NEVER BUILT SYDNEY: Early Westfield Hurstville Scheme (1975)

Source: Anon. 1975. "Big New Shopping Complex". The St George and Sutherland Shire Leader, December 3: 3. 

Westfield Hurstville was opened in 1978. At the time of opening, it had 120 stores anchored by Waltons, Coles and Nock & Kirbys. It was confined to a block bound by Park Road, Cross Street and Humphreys Lane before being extended over Park Road in 1989/1990.

Before the expansion at the end of the 1980s it also had the Snowy Hill Park, open to the public at all hours of the day. 

In 1975, an ambitious proposal was lodged with Hurstville Council (now Georges River Council), which envisioned an even larger park spread on its roof (equivalent to a town square) and an office building, which had become standard with any Westfield development at the time. Three levels of retail would be provided. 

Jake Harproff had recently posted scanned images from a document to the Old Shops Australia Facebook Group.

The cross sections from three different angles gives one the perspective of the layout, which would differ significantly from what would be built within the original section of the centre. 

• Snowy Hill Park would be built atop a three-level car park located at the Humphreys Lane end, with footbridges connecting the centre to Forest Road. It would act as a town centre for central Hurstville.
• An office block with three levels of office space to be built above the rooftop car park. This component was scrapped.
• Three levels of shops, but would become two levels when the design was modified to the eventual original layout, and the retail area was extended down to Humphreys Lane, while Snowy Hill Park was reduced.
• As originally planned, the department store (Waltons) would be located towards the Park Street end. Coles would be located on level 1 (and has been since opening in 1978). 
• Provision of space for a discount department store (didn't eventuate in 1978).

Would this have affected its subsequent expansion over Park Road to encompass the block bounded by The Avenue, Cross Street, Park Road and Humphreys Lane in 1989-1990? The layout of that block in its current form would have been possible, but the famous sloping of shops in the complex (which allows shoppers to use the centre without using stairs or escalators) would not have occurred. Escalators and stairs would have been used to move up or down each floor. It's likely, though, that the current centre may have fewer stores than it has in its current layout.

Property Advert of the Week: 3 Kairawa Street, South Hurstville (1971)

Below is a newspaper advertisement from 1971 promoting the sale of apartments in a small complex at 3 Kairawa Street, South Hurstville. The complex only contains six apartments, each with two bedrooms. Prices were close to identical (from $ 16,750), with buyers only paying $200 extra for apartments on the first floor.

Source: Norman Brown P/L & Upton Smith & Co. 1971. "3 Kairawa Street" (Advertisement). The Daily Telegraph, June 12: 43. 

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

Property Advert of the Week: Mortdale Land Release (1968)

Below is a newspaper advertisement from 1968 to promote a land release at Fairway Avenue, Mortdale though it was advertised as being in Peakhurst.

Any lot could be secured for a $90 deposit with full prices ranging from $4700 to $6990. According to the RBA Inflation Calculator, this would equate to a lot being on sale from $65 389 to $97 248 if converted to today's money. 

 

Source: Treloar Realty Pty. Ltd. 1968. "Land $90...Peakhurst" (Advertisement). The Daily Telegraph, December 14: 46.

Property Advert of the Week: Jacaranda Estate, Peakhurst (1966)

Below is a 1966 newspaper advertisement for the Jacaranda Estate at Peakhurst. Based on maps, the 12 sewered lots were located in David Place (access via Ogilvy Street). No price figure was provided for the blocks on offer, but for an additional £4750 ($9500), a home could be built on the block. 

Source: John L. Nichols & Co. Pty. Ltd. 1966. Untitled (Advertisement). The Daily Telegraph, October 1: 49.

Note: Goods and services were permitted to advertise in pounds, shillings and pence for two years following the introduction of decimal currency on 14 February 1966.

1985: Old Como Bridge becomes a footbridge and cycleway

The Old Como Bridge spanned the Georges River between Oatley and Como. It was a single track railway bridge that served the Illawarra and South Coast Railway Lines from 1885 until 1972, when a modern two track bridge was completed next to the original bridge. In 1985, the old bridge was reborn as a footbridge and a cycleway. It was offically opened on 16 December 1985 by Federal MP's Gary Punch (ALP, Barton) and Robert Tickner (ALP, Hughes).

 

Source. Anon. 1985. "Spokes men bridge river gap". The Daily Telegraph, December 16: 7. 

Property Advert of the Week: Empress Gardens, Hurstville (1999)

Below is a 1998 newspaper advertisement promoting the sale of apartments in the Empress Towers at Hurstville. One bedroom apartments were available from $175 000, "2.5" and three bedroom apartments from $280 000 and Penthouse duplex apartments from $380 000. 

Source:  Delta International. 1999. "You belong in Empress Towers" (Advertisement). The Sydney Morning Herald, June 5, 30RE (Real Estate Liftout). 

Property Advert of the Week: Beverly Crescent, Penshurst subdivision (1971)

In 1971, Penshurst was a well developed suburb, but I came across an old advertisement from The St George and Sutherland Shire Leader promoting the sale of six lots of land in Beverly Crescent.

All lots were sold for $16250 each, equivalent to around $182 000 in todays money according to the RBA Inflation Calculator.

Source: Norman Brown Pty. Ltd. 1971. "Introducing - New Subdivision" (Advertisement). The St George and Sutherland Shire Leader, November 17: page unknown.

NEVER BUILT SYDNEY: Hurstville's Twin Office Tower scheme (1987)

At the former ATO Office Building site in Hurstville, two residential towers are currently under construction - one is 18 levels tall and the other 14 levels.

The ATO Office Building was seven levels tall and completed in 1994. Demolition occurred in 2017.

Below is an article as published in the January 13, 1987 edition of The St George and Sutherland Shire Leader. This involved a twin tower scheme for a 10 level tower and an 11 level tower. Like the current residential development, there were objections e.g. traffic and overshadowing.

Had this scheme go ahead, I think attracting tenants may have been a challenge. The ATO building while shorter had larger floorplates that would appeal to larger firms. As for redevelopment, the towers would have been gutted and converted into residential, though I would not be surprised if they were demolished and replaced, like what has been done in regional centres like Epping.

NEVER BUILT SYDNEY: Hurstville Super Centre (1965)

Hurstville Central is the shopping centre located right above Hurstville Railway Station. It is a busy commuter shopping centre that was once known as the Hurstville Super Centre.

It is currently a one level shopping centre, containing a Coles Supermarket and food retailers to cater for commuters using the railway station and transport interchange. There is a rooftop carpark above with medical centre

The Centre has traded since 1965 and was seen as essential to reviving Hurstville's retailing precinct, which was being threatened by the opening of shopping complexes at Miranda (Miranda Fair) and Roselands.

Source: Super Centre Development Corporation Limited. 1961. "Hurstville Super Centre Limited" (Advertisement). The St George and Sutherland Shire Leader, April 26: 10. 

Original plans from the early 1960s called for much more believe it or not. This included:

• Extra parking
• "Prestige" shopping level above the existing shopping centre.
• Offices
• Apartments (Approximately six levels)

At the time of the opening of stage one in 1965, customers were promised a lot more in the future than the fifty shops and rooftop carpark that they were getting. 

Source: Anon. 1965. "This is It! The Start of a new era in shopping convenience" (Advertisement). The St George and Sutherland Shire Leader: 30 & 31.

Even in 1970, there will still hope it would proceed as per original plans:

  

Source: Anon. 1970. "Scheme Still Alive". The St George and Sutherland Shire Leader, May 27: 7.

The development was never built further than stage one. In the 1970s, Westfield was built nearby including the arcade that links it with Forest Road. By the 1990s the centre went into a gradual decline. Even Franklins (which had replaced Coles) disappeared. By the mid-2000s the centre was desolate with large areas vacant and the structure itself in a bad state. Proposals were changed yet never saw the light of day. I took these photos in 2006 which show its bad condition.

A change of ownership a decade ago saw a major interior upgrade of the cent. As part of the process, it was rebranded as Hurstville Central. Coles returned and the centre itself is doing quite well with most spaces occupied. Below are several photos of the current centre from 2008.

What if?

You might be asking yourselves the What If? question. This is what I think might have happened had the development proceeded.

• More flexible highrise development in Hurstville's CBD on both the Kogarah Council and Hurstville Council sides. The presence of the highrise unit blocks would have given the incentive to build. While Hurstville contains its fair share of highrises today, maybe we might have seen a few more. 
• The Super Centre would probably have declined in status as time went along. Space to expand would have been limited i.e -built to Ormonde Parade with limited room for expansion into Forest Road.
• Struggled to get tenants for it's "prestige" shopping floor. Hurstville is traditionally seen as a working-class suburb and getting some high-end boutiques into Hurstville might have been tough.