Property Advert of the Week: Mala Homes Estate - St Marys (1969)

Below is a 1969 newspaper advertisement by Mala Homes to promote a "new sewered estate" at St Marys. Unfortunately, there are no details as to where it was built within the suburb. A $595 deposit bought a home and a block of land.

  Source: Mala Homes. 1969. "Mala Mala" (Advertisement). The Daily Telegraph, July 26: 48.

1977: Sydney Advertising Buses Feature

Today, Sydney buses are generally regarded as moving billboards, to the point that window views are generally obstrucutred. 

"Advertising Buses" in Sydney have been around for nealy fifty years, and began with five government buses in the 1970s. At least the windows were not covered. 

  

Source: Glascott, G. 1977. "Surfing lions and popsicle-eaters ride the buses". The Sydney Morning Herald, January 1: 5. 

Joseph Glascott wrote a feature article for The Sydney Morning Herald in 1977 on the buses. Views were mixed. 

"oldtapecaptures" uploaded a clip to Youtube of a Stevie Wonder Segment featuring the Stevie Wonder themed bus above. The bus itself played Stevie Wonder music. 

Property Advert of the Week: AVJennings 'Don't Miss The Boat Sale' (1989)

Below is a 1989 newspaper advertisement by AVJennings to promote their 'Don't Miss The Boat Sale'. House and land packages were offered at Bligh Park, Minto, Abbotsbury, Castle Hill, Kariong (Central Coast), Ambarvale and Minchin Hills from $99 000. 

   

Source: AVJennings. 1989. "AVJennings 'Don't Miss The Boat Sale.'" (Advertisement). The Daily Telegraph, August 12: 111.

1992: Ultimo's Australian Mercantile Land and Finance Co. Building destroyed by fire

Some readers may remember the fire that destroyed the Australian Mercantile Land and Finance Co. building at Ultimo in 1992.

Originally built in 1909, the former Woolstore in Ultimo had been abandoned and was facing redevelopment into an office, retail, apartment and hotel complex while preserving the heritage-listed building.

 

The fire began at lunchtime on 6 July 1992, but media reports reported that the fire "took hold" around 12:40pm. Being a former woolstore, lanolin, which had been embedded in the floors of the building, acted as an accelerant.

At around 12:51pm, a section of the wall along the western side collapsed, followed minutes later by sections of the eastern wall which lasted until 1:40pm.

Above: Coverage by The Sydney Morning Herald on 7 July 1992. 

The collapse of the eastern wall led to the destruction as many as 20 cars parked in Bullecourt Lane, catching alight as the heated walls rained down on them. Fortunately, the Monorail Depot escaped the carnage, though was hit by debris.

Firefighters from 15 fire stations fought the blaze, which took two hours to control but was smouldering for many hours afterwards. Four firefighters were injured.

Flames were reported to have risen as high as fifty metres into the air, with smoke visible from the suburbs.

Given the severity of the fire, 800 people were evacuated from nearby homes and businesses while thousands watched the fire burn from nearby vantage points.

The site eventually became the home of the Ian Thorpe Aquatic Centre and the Bullecourt apartment complex. The Aquatic Centre was opened in 2005 and was designed by Harry Seidler. 

Above: Ian Thorpe Aquatic Centre. Photo taken by the Author (2009).

Above: The Bullecourt Apartment Complex. Photo taken by the Author (2015). 

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. 

Remember This? Bennelong Restaurant Ad (1973)

In the last post of our current series of Remember This? I share a newspaper advertisement to promote the Bennelong Restaurant at the Sydney Opera House from 1973. This year is fifty years since the restaurant first opened to diners, coinciding with the opening of the Opera House itself.

 

Source: Bennelong Restaurant. 1973. "Your guide to dining at the Opera House" (Advertisement). The Sun, October 17: 6.

Remember This? Surfing at Ramsgate (1965)

Lady Robinsons Beach (Brighton Beach, as the locals like to call it) runs along the western shore of Botany Bay from Kyeemagh down to Sans Souci.

It is a beach that is not normally associated with surfing but in 1965, during a winter storm, the waves pounding the beach were high enough for surfers to take advantage of it.

Tbe stretch of beach at Ramsgate had become eroded due to the extensions of the north-south runway into Botany Bay and is believed to have been the reason behind the big waves. It was one of several storms that would erode the beachfront during the 1960's.

 

Source: Anon. 1965. "Waikiki Day at Botany". The St George and Sutherland Shire Leader. August 4: 1.

Remember This? The Changing City Photo Feature (1971)

Below are two photos that were published in a photo feature The Changing City, in The Daily Telegraph on 13 May 1971. The photos focus on the demolition of homes for the Eastern Suburbs Railway Line. The second photo also features highrise development taking place in the area, with the Kingsgate Hotel rising in the background. Note that Kings Cross, Darlinghurst and Woolloomooloo at the time were being subject to rezoning for highrise development, and proposals for highrise buildings had also been lodged, which were set to transform the area. However, with a few exceptions, the highrise developments did not proceed, and the area was allowed to retain its current densities and streetscapes. 

Remember This? State Transit Authority Ad (1990)

Below is a 1990 newspaper advertisement by the State Transit Authority to promote the savings associated with taking public transport on the weekends.

Source: State Transit Authority. 1990. "Catch the huge savings on buses and ferries this weekend". The Daily Mirror: 39.

In August 1990, Iraq invaded Kuwait, which led to an increase in petrol prices to around 75 cents per litre which was high at the time. The Sydney Harbour Bridge toll has doubled to $3.00 on weekends, but at the time, the $1.50 toll was charged irrespective of the time travelled. 

A ferry trip from Manly to Circular Quay in 1990 cost $3.20 for adults, compared with $8.04 on an opal card or contactless payment in 2023. Note that there is a weekend daily cap of $8.40 for an opal meaning a return trip would cost 36 cents. 

In 1990, it cost $3.80 to travel by bus from Newport to the city and $2.40 from Coogee to the city. In 2023, the same trip from Newport to the city decreased by 27 cents to $3.53 as bus fares were previously subject to a flat fare with no off-peak discounts. However, the trip from Coogee to the city has increased just 35 cents to $2.75, but when adjusted for inflation, the same trip in real terms is cheaper than in 1990.

A few weeks after the advertisement was published, Cityrail also used high petrol prices to attract commuters to commute by train. A link is listed below.

Opal Fares are correct as of  9 January 2023. 

Related Entry

Remember This? CityRail Advertisement (1990)

Remember This? Hotel Metropole Advertisement (1968)

Remember This? has returned for the annual summer run, where I share material that would not normally be suited to our regular weekly postings and an opportunity to share interesting finds that I encounter.

This week I share a 1968 newspaper advertisement for the Hotel Metropole, which was located on the current site of the Governor Macquarie Tower (facing Young, Bent and Phillip Streets). The hotel traded between 1890 and 1970 when it was demolished for CAGA House, a thirty-storey office tower which itself was demolished in 1992 for the Governor Macquarie Tower.

Rooms were available for as little as $6 per night, but a standard room cost around $12.50 per night. According to the RBA Inflation Calculator, $6 equated to around $78.30 in today's money, which is still cheap by Sydney standards for a hotel room if you were seeking a room on a low budget. For a double or twin room, it was equivalent to around $163 a night. 

Source: Hotel Metropole. 1968. "Hotel Metropole" (Advertisement). The Daily Telegraph, June 4: 5.