Property Advert of the Week: Plunkett Village, Marsfield (1968)

In 2019, I posted a newspaper advertisement for the home display "Plunkett Village" at Marsfield which was located in Plunkett Street, Marsfield, dating from 1969. This week is an advertisement promoting its launch from 1968. 

Source: T.S. Plunkett Pty. Ltd. 1968. Untitled (Advertisement). The Sun, September 6: 8.

1994: Demolition of St Margaret's Convent, Ryde

Between 1892 and 1992, the religious order Little Company of Mary ran Mount St Margaret's Hospital, a psychiatric hospital along with a convent on the site.

In the 1990s, the site was redeveloped into an aged care precinct comprising an aged care home (Calvary Ryde) and a retirement village (Dalton Gardens). Calvary Health Care manages them, which is owned by the religious order Little Company of Mary, which is associated with the Catholic Church. 

Below is an article from The Sunday Telegraph dated June 12 1994 focusing on demolition of the former buildings on the site on June 11 1994. The convent building was demolished by implosion and Sister Louise (Little Company of Mary) pressed the plunger. Demolition was undertaken by Power Demolitions.

Source: Harris, S. 1994. "Holy Smoke!". The Sunday Telegraph, June 12: 3. 

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. 

SYDNEY SHOPPING CENTRES: Opening of Macquarie Centre (1981)

 

Source: Macquarie Centre. 1981. "Macquarie Centre Now Open" (Advertisement). The Sydney Morning Herald, November 17: 15. 

On Wednesday (17 November), Macquarie Centre will celebrate forty years of trading. After a decade of planning and two years of construction, the centre was opened by NSW Premier Neville Wran on 17 November 1981.

Last week, I focused on Grace Bros' plans for the centre and its attempt to seek approval to build their centre. This week, as promised, I would share promotional content from various newspapers.

Key Facts at opening

• Approximately 145 retailers
• 3750 car parking spaces
• Grace Bros, Woolworths and BigW were the major tenants
• The first ice-rink to operate in a shopping centre in Australia and can be covered to accommodate other uses such as tennis and ballet. 

The Sun featured a centre directory including maps to aid shoppers navigating the complex.

 

The Sydney Morning Herald (November 17, 1981) published this sectional view to show how it stepped up.

           

Source. Anon. 1981. “Macquarie Centre Sectional View: Looking West. Image. The Sydney Morning Herald, November 17: 13.

Below is a Grace Bros advertisement to promote their new store.

 

Source: Grace Bros. 1981. “Grace Bros at Macquarie: Opens Today - Styled For The Year “2001”” (Advertisement). The Sydney Morning Herald, November 17: 16-17. 

Below are some selected features from the newspaper supplements.

The Daily Mirror (16 November 1981)

The Sun (16 November 1981)

The Sydney Morning Herald (17 November 1981)

 

 

The centre forty years later

COVID-19 restrictions in recent months have made it difficult for any Sydneysider to travel around our great city and hopefully in 2022, can do a follow up post on the centre today by visiting the centre in person. I have not visited the centre since 2017 when I went there for lunch.  Photography of the centre will pose a challenge, especially internal shots. 

  

SYDNEY SHOPPING CENTRES: The Conception of Macquarie Centre (1968)

Sourced from: Anon. 1969. "100 Super Shops: Grace Bros $12 mill complex".  The Daily Mirror, November 6: 2. 

Next week, I will do a special entry to focus on the 40th anniversary of the opening of the Macquarie Centre at North Ryde which will feature content from newspaper supplements that were published in 1981 to promote the opening of the shopping centre.

Ahead of next week, I share two newspaper articles from May 1968 when Grace Bros announced they had acquired 16 hectares of land in the area with the intention of building a regional shopping centre, and was seeking approval from Ryde Council to build the centre.

The Daily Telegraph (May 15, 1968) reported that the centre would be entirely "under-cover" unlike Roselands which they had built three years earlier with 600 000 square feet of retail space, containing 100 stores anchored by Grace Bros. If approved, the centre would open to shoppers by 1971 (Had this happened, I would be writing an entry celebrating 50 years of trade instead this year).

 

Source: Anon. 1968. "$12m. Shopping Centre Plan". The Daily Telegraph, May 15: 13.  

The Sun (May 15, 1968) in addition to the above reported that the centre would act as a "cultural centre" integrating itself with Macquarie University, which was located directly opposite the proposed centre but also for the northern suburbs.  

Source: Anon. 1968. "$12m Shopping Plan: 16 acre project near new uni". The Sun: May 16: 29.

Grace Bros were given approval to build in 1969 by the State Planning Authority after their proposal had been rejected by Ryde Council and decided to appeal the decision. At the same meeting, a proposal by David Jones to construct a rival shopping centre on Epping Road was rejected as their site was zoned for industrial use (Refer to my 2014 entry on their proposal for further details).

The Local Government Minister Pat Morton was convinced that the shopping centre would be successful drawing on Grace Bros success in planning, building and operating Roselands and felt it would be more successful (He would be right down the track). 

   

Source: Anon. 1969. "Approval for $12m. centre". The Daily Telegraph, November 6: 7.

 

Source: Anon. 1969. "100 Super Shops: Grace Bros' $12 mill complex". The Daily Mirror, November 6: 2.

Ryde Council gave their approval for the centre in 1972. 

 

Source: Anon. 1972. "$12m shopping centre approved". The Sydney Morning Herald, June 27: 1. 

Intended opening date was 1975 as reported by The Sydney Morning Herald on June 27, 1972 (see above). 

Construction did not commence until 1979. 

1967: Day One at Macquarie University

Below is a clipping from The Daily Telegraph dated from March 4 1967, featuring a short report and photograph of the first lecture held at Macquarie University.

According to the Macquarie University website, 40 000 students are enrolled. and boasts of an alumni of 164 000. Compared to other Sydney Universities, it is the third largest by student numbers with Sydney University (73 000) and the University of NSW (62 000). 

Source. Anon. 1967. "The Birth of a University". The Daily Telegraph, March 4: 3. 

Update 6 January 2021: Mary Moxham via Facebook idenitfied the room featured in the photo as the E1 Lecture room. She recalled having her first lecture there on her first day of university in 1971. Thank you Mary for sharing this with us. 

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Property Advert of the Week: Marsfield Land Release (1973)

Below is a 1973 newspaper advertisement for a land release at Marsfield. Going by the information this would encompass Zanco Road, Marsfield.

 

Source: Midlands Realty Pty. Ltd. 1973. "Sewered Land Marsfield" (Advertisement). The Daily Telegraph, April 7: 40.

Property Advert of the Week: Gladesville Land Release (1971)

In 1971, blocks of land were for sale at Leawill Place, Gladesville. The sites were sewered.

Source: Dress Circle Estates. 1971. "sewered land! Gladesville" (advertisement). The Daily Telegraph, June 12:44.

Property Advert of the Week: Plunkett Village (1969)

Below is an advertisement for Plunkett Village at Marsfield (advertised as "Eastwood"). Plunkett Village is now what is Plunkett Street, Marsfield. I will confess that a friend of mine was raised in that street.

Source: T.S. Plunkett Pty. Ltd. 1969. Untitled (Advertisement). The Daily Telegraph, July 5: 24.