1965: Flats could save Sydney's dying uptown (Article)

Sydney's southern CBD has proven to be popular in the past two decades for those who want to live in the heart of Australia's largest city and there are hundreds if not thousands of more apartments on the way.

One article that may be of interest is from 1965 when The Daily Telegraph tried to ask the question of whether or not unit development might revive the southern part of the city but also help bring activity to the financial heart of the city.

At that time, it was deemed unsafe for women to walk those streets at night and the buildings were "bad". It also mentioned the large landholdings that the State and Federal Governments had, which might be used to revitalise the area.

During the mid-1960s there were a number of unit projects that sought to begin the process like the Park Regis Towers, but it was not until the 1980s and 1990's that a major attempt took place to encourage apartment living in the city.

And we move forward to the present, and it seems like everyone wants to live downtown. Many want to escape the long commutes from the suburbs, be in easy reach of the city's attractions, services and be close to work.

 

Source: Anonymous. 1965. "Flats could save Sydney's dying uptown". The Daily Telegraph, April 2: 26-27. 

As for the future, the only way is up and possible developments like this one I found on the Skyscrapercity forums this week could be the benchmark in bringing the area to life.

1967: Rare photo of the view from level 43 of Park Regis

In 1968, the Park Regis building was completed and was the first major high-rise apartment tower to be built in the Sydney CBD. This week, I share a photo of the view from the tower when it was under construction in 1967, showing the spectacular view looking north from level 43. Obviously, that view has been blocked as city towers rose in the decades that follow.

Source: Anonymous. 1967. "View from the 43rd floor". The Daily Telegraph, November 4: 3. 

I have managed to collect some material on the tower itself, yet have struggled to find reports relating to the initial proposal. At this stage, I cannot provide a more comprehensive feature.

In the 1960's there was a push to encourage unit development in central Sydney which was largely commercial, particularly in the southern sections of the city. Unit development in the Sydney CBD didn't begin to gain momentum until the 1980s.

At the time of completion it did break some records for its time:

• Tallest residential building in the southern hemisphere - 45 levels or 136 metres tall. It held the record until 1983 when the  47 level Peninsula Towers at Surfers Paradise, Queensland took the record by one metre (137 metres tall).
• Second tallest building in Sydney after Australia Square Tower (46 levels, 170 metres tall).
• Remained the tallest apartment tower in Sydney until 1996 when the 46 level (168 metres tall) The Peak Apartment tower was completed at Haymarket.

Even today, it still maintains a strong presence in midtown Sydney as these photos from my personal collection (or secret stash to friends) show.