During their 1992 tour of Australia, The Beach Boysdid one concert in Sydney. Instead of opting for venues such as the Sydney Entertainment Centre, Sydney Football Stadium and the Sydney Cricket Ground, they performed at North Narrabeen Reserve, North Narrabeen (home to Rat Park and Warringah Rugby Club).
The venue was within walking distance of Narrabeen Beach. Narrabeen is referenced in the Beach Boys’ 1963 hit “Surfin’ U.S.A.” as “Australia’s Narrabeen,” establishing a direct geographic connection between the 1992 concert site and the song’s roll call of surf locations.
20, 000 people attended the concert on Saturday, November 28 1992. Lead singer Brian Wilson did not perform, but John Stamos (Full House) was a guest drummer, as reported by The Sun Herald (November 29 1992), who was a "hit" with the "teenage girls".
Source: Tubb, R. 1992. "Beach Boys Thrill Fans Again". The Sun Herald, November 29: 6
Remember This? is back for a short three-week mid-year series.
This year marks the Golden Jubilee of the Sydney Opera House as it celebrates fifty years since opening, and I thought I'd select one highlight from its fifty-year history.
The biggest event at the Opera House occurred in its forecourt on 24 November1996 when 150 000 people attended the last-ever concert by Crowded House, literally making it a crowded house. The concert was televised on television and raised $1 million for Sydney Children's Hospital at Randwick.
Thousands were turned away, and the final figure, I believe, includes those who failed to land a spot on the forecourt and were forced to watch (or listen) from nearby foreshore areas.
The concert began at 8pm, lasted around two and a half hours and concluded with a fireworks display on Sydney Harbour. The final piece played was Don't Dream It's Over, which is still played widely on the radio to this day and even used in a New Zealand tourism commercial in the 2000s
Crowded House reunited for a one-off concert at the same venue in 2016 to mark the twentieth anniversary of that concert, performing to a crowd a fraction of the size.
Such a crowd will never be matched due to safety restrictions that restrict the capacity of any major concert or event held in the Sydney Opera Forecourt.
Finally, it would rate as one of the most highly attended concerts in Australia but falls short of the 200 000 that attended the 1967 concert by The Seekers at the Sidney Myer Music Bowl in Melbourne.
Source: Rumble, T. & Hilferty, T. 1996. "It's a full House". The Daily Telegraph, November 25: 3.
In recent times, hoardings on city streets at construction sites feature historical images of central Sydney which have been provided by Sydney City Council. It has given pedestrians something of interest to look at as they walk past, learning about the city's past and how it looked at different points in history.
Fifty years ago, it was not photos that were on hoardings, but rather artworks as this article below shows.
Source: Ford, R. 1971. "Gay hoardings brighten the scene". The Sun Herald, March 21: 13.
This year is 30 years since the Museum of Contemporary Art opened its doors to Sydney art lovers. It was interesting to find articles relating to the announcement that Sydney was to get one.
The NSW State Government had vacated the Maritime Services Board (MSB) Building at West Circular Quay. In 1989 it leased the building to Sydney University for just $10 a week, allowing the museum to be created.
Source: Clifton, B. 1989. "Modern Art's Harbor Home". The Daily Mirror, March 22: 39.
Source: Grimshaw, P. 1989. "$100m gift for art". The Daily Telegraph, March 17: 9.
This fulfilled the vision of former NSW Premier Neville Wran who announced in 1984 that a Museum of Contemporary Art would occupy the building.
Source: Anon. 1984. "Art gallery for Quay". The Daily Telegraph, November 24: 20.
Through the creation of the Powerhouse Museum, it enabled the university to display the collection of Dr. John Power who bequeathed the university with his collection including artworks.
In 2001, the NSW Government became the main stakeholder for the museum. In 2012, a new five storey wing was completed that increased the size of the museum by 50%.
In 1987, The Sunday Telegraph published a feature article on the construction of the Powerhouse Museum which was opened the following year (1988).
It is good reading and even provided a background to the decision in 1979 to establish a museum on the site.
Unlike the opposition to completely relocate the museum to Parramatta in recent years (resulting in the State Government deciding to maintain the museum at Ultimo and still proceed with a second branch at Parramatta), some called for complete demolition of the 1899 building. The Power Station had fallen into disrepair after its decommissioning in 1961.
The article failed to mention that the Power Station had been listed by the National Trust in 1976 or the proposal to base a Museum of Technology in Ryde.
However the article itself is a good read and provided readers with a preview of some of the exhibits which Sydneysiders and visitors to Sydney have come to love when visiting the museum.
With concerns that Darling Harbour may not be as popular as successful as some thought, they were hopeful of still pulling in the hordes (estimated to be 2.5 million people per year).
It is difficult to locate figures for annual attendances, especially in recent years, but would be roughly half of the 2.5 million estimated. However the proposal to relocate the entire museum to Parramatta and then the subsequent decision to retain a museum at Ultimo alongside opening at Parramatta has highlighted that Sydneysiders appreciate the museum. There was passion to retain a museum at Ultimo. At the same time, there was a need to bring the museum into Sydney's west to give even better access to all Sydneysiders to its collections, also suggesting that the museum is appreciated.
This week, the Sydney Opera House turns 47. It cost $100 million to build and 14 years to build.
Below is the front page of The Sydney Morning Herald dated from January 30, 1957. The previous day, Danish architect Jorn Utzon beat 221 other entrants to win the design competition. His win also included a cash prize of 5000 pounds ($10 000).
The runners up also feature in the article.
Last year, The Guardian published artists impressions of some of the unsuccessful entries. I've had a look and none of them would match Utzons design. It was a very good decision. Sticking to the literal design was impossible for engineering reasons but the refinements made hit the mark and the effect was still the same!!!
It is one of the best buildings built globally in the modern age. This proves Sydney can get it right with architectural designs. We just need people with vision to make it happen!!!!
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Above: A photo published in The St George and Sutherland Shire Leader on January 29 1987.
On Thursday, we mark Australia Day and as part of marking Australia Day in 1987, Sydneysiders were treated to the final concert of Australian Made tour.
Leading Australian Artists came up with the idea of uniting together to promote the best of Australian Talent and undertook a national tour which began in Hobart on December 26, 1986, before moving onto Adelaide, Perth, Melbourne, and Brisbane.
This was in response to promoters of international acts who claimed that Australian artists could not fill up large arenas.
The concert has been recorded as occurring on January 26, 1987. It was held on January 24, 1987, which was part of the Australia Day long weekend. In Sydney, the concert was held at Endeavour Field (Southern Cross Group Stadium), Cronulla attracting crowds of more than 20 000. INXS were the headline act, but the list of acts was endless. We will never see a list like it again
Jimmy Barnes
The Divinyls
Mental as Anything
I'm Talking
The Saints
Models
The Triffids.
Below is some coverage as seen from The St George and Sutherland Shire Leader on January 29, 1987. The feature was published on page 3.
And as a bonus, below are some clips from the film (from Youtube) that was produced as part of the tour and all are from the Sydney concert.
This Friday (December 2), Channel Seven will celebrate 60 years of broadcasting in Sydney, under the callsign ATN7.
It was the third TV station to commence operations in Sydney following the opening of TCN9 in September 1956, and ABN2 (ABC) just a month before. The studios were located at Mobbs Lane, Epping, with the TV transmitter based at Gore Hill. ATN7 would remain at Epping until 2010 when they moved production facilities to the Australian Technology Park at Eveleigh. The original studios is now a housing estate. Several years before in 2004, its news department relocated to purpose-built studios at Martin Place. Local and national news bulletins and programs are produced there.
Source: Anon. 1956. Untitled (photograph). The Sun Herald, December 2:39.
ATN7 was owned by Amalgamated Television Services comprising of a consortium of various radio, electrical and media interests including The Sydney Morning Herald and The Sun. It was a subsidiary of Fairfax. The channel would eventually become the flagship of the Seven Network, even though HSV7 in Melbourne was the first channel in the network to go to air in November 1956. ATN7 and HSV7 formed the Australian Television Network (Seven Network) in 1963. It would eventually be joined by BTQ7 (Brisbane), SAS7 (Adelaide) & TVW7 (Perth).
Fairfax would have ownership of ATN7 until 1987 when Quintex owned by Christopher Skase bought out the Seven Network. This was due to changes in Commonwealth media laws which stipulated that Fairfax could only own either print publications or television stations. Fairfax opted for print publications. Today, the Seven Network is currently part of Seven West Media, owned by Kerry Stokes.
Source: Anon. 1956. "Television Station ATN Channel 7 Opened by P. M. G.". The Sydney Morning Herald, December 3:1.
The transmission on opening night (December 2 ) commenced at 7:30pm with the official opening of the channel by the Postmaster General - Mr. C. W. Davidson. This was followed by A Shower of Stars, which was a live studio program at 7:45pm. The first feature film - It's Folly To Be Wise screened at 9pm. A news bulletin at 10:30pm would close the first night's transmission, closing at 10:45pm.
Source: ATN7. 1956. Untitled (advertisement). The Sun Herald, December 2, 39.
A special supplement was provided in the December 3 edition of The Sydney Morning Herald to mark its opening. Selected extracts feature below.
Initially, TV broadcasts on ATN7 commenced at 4:30pm with transmission closing at around 10:30pm. On weekends, broadcast times were shorter.
Early shows included:
Your Home featuring Del Cartwright
At Seven on 7 with Howard Craven
This I Believe with Eric Baume
Sydney Tonight with Keith Walshe
Caltex Theatre (Sunday Evening)
Below is a feature on its mobile broadcast unit (Click to enlarge).
Over the past sixty years, ATN7 has contributed significantly to the success of the Seven Network and bred stars of the small and eventually for some the big screen. Writing its achievements would need to be an essay. It has also been noted for pioneering programming formats on Australian television. For instance, Sydney Tonight was the first "tonight" show in Australia. Where would Graham Kennedy, Bert Newton and Don Lane be if it were not for this? At Seven on 7 was also the first current affairs show in Australia. ATN7 has also been an innovator. They were first with videotape equipment at Epping in the 1950s but also working with GTV9 in Melbourne to broadcast programs between Sydney and Melbourne with microwave links.
Seven Network Headquarters at Pyrmont. Photo was taken by the Author (2011).
To mark the 50th Anniversary of The Beatles Australian Tour, I managed to scour through the archives of The Sydney Morning Herald online and share some of the photos as taken by photographers at the paper.
The "Fab Four" arrived on a cold and windy day at Sydney Airport on June 11, 1964, where large crowds braved the elements to greet them. Sydney was the first stop on their tour of Australia and New Zealand. They did not perform that day and flew to Adelaide the next day to present their first set of concerts before heading to Melbourne.
On June 18, The Beatles returned to Sydney. They performed six concerts over three nights at the Sydney Stadium, Rushcutters Bay performing to a combined crowd of about 40-50 000 people (conservative figure but could be 60 000). The image below was taken from the first two concerts. We think young girls go crazy for groups like One Direction but that was nothing compared to this. Imagine a young girl hearing this today from their grandmother.
And they attracted big crowds to their hotel at Kings Cross (Sheraton Hotel, Macleay Street) hoping to score a glimpse of the group. This was taken on June 18, 1964. Police was stretched to the limit in controlling the crowds.
I also came across a newsreel which documents their visit to Sydney. It also includes footage of their visit to Adelaide, where crowds of 350 000 welcomed them to the city (They believe it was half the population of the city at that time).
