1988: The Bond Building (Chifley Tower) is unveiled

This week, we again come to share when a building or structure was unveiled. Recently, former Billionaire Businessman Alan Bond passed away. Even though he was from Perth, he did have strong business interests in Sydney. Tooheys was part of Bond Brewing. In 1982, he bought department store Waltons. He had property interests as well.

Source: Kelly, M. & Chisholm, B. 1988. "Bond pays record $306m for site: State's offices to topple for hotel". The Daily Telegraph, January 7: page unknown. 

He had proposed a major development of the Waltons Site at Town Hall (Now Galeries Victoria & 1 Park Street) with one of the world's tallest buildings. At the same time, he had proposed another building at Chifley Square, where Commonwealth Offices were based. In early 1988, he had paid over $300 million to buy the Commonwealth Government Centre.

In 1988, he unveiled the Bond Building, which was to replace the building.

Source: Chancellor, J. 1988. "Wraps come off Bond Building". The Sydney Morning Herald, June 22: 5. 

An advertisement advertising tenders for the construction of the tower.

Construction began the following year and was completed in 1992 as planned. You might remember from an entry last year that as part of the construction, he wanted the Commonwealth Government Centre to be imploded, which he was not allowed to do.

Originally, Level 41 was destined to be a penthouse for Bond, but rather became a high-end restaurant which traded for nearly 20 years. The restaurant (Forty One) closed in April 2010. 

Two decades later, it is still one of the most recognisable buildings on the city skyline.

Photo was taken by the Author. 

1988: Alan Bond's flamboyant demolition plan

In Sydney, implosions of major city skyscrapers are not permitted, but Alan Bond wanted to "blow up" the Commonwealth Office Building at Chifley Square, now home to Chifley Tower.

Never happened of course, but obviously he wanted it to be a spectacle.

I'm glad it never happened. I question the safety of implosions of such buildings, and the potential dangers they irk.

And to watch it come down, that would have been very hard to see given how built up that part of the city is.

Source: Bita, N. 1988. "Bond in bid to blast building," The Daily Telegraph, August 24:5.