buy your homesite now... Get a $500 bonus!" (Advertisement). The Daily Telegraph Mirror, August 2: 15

1993: The end of the red rattlers

Between 1926 and 1993,  Sydney's rail network was served by single deck trains known as the "red rattlers" because of their red appearance and for the rattling windows.

At their peak there were apporoximately 1100 carriages in service and had dwindled to around 360 by 1988.

In 1991, the decision was made to formally retire the trains by the end of 1993 due to safety concerns associated with the open doors, along with the introduction of a new timetable from January 12 1992 that was designed to speed up trains across the network. Only eight red rattler trains would be retained with the intent of phasing them out of service within a further year.

 

Source: Morris, L. 1991. "'Rattler' Trains Scrapped. The Daily Telegraph Mirror, September 6: 3.

 

Source: Skelsey, M. 1991. "Red rattlers trundle off into history:. The Daily Telegraph Mirror, September 6: 10-11

The Sydney Electric Train Society did not receive the news well, especially as they were destined to be scrapped.

   

Source: Dennis, A. 1991. "The death rattle of the red ones". The Sydney Morning Herald, November 5: 3.

On January 10, 1992 red rattler trains crossed the Sydney Harbour Bridge for the final time ahead of their retirement. For four minutes at 10:40, four eight car trains stopped on the Sydney Harbour Bridge to pay tribute to their service. 

 

Source: Olsen, S. 1992. "End of line for rattlers". The Daily Telegraph Mirror, January 10: 9. 

  

Source: Anon. 1992. "The Bridge carries its last red rattler". The Daily Telegraph Mirror, January 11:3. 

The retirement of the red rattlers led to a decrease in the number of carriages operating on the Sydney rail network, but the delivery of Tangara carriages meant by the end of 1993, the remaining eight trains in operation could be retired. The final services ran on November 20, 1993 after sixty seven years of service. 

  

Source. Gibson, A. 1993. "What a rattling farewell!" The Sunday Telegraph, November 21: 4. 

While the overwhelming majority of red rattlers were scrapped, several carriages have been preserved for historical use which has also been supported by Sydney Trains and the NSW Government. Special trips featuring the trains are organised, allowing people to either relive or experience riding a red rattler for the first time. 

Finally a "bonus" - news reports from January 10 1992 when the red rattlers gathered on the Sydney Harbour for the final time.

ABC News

Seven Nightly News

National Nine News

Ten Eyewitness News

1993: Arrival of "kneeling superbuses"

To improve accessibility for less mobile passengers and increase capacity on popular routes, The State Transit Authority commenced the roll out of "kneeling superbuses" in 1993. 

The 14.5 metre buses by Scania were built in Australia by the Ansett Transport Industries owned Ansair in Tamworth. Compared with other buses, they had a capacity for 95 passengers (61 seated, 34 standing).

In 2021, the buses are still in operation, mostly on routes that serve the Epping Road and Anzac Parade corridors. 

Below is an article from The Eastern Herald (The Sydney Morning Herald) from June 5, 1993. 

Source: Killick, 1993. "And now for the bus that kneels for you". The Eastern Herald (The Sydney Morning Herald), June 5: 2. 

Property Advert of the Week: Wattle Grove (1993)

Below is an advertisement promoting house and land packages at Wattle Grove from 1993. House and land packages started from just under $125 000. 

 

Source: Delfin Reality. 1993. "Wattle Grove" (Advertisement).  The St George and Sutherland Shire Leader, March 23: 8.

NEVER BUILT SYDNEY: Labor Party HQ Redevelopment (1993)

The next ten weeks will be dedicated to building proposals that were planned but were never built in Sydney. 

In the first entry for this series, I will share a proposal by the Australian Labor Party (ALP ) to redevelop its Sussex Street site from 1993. Proposed was a 27 level apartment tower that was to encompass the Labor Council Building and adjoining sites. At this stage, I cannot provide an explanation for its cancellation. 

Source: Lagan, 1993. "ALP building its way out of debt". The Sydney Morning Herald, June 14: 4. 

Property Advert of the Week: Wattle Grove (1993)

This weeks advertisement is from my collection of real estate advertisements for the suburb of Wattle Grove. This one was published in The St George and Sutherland Shire Leader  in 1993 to promote a new land release. Blocks of land could be purchased for as low as $60 000.

Source: Delfin Reality. 1993. "Wattle Grove" (Advertisement).  The St George and Sutherland Shire Leader, April 13: 6.

New Years Eve 25 Years ago: 1993

Tonight is Sydney's biggest night of the year. The city will present another spectacular midnight fireworks show which envies the world.

As an annual custom, I take a look back at how the city marked New Year's Eve 25 years ago.

Sydney's fireworks were yet to be an event envied by the world. It was more provincial.
Even the timing was provincial - 9pm. Midnight fireworks were still several years away.

1993 was the fifth straight year of the "skyshow", which was a 30-minute firework spectacular presented by Coca-Cola and 2DAY FM. It had grown quickly in popularity. Reports suggested at least 500 000 were planning to attend as in previous years. It would act as the opener to the 1994 Sydney Festival. Below is a preview from The Daily Telegraph Mirror on December 30, 1993. Syd Howard was given the task of organising the fireworks spectacular. 5000 shells and effects were to be released, just a fraction of what is predicted for 2018 ( 13 000 shells, 35 000 comets and 100 000 effects). By numbers, tonight's show is at least 20 times larger than in 1993 and it will be done in less than half the time (12 minutes).

The cost of this year's celebrations is reported to be $7 million, compared with one million dollars in 1993. Police warned those attending to be on their best behaviour. Alcohol-Free zones would keep partygoers and families safe.

Source: Gee. S. 1993. "Police in New Year Warning". The Daily Telegraph Mirror, December 31: 3. 

Below is an advertisement from the State Transit Authority promoting extra bus and ferry services to ferry commuters. For bus commuters, some services were diverted and/or terminated at alternative destinations. Cityrail ran extra services throughout the evening, but did not publish a newspaper advertisement.

Below is a map of road closures and vantage points for the Skyshow. Note that a midnight fireworks show occured at Darling Harbour and fireworks also were released from Sydney Tower. No mention in the press of either show.

Sourced from:
Taylor, N. 1993. "It's party time as Sydney farewells '93". The Sydney Morning Herald, December 31: 2.

Crowds were estimated in the city at around 1.5 million which would have made it the largest crowd for an event in the city since the Bicentenary celebrations in 1988. The Sydney Morning Herald reported a conservative figure of 350 000 in its January 1 edition. Articles from The Sydney Morning Herald and The Daily Telegraph Mirror appear below.

While initial media reports generally reported little problems. In the days afterwards, the night did not flow smoothly as it may have been seen.

There was chaos on the transport network. For motorists, city streets and major thoroughfares into the city were clogged. It was reported that some had to watch the fireworks from car bonnets.  Rail services were delayed after midnight as Cityrail reported higher than usual absentee numbers. Circular Quay, Wynyard, Town Hall, and Kings Cross stations were temporarily closed due to large crowds, with people also removed from Milsons Point railway station to avoid a crowd crush.

Source: Willis, R. & Tuss, R. 1994: "New Year rail chaos". The Sun Herald, January 2: 7.

Source: Wilkins, M. 1994. "Missing trains strand revellers". The Sunday Telegraph, January 2: 2. 

Source: Olsen, S. 1994. "Our night of shame, pain: Chaos as 80 train crew go sick". The Daily Telegraph Mirror, January 3: 5. 

The Sunday Telegraph reported on January 2 (below) that city hospitals were inundated with people injured during the night's celebrations.

I do not anticipate problems this evening, as the event's management has improved over the years. Cars will virtually be banned from the Sydney CBD, and everyone will be expected to travel on public transport. Several stations, including Circular Quay and Milsons Point, will be closed this evening.

As for transport workers taking the night off - It's possible. I recall that last year, I saw a similar staffing problem with transport workers calling in "sick" en masse.

I wish you all a very safe and happy new year.

January 1 2019 - I was wrong about the night being smooth. Nature put on its own fireworks show early in the evening. Lighting strikes caused delays on the rail network which flowed into New Years Day, with buses replacing trains in parts of the city. Nine News reported that paramedics and hospitals were also stretched. 

To cap it off, organisers wished us a Happy 2018 from the Sydney Harbour Bridge pylons. Apparently, it was Groundhog Day. 

Christmas Snapshot: 1993

Source: Anon. 1993. "A happy Christmas to you all". The Daily Telegraph Mirror, December 24: 3.

Merry Christmas to everyone on this Christmas Eve. One more sleep to go until the big day.

As with tradition, I look back at Christmas a generation ago (25 years) and reflect on how we marked the big day.

This year proved to be interesting, not just in what was found but in what happened as well.

Grace Bros decided that there would be no pageant for Christmas as it had done between 1989-1992. It had established itself on the calendar for Sydneysiders. There was an attempt to revive a Christmas Parade in 2007 but was unpopular with the public.

I remember in 1993 viewing commercials on television for the Royal Christmas Show at the Sydney Showgrounds which was organised by the Royal Agricultural Society. Rides and entertainment were all included for the price of admission. There were over 100 stalls where you could do your Christmas shopping. It would not return the following year.

Paddy's Markets returned to Haymarket on December 11, 1993. It had been a temporarily based in the former rail yards at Redfern (now Australian Technology Park) to allow for redevelopment of the site. Construction of a residential tower above the markets had been suspended due to the recession but the heritage listed building was ready to welcome back the markets. Below is a feature from The Sunday Telegraph on December 5, 1993.

What were we buying?

The Daily Telegraph Mirror published a list of the five hottest gifts for Christmas based on sales at David Jones.

1. Mr Bucket 
2. Sydney 2000 Olympic Polyester Tie
3. Frank Sinatra Duets CD
4. Woman's Tartan Boxer Shorts
5. Santas Marching Band

Source: Anon. 1993. "Christmas countdown". The Daily Telegraph Mirror, December 8, 17.

Brashs had 3 CD sets on sale for $14.95 and 4 CD sets for $19.95. You could buy a Sega Mega Drive II for $269 and a Super Nintendo for $319. This year you can buy the Sega Genesis Flashback with 85 built-in games for just $149 or the Super Nintendo Mini for as little as $99 if you want to relive the days of both game systems.

There was further discounting just before Christmas of video games consoles.



With the Sega Mega Drive, participating retailers were offering a Mega Drive II for $399 with Mortal Kombat, Sonic the Hedgehog 2 and a bonus two games included.

There were also plenty of big toys on sale at Brashs.

Grace Bros promoted "Australian Made" clothing from Pelaco for the men. Myer stopped selling Pelaco clothing around a decade ago.

Underwear was on special early in the month.

This was the only toy advertisement that I could find which was one from Grace Bros (The Sunday Telegraph, December 5)

I found a feature from The Daily Telegraph Mirror (December 16, 1993) which identified some of the popular toys for Christmas, 1993. It was reported yesterday in The Sun Herald that Polly Pocket is popular this year, enjoying a revival. Board games, My Little Pony and Lego are also popular as retro favourites appeal to "big kids" who relive their childhood and share it with their children.

Source: Anon. 1993. "Christmas countdown". The Daily Telegraph Mirror, December 16, 16.

IKEA did not want to wait for the Boxing Day sales and launched their sales in the days leading up to Christmas, commencing their sale on December 23.

BigW used extended trading hours to have hourly sales to attract customers. Below is an advertisement from The Daily Telegraph Mirror (December 23, 1993).

Supermarkets

I managed to obtain scans of Christmas specials for Woolworths, Jewel and Food for Less. However, Coles did not publish advertisements promoting their Christmas specials.

All advertisements were published on December 22, 1993, in The Daily Telegraph Mirror. 

Woolworths

Food for Less

Jewel

The tills were ringing

With the recession "that we had to have" over, retail sales were reported to have increased by 12 %, providing for the best sales since 1989 (the year before the recession began). Unemployment had begun to slowly fall from the 11 % peak earlier that year, but people were now feeling secure about the economy and were keen to spend.

Source: Jones, C. 1993. "Sales Jump 12pc". The Daily Telegraph Mirror, December 24: 3. 

Carols in The Domain

Held on December 18, thousands were treated to a spectacular rendition of Christmas Carols involving 300 performers including The Wiggles Simon Burke, Tina Arena, Rob Guest, Jeannie Little, and Barry Crocker. Jackie Love presented her fourth consecutive carols, while Barry was happy to perform after presenting the three previous carols alongside Love.

Source: Gibson, A. 1993. "Stunning night at the Domain". The Sunday Telegraph, December 19: 47.

For those unable to attend in the city, there was one at Parramatta Stadium the following evening.

Darling Harbour provided their own pageant. This was broadcast on Channel 7 on Christmas Eve.

Christmas Day

It was a warm summer's day in Sydney. The Sunday Telegraph (December 26, 1993) devoted two pages to share how different people spent the day.

From yours truly, I wish you all a very merry and safe Christmas. We will return next week to look at how Sydney welcomed the new year 25 years ago.