Property Advert of the Week: Heathcote Land Release (1966)

In 1966, blocks of land in Cassandra Cresent and part of Cornith Road in Heathcote were on sale. Even though it was advertised in October, agents were still allowed to advertise in pounds until early 1968.

 

Source: Anon. 1966. "Land-Sutherland Shire-Heatchote" (Advertisement). The Sun, October 14: 65.

MILESTONE: 20 Years of Light Rail in Sydney (1997)

Source: Stuart, S. 1997. "All aboard the city streetcars tomorrow: Trams right on track". The Sunday Telegraph, August 10: 9.

This month is 20 years since the return of trams to Sydney. In August 1997, the first services commenced operation from Central Station through Pyrmont to Wentworth Park at Glebe.
The first services began on August 11 but were limited in frequency until the end of the month.

 

Source: Rogers, J. 1997. "Back on Track: After 36 years, the trams return to Sydney". The Daily Telegraph, August 11, 3. 

However, the grand opening was not until August 31, 1997, with festivities at all stations along the line.

  

Source: Sydney Light Rail. 1997. "Don't miss our 4 kilometre party!" (Advertisement). The Daily Telegraph, August 28: 26 & 27. 

The following day (September 1) saw the commencement of full services.



Source:  Birch, S & Robinson, M. 1997. "One passenger, 8 minutes late". The Daily Telegraph, September 1, 17. 

The return of trams to Sydney was not without its problems. One concern was the speed of the trams as they made their way through Haymarket. They were merely too slow.

Source: Skelsey, K. 1997. "Slow tram coming: Delays force review of 20km/h speed limit". The Daily Telegraph, September 22: 17.

Motorists faced fines blocking trams.

  

Source: Bissett, K. 1997. "Trams bring new road fine hazards". The Daily Telegraph, June 16: 6.

The changes were too much for some...

Source: Porter, B. 1997. Sydney's most confusing corner claims another victim ... and another ... and another. The Daily Telegraph, September 23: 17. 

The line was extended from Wentworth Park to Lilyfield in 2000 with a further extension to Dulwich Hill opening in 2014. Initally, the light rail was privately owned and managed by TNT Transit Link (also operators of the monorail) , before changing ownership to CGEA Australia. In 2012, the State Government purchased the company for $20 million before integrating fares and services into the broader public transport network.

Property Advert of the Week: Karingal, Lane Cove (1971)

The swinging 1960s saw the appearance of the first villa and townhouse complexes in Sydney. Here is one for Karingal at Lane Cove dating back to 1971.

Source: Duncan Properties. 1971. "Visit lovely 'Karingal' Town Houses". The Daily Telegraph, May 8: 58. 

MILESTONE: The M5 Motorway turns 25 (1992)

Today (August 14) is the 25th Birthday of the M5 Motorway. I have obtained material from the time of opening in 1992.

Source: Interlink Roads Pty Ltd. 1992. "M5" (Advertisement). The Sunday Telegraph, August 9: 48. 

When opened in August 1992, Stage 1 ran from Fairford Road, Padstow to the Hume Highway at Casula. Drivers were charged $1.50. When extended to King Georges Road, Beverly Hills several months later, the toll rose to $2. In today's money, that would be equivalent to $3.64. Excluding GST, motorists pay $4.04 to use the same road at present ($4.60 with GST).

The opening of the M5 was marred by protests. Premier John Fahey left it to his deputy and roads minister Wal Murray to open the road. Driving legend Peter Brock was the first driver on the new motorway. He was the marketing ambassador for its owner Interlink Roads.

Source: Skelsey, M. 1992. "M5 drama as 300 heckle Murray". The Daily Telegraph Mirror, August 15: 7. 

One challenge with new toll roads in Sydney has been the ability to attract traffic upon opening. The M5 was no stranger. Opening Day had virtually no traffic.

Even a year later, it was being criticized for the fact it took people "nowhere"

  

Source: Allan, C (Editor). 1993. "Making M5 a road to somewhere" (Editorial). The Daily Telegraph Mirror, November 1: 10. 

Not even promoting the motorway as the only way into Sydney worked.

Source: Stapleton, J. 1992. "This way to the M5 but where's the free way?". The Sydney Morning Herald, August 25: 4. 

Fast forward a quarter of a century later and the M5 is one of Sydney's most congested roads. Not even adding second and third lanes (1999 & 2011) in each direction would relieve congestion. The M5 East (2001) connected the motorway to the Orbital network, allowing motorists direct access into central Sydney, Sydney Airport and Port Botany.

Property Advert of the Week: Greenwood, Botany (1998)

This week, we head to Botany with two bedroom apartments in a village style setting available for $210 500 in 1998.

 

Source: Colliers Jardine. 1998.  "Greenwood" (advertisement). The Sydney Morning Herald, May 2: 23 (Real Estate Liftout). 

1962: Tom Ugly's Bridge as a double deck bridge?

In 1962, there was only one crossing over Georges River to link the Sutherland Shire with the rest of Sydney - Tom Ugly's Bridge. The bridge could only carry three lanes of traffic. The postwar years saw a boom in the population and congestion on the bridge approaches was becoming an ever increasing problem.

Source: Anon. 1962. "Engineer proposes an answer to the chaos". The St George and Sutherland Shire Leader, February 8: 1. 

One engineer - James Stewart had a plan that would allow for an additional three lanes built atop the existing lanes of the bridge. It was an efficient proposal, but the challenge would have been with the approaches to the bridge. This may have had implications on both sides of the bridge as we see it today. 

   

Source: Anon. 1962. "Cars could drive over the top of Tom Ugly's". The St George and Sutherland Shire Leader, February 8: 3. 

It was not until 1987, that a second bridge was built roughly parallel to the existing bridge - Georges River Bridge which would carry southbound traffic on the Princes Highway, allowing tom Ugly's Bridge to carry northbound traffic only. 

Also, he suggested a rail line traveling from Caringbah to Rockdale to relieve congestion on the single deck Como Bridge with the tracks incorporated into the soon to be built Captain Cook Bridge. He felt that while tenders had closed, the design could be modified. The line would have followed the corridor for the F6 (Southern) Freeway and rejoined the main Illawarra line at Rockdale. This would have led to significant reductions in commute times on the Cronulla branch line and provided South Coast services a second route through Southern Sydney.

Property Advert of the Week: Gymea Land Release (1966)

Treloar Reality had blocks of land for sale in Gymea in late 1966 for just a seventy-pound deposit ($140). The lots were in First Avenue and Yarra Burra Street and appears to also include Conjola Place and Cobargo Road.



A Google Streetview reference to the area today is available here.

Source: Treloar Reality Pty. Ltd. 1966.  "Sensational New Release !!!" (Advertisement). The Sun, October 14: 63.

1979: The Sirius is opened

The photo was taken by the Author (2015)

Last week, the NSW Government lost a court case against the NSW Heritage Council's council to proceed with the decision to list the Sirius Building on the State Heritage Register. This has set back plans by Housing NSW to sell the site to a building developer and allow for a private housing development to rise on the site.

Source: Berryman, M. 1977. Vast Rocks Unit Complex Will Change Skyline. The Sun Herald, September 4: 19. 

In 1977, there was some excitement when the plans for the building were unveiled. It was to be the first residential apartment complex to be built by The Rocks Redevelopment Authority which had been established in 1970. The complex was designed by Architect Theo (Tao) Gofers. An early scheme (below) included a second building, which was to be commercial.

Some might say its disjointed but it was for a reason - to reflect the disjointed skyline. It would form the shape of a Pyramid. In addition, it was to minimise the impact of the complex on the skyline itself. In addition, it was to follow the layout of the area.

The apartments were designed primarily for the aged and families. For instance, access to apartments in the Sirius was via lifts and no stairs could be found at the entrance. The first residents moved into apartments in 1979.

In addition, there was a community hall, library and a rooftop garden available to residents, except the garden was never really made available.

As of May, two residents remained in the complex, the NSW Heritage Council has recommended that it be listed on the NSW Heritage Register for its brutalist architecture, but also was a project that proceeded despite initial Green Bans on the site.

However, the NSW Government has opposed it and allowing its demolition would allow for the site to be sold for a higher price, and allowing greater scope for redevelopment. If Sirius was allowed only to be converted into a private housing complex, potential revenue from its sale would be lower.

The Sirius gave those from the working class and the disadvantaged an opportunity to share in the spoils that living around Sydney Harbour had to offer. The views themselves are worth millions. This era is set to come to an end, irrespective of whether or not the Sirius is allowed to remain.

Property Advert of the Week: Harrington Grande (1998) - NEVER BUILT

This week, we head to Harrington Street in the Sydney CBD where apartments in the Harrington Grande tower were on sale in 1998. One problem though, it never went ahead and was replaced with the Harry Seidler designed Cove Apartments in 2003 (Approved by Sydney City Council in 2000).

The developer is not mentioned unless they were trying to find a developer to purchase the development application.

Quite a rare find.

 

Source: Anon. 1998. "The Harrington Grande" (Advertisement). The Sydney Morning Herald, May 2: 23RE (Real Estate Liftout). 

NEVER BUILT SYDNEY: Early Highrise Proposal for 400 George Street (1987)

A contact of mine at Sydney City Council - Richard Braddish has mentioned to me and other highrise enthusiasts that there was a major proposal in the late 1980s for an office tower at 400 George Street.

We ended up with an office tower a decade later, but shorter than what was envisioned.

Source: Jackson, D. 1987. "Up, up and Away". SMH Style (The Sydney Morning Herald), January 15: 4.  

The 1987 proposal would see the tower rise 43 levels above George Street. The architect was Andrew Metcalf. His scheme proposed that the tower would rise above a five-story retail podium, retaining facades of historic buildings, yet adding a human element to it. The tower itself would rise set back from the podium.

400 George Street as viewed from Sydney Tower. The photo was taken by the Author (2012).

It would be a decade before an office tower was built on the site, following the collapse of the property market at the end of the 1980s combined with reduced demand for office space in central Sydney. However, it only rose 35 levels or 138 metres above street level.

The retail complex became known as the Sydney Arcade which followed an arc from King Street through to the Pitt Street Mall. It offers high-end retail. If the original scheme had gone ahead, we probably might have ended up with a retail complex like the Glasshouse and Mid City Centre as originally built in those times with disjointed layouts etc. In fact, we might have seen a redevelopment of it to compete with the offerings of the current Pitt Street Mall.

The photo was taken by the Author (2004)