1987: Sydney Regional Centres Feature

Source: Pelly, M. 1987. "Suburbs that spawn cities within a city". The Daily Telegraph, August 1: 20. 

The Daily Telegraph in 1987 published a feature report on commercial development in three Sydney regional centres - Bondi Junction, Chatswood and Parramatta. The 1980s saw a boom in office development in these centres, already well established due to public transport (including being located on major rail lines), and also acting as established retail and entertainment centres. 

If we fast forward four decades, Parramatta has made the most progress. Even in the 1980s, it was a major growth centre and continues to be so. It is Sydney's Second Central Business District (CBD) and planning guidelines now allow development in central Parramatta to be treated as if it were being done in central Sydney.  Under the planning blueprint - The Sydney Plan (2018), Parramatta is regarded as one of three metropolises within Greater Sydney, alongside the Sydney CBD and Bradfield. Major skyscrapers that one would normally find in Sydney's CBD have made their presence felt. The tallest tower is the 225 metre/57 storey 6 & 8 Parramatta Square.

High-rise development continued into the 1990s for Bondi Junction and Chatswood, but the decade saw greater emphasis on residential towers, and both also continued to evolve as retail centres. 

Westfield expanded their retail complexes in both centres. The redevelopment of Westfield Bondi Junction (incorporating Bondi Junction Plaza, Carousel and the Grace Bros site) in the early 2000's into a single retail complex would make it a flagship centre for the Westfield Group upon completion in 2004. This cemented Bondi Junction as a retail destination for the Eastern Suburbs, attracting luxury labels from Double Bay or Oxford Street, Paddington. 

Chatswood has benefited from the construction of the Metro North West, City and Bankstown Line and its predecessor Epping-Chatswood Rail Line. This has opened up access to those at North Ryde and North West and, in late 2026, Bankstown. 

The Metro West Line (Hunter Street, City to Westmead) will provide those travelling between Parramatta and the Sydney CBD with a faster service, relieving the existing T1 Western Line when completed in 2032. Major towers are planned for the blocks located directly above the proposed Parramatta Metro Station and will be easily connected to existing Light Rail and heavy rail lines. 

VISIONS OF SYDNEY: Bondi of the future exhibition - revisited (1968)

Sourced from: Grace Bros Bondi Junction. 1968. "See Bondi of the future" (Advertisement). The Wentworth Courier, November 13: 19.

Back in 2014, I posted an entry which would appear under Never Built Sydney, focusing on a 1968 Exhibition at Grace Bros, Bondi Junction, involving University of New South Wales Architecture students displaying their visions for Bondi in the year 2000.

I have posted this entry under Visions of Sydney as it aligns with "never builts" or future visions for redevelopment of suburbs that never proceeded or were early or alternate schemes or in this instance, university students predicting how Bondi may look over thirty years into the future.

Below is a newspaper advertisement from Grace Bros showing one of the proposed schemes. It is the same featured from the article I posted back in 2014, but with Ben Buckler in the foreground. Its familiar midrise unit blocks would not have survived. It would have been completely rebuilt from scratch, incorporating a mixture of residential and tourist development. Having a hotel located there would have utilised not just the views of the beach, but also those of the ocean. If the idea had evolved into a real proposal and then been built, it would likely have been amongst Sydney's most famous hotels, simply for its headland location.

Source: Grace Bros Bondi Junction. 1968. "See Bondi of the future" (Advertisement). The Wentworth Courier, November 13: 19.

And there is one feature from The Wentworth Courier (20 November 1968) that either shows another scheme or could be part of the initial scheme. I think the featured model could be one of how Campbell Parade may have been envisioned as looking in the year 2000.If so, much taller, larger buildings were predicted line the strip than in 2000 and 2026, six decades later. 

Source. Anonymous. 1968. Untitled. The Wentworth Courier, November 20: 4. 

Related Entry

NEVER BUILT SYDNEY: Bondi of the Future Exhibition (1968)

VISIONS OF SYDNEY: Bondi Junction Piazza (2001)

Full Citation Below

This is the last entry in our current series of Visions of Sydney. In 2001, Waverley Council had plans to build a Piazza in Bondi Junction to revitalise the Oxford Street mall. Retailers were struggling to attract customers into the mall following the opening of the undercover Bus/Rail Interchange, along with the redevelopment of Westfield Bondi Junction (completed 2004). 

Piazza-style malls were a trend at the time in Sydney, as reflected with The Forum at Leichhardt (1998) and Kogarah Town Square (2003). Apart from retail, the malls were surrounded by a residential population residing in apartment buildings (low to mid-rise). 

The piazza was to be centred on the site of Bronka Arcade and buildings adjacent to it. Low-rise apartment buildings would surround the Piazza along its western and eastern ends, while the podium of Eastgate Plaza would be moved forward into Spring Street to connect the complex with the piazza. This would have required the closure of Spring Street between Bronte Road and Newland Street.

   

Source: Harley, R. 2001. "Council is thinking outside the square". The Australian Financial Review, September 4: page unknown. 

Remember This? Winter Swimming at Bondi Icebergs (2004)

In recent times, there has been an increasing appeal of immersion in cold water, such as ice baths, due to the health benefits it can bring to a person and its potential to aid in the healing of muscle injuries. However, this has been disputed by some. 

Our mild winters and warm coastal waters, even in cooler months of the year, make swimming in Sydney a year-round activity. The biggest challenge of swimming in Sydney during winter is not the water itself. It's being out of it that's a problem, i.e. exposure to the cold air. 

Water temperatures in winter average from 19 to 21 degrees. The coldest month for ocean waters is usually August, but it can be in September.

In our coastal suburbs, air temperatures on the coldest mornings are around 5 degrees, which makes being in the water more appealing than braving the cold on land.

Below is a 2004 feature on Bondi Icebergs and its increase in membership numbers associated with an increase in Sydneysiders opting to brave the cold temperatures for their early morning swim.    

Source: Creighton, L. 2004. "Dawn patrol as winter swimmers splash out". The Sunday Telegraph, June 6: 20-21. 

1979: Syd Enfield Drive opens

Full Citation Below.

On January 9, 1979 the Bondi Junction Bypass (renamed as Syd Enfield Drive in 1988) was opened to traffic just two years after approval was given.

Source: Anon. 1979. "By-pass today, mall tomorrow". The Sydney Morning Herald, January 10: 1. 

The 1.3-kilometre road bypasses the Bondi Junction CBD, starting at Oxford Street and Ocean Street in Woollahra and ending at the intersection of Oxford Street, Old South Head Road and Bondi Road, Bondi Junction. 

 

Source: Anon. 1979. "Taking traffic out of Bondi Junction". The Sydney Morning Herald, January 10: 8. 

With traffic diverted from Oxford Street, it allowed for the closure of Oxford Street between Newland Street and Grosvenor Street to vehicular traffic. It was converted into the pedestrian mall that is seen today. 

All photos were taken by the Author (2025).

In 2025, Oxford Street between Grosvenor Street and Adelaide Street is restricted to buses only. 

Above: Oxford Street between Grosvenor Street and Adelaide Street is a bus-only thoroughfare. Photo taken by the Author (2025).

Property Advert of the Week: Eastgate Gardens (1987) - The mega advertisement

I have posted two advertisements promoting apartments for sale in Eastgate Towers in Bondi Junction (links below), but this one covers the entire page of a broadsheet newspaper (A2) size. It was published in The Sydney Morning Herald on April 11 1987.

Source: Laing & Simmons Pty. Ltd. 1987. "Eastgate Gardens". The Sydney Morning Herald, April 11: 36. 

Related Entries

Property Advert of the Week: Eastgate Gardens, Bondi Junction (1988)

Property Advert of the Week: Eastgate Towers, Bondi Junction (1987)

Property Advert of the Week: "El O'Livio", Tamarama (1971)

Below is a 1971 newspaper advertisement for the "El O'Livio" at Tamarama. It was advertised as located in Bondi. Two and three-bedroom apartments were on offer from $22 000, which would be equivalent to one spending $291 500 today (RBA Inflation Calculator). 

 

Source: Parkes Sales Pty. Ltd. 1971. "El O'Livio" ( Advertisement). The Daily Telegraph, June 5: 42.

Property Advert of the Week: Eastgate Gardens, Bondi Junction (1988)

Below is a newspaper advertisement promoting apartments for sale in the Twin Tower Eastgate Gardens complex at Bondi Junction from 1988. Two-bedroom apartments were on offer from $330 000 but were "very limited".

Source: Laing & Simmons Project Marketing. 1988. "Eastgate Gardens" (Advertisement). The Sydney Morning Herald, April 23: 3.

Related Entry

Property Advert of the Week: Eastgate Gardens, Bondi Junction (1987)

Property Advert of the Week: 72 Henrietta Street, Waverley (1964)

Below is a 1964 newspaper advertisement from The Sun promoting the sale of "bachelor units" at 72 Henrietta Street, Waverley. A £310 deposit ($610) would secure your unit. According to the RBA Inflation Calculator, this is equivalent to spending approximately $7775 in today's money.

Source: Landmark Limited. 1964. "Eastern Suburbs Bachelor Units". The Sun, March 6: 42.

Property Advert of the Week: Seapoint, Bondi Junction (1995)

Below is a 1995 newspaper advertisement by Mirvac promoting apartments in the twin tower Seapoint complex. No prices were advertised but note that it was advertised as being located in Woollahra when technically it was located in the Bondi Junction CBD.

A fantastic location that offered great city views, shops and transport at the door.

 

Source: Mirvac. 1995. "Your Passport to an International Lifestyle" (Advertisement). The Sydney Morning Herald, June 24: 84.

1970: Bondi - "It used to be the best place in the world" - (The Sun Article)

 

Source: Willey, K. 1970. Bondi - It used to be the best place in the world. The Sun, March 6: 4 & 8.

At the start of the 1970's, Bondi did not have the reputation that it holds today. Today, you will hear people say "It's the best place in the world" and Bondi Beach has a very good reputation overseas as one of the great beaches of the world. The Sun published an article on March 6, 1970 focusing on the decline of Bondi. Local resident Noel Balzer shared his recollections of growing up in the suburb and what it was now. 

The "old pine [Norfolk Pine] trees are dead", "garbage floating in the water", dumping of rubbish by Waverley Council into the ocean, litter in the streets, poor maintainence of public amenities and poorly maintained buildings were identified as some of the concerns raised by Balzer. He recalled some of the characters that made up the suburb and was concerned about the anti-social behaviour of New Zealanders that resided in the suburb. 

Bondi would contrinue to struggle through the 1970's and 1980's. The 1980's saw a focus on promoting the suburb to international tourists which increased as the decade progressed. High levels of beach pollution had made the beach increasingly unsafe to swim in, causing illness among swimmers and surfers as they swam in water contaminated with raw sewage and litter. Local residents could smell the stench from their homes. The 1990's saw the completion of the Deep Water Ocean Outfall which improved water quality for swimmers at Bondi. The suburb also became a tourist destination as international hotels opened in Campbell Parade.

The Norfolk Pines have returned, with the first trees planted in 1991, and today are becoming noticable as they slowly grow and mature.

Despite the revival of Bondi, it has come at some cost which I think would not impress Noel Balzer. House prices began rising in the 1980's, which meant that the working class residents which dominated the suburb could no longer afford to remain in the area. The median price of a home in Bondi is just $4 million, when compared with around $1.6 million for a typical Sydney suburb. Rising rents for shopfronts along Campbell Parade has seen many of the essential businesses that serve the suburb leave.

Property Advert of the Week: Harbourview Bondi Junction (1997)

Below is a 1997 newspaper advertisement advertising apartments for sale in the Harbourview tower at Bondi Junction. It is located at 257-259 Oxford Street where Oxford Street intersects with Old South Head Road and Syd Enfield Drive. 

Studio apartments started at $185 000, two bedroom apartments from $450 000 and three bedroom apartments for $675 000. 

 

Source: Walker Corporation. 1997. "Style Beautiful Finishes Views" (Advertisement). The Sydney Morning Herald, May 24: 15RE (Real Estate Liftout).