Property Advert of the Week: Excelsior, Surry Hills (1997)

Below is a 1997 newspaper advertisement for the Excelsior complex at 242 Elizabeth Street in Surry Hills. One-bedroom apartments were available from $172 000, and two-bedroom apartments were available from $332 000. 

   

Source: Charles & Stuart & Colliers Jardine. 1997. "Excelsior...a true classic..." (Advertisement). The Sydney Morning Herald, April 5: 11RE (Real Estate Liftout).

Remember This? Bankstown Square Advertisement (1969)

Below is a 1969 newspaper advertisement from The Sun promoting Bankstown Square as the "Australia's Greatest Shopping Centre".

Source: Bankstown Square. 1969. "Bankstown Square Australia's Greatest Shopping Centre" (Advertisement). The Sun, June 19: 14. 

Entry of Interest

MILESTONE: Bankstown Square Opens (1966)

Property Advert of the Week: Hooker Homes Ad (1964)

Below is a newspaper advertisement from 1964 by Hooker Homes promoting model homes. The main home featured is The Margaret, a four bedroom home which could be built on your block for £3,775 ($7, 550). According to the RBA Inflation Calculator, this is equivalent to paying $ 126,000 today.

Source: Hooker Homes. 1964. "Absolutely unbeatable value" (Advertisement). The Sun, March 6: 39. 

Remember This? Sydney from Space (1973)

Below is a 1973 photograph of the Greater Sydney region taken from a Satellite in orbit 318 miles (599 kilometres) above the Earth. This photograph was published in The Daily Telegraph on May 15, 1973. The aerial photo also encompasses Gosford, Newcastle, and part of the Hunter Valley.

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)

East Circular Quay Redevelopment (Series): East Circular Quay 'Ideas Quest' (1992)

Source: Sydney City Council. 1992. "East Circular Quay 'Ideas Quest'" (Advertisement). The Daily Telegraph Mirror, January 6: 12.   

A fortnight ago, I posted Colonial Mutual Limited's (CML) proposal to build a $700 million commercial development at East Circular Quay in 1991. Sydney City Council rejected the proposal because it did not comply with the site's planning guidelines.

This led to Sydney City Council reviewing the site's planning guidelines. In January 1992, it invited the public to submit ideas on how the site should be developed. Architect Ken Woolley assessed the submissions. 

In March 1992, the submissions were placed on public exhibition. 

Source: Sydney City Council. 1992. "Exhibition of the East Circular Quay Ideas Quest". The Daily Telegraph Mirror, February 29: 23. 

Below is a feature article from The Daily Telegraph Mirror featuring some of the submissions.

Source: Bye, C. 1992. "Quay shapes up for the future". The Daily Telegraph Mirror, March 4: page unknown.

Following the exhibition, new guidelines were drawn by the panel led by Ken Woolley. For the site owned by Colonial Mutual Limited (CML), a maximum height limit of 42.5 metres was set, which was lower than four of the buildings that either occupied the site or had been demolished. South of Moore Steps, future development would be capped at a maximum of 65 metres. 

Source: O'Brien, G. 1992. "No great heights at Quay site". The Sydney Morning Herald, June 10: 4. 

The guidelines also recommended:

• Provision of a cultural facility
• Utilise part of the existing roadway for pedestrian use
• Ground and lower floors to accommodate restaurants, retail, entertainment and tourist facilites.
• Possible use of land under Macquarie Street for public use. 

The National Institute of Architects objected to the new guidelines.

Source: Anon. 1992. "Architects call for new Quay design". The Sydney Morning Herald, June 11: 8. 

As I will be away during the school holiday period, I will have two Remember This? entries for the next two Mondays and will resume this series on May 6.

Entries in this series

1. East Circular Quay Redevelopment (Series): The first apartment block proposal (1979)
2. East Circular Quay Redevelopment (Series): Opera Garden Centre Scheme (1984)
3. East Circular Quay Redevelopment (Series): Unilever House Hotel Conversion (1986)
4. East Circular Quay Redevelopment (Series): Opera Garden Centre Scheme Revisited (1986)
5. East Circular Quay Redevelopment (Series): Unilever House Hotel Conversion (1987)
6. East Circular Quay Redevelopment (Series): CML's 1990 Scheme
7. East Circular Quay Redevelopment (Series): CML's Bennelong Centre (1991)
8. East Circular Quay Redevelopment (Series): East Circular Quay Redevelopment (Series): The Revolving Office Tower Scheme (1991)

Real Estate Advert of the Week: Watermark Apartments, Glebe (1998)

Below is a 1998 newspaper advertisement promoting apartments for sale in the Watermark Apartment Complex in Glebe. The apartments are located on Blackwattle Bay and offer spectacular views of the bay and the city skyline.

   

Source: Sydney Prime Realty. 1998. "The Watermark Apartments" (Advertisement). The Sydney Morning Herald, May 2: 30 (Real Estate Liftout). 

East Circular Quay Redevelopment (Series): The Revolving Office Tower Scheme (1991)

Source: Cameron, F. 1991. "Revolving idea attracts foreign interest". The Weekend Australian, November 30: page unknown.

Last week, I posted Colonial Mutual Limited (CML) 's 1991 proposal for the Bennelong Centre at East Circular Quay, which Sydney City Council rejected.

Towards the end of 1991, Hassell Architects unveiled a proposal to construct the first revolving office tower in the world on the site. While the proposal attracted global interest, CML was not interested. Three years earlier, CML had secretly rejected the scheme. 

Source: McDougall, B. 1991. "A new tower to turn heads". The Daily Telegraph Mirror, November 26: 1-2.

Hassell Architects was no longer bound by the agreement and could make it public. They wanted Australia to have the first tower of its type built in the world.

The rotating tower would rise thirty-six stories and turn 180 degrees each day, tracking the sun. Tenants would have harbour views every second day. It was designed in the shape of a leaf, and the circular core of the building would remain stationary. 

Given CML's lack of interest, this proposal didn't go far. 

It also attracted criticism from planning experts and environmentalists.

Source: Scott, S. & Bisset, K. 1991. "Turning tower in trouble". The Daily Telegraph Mirror, November 27: 9.  

Entries in this series

1. East Circular Quay Redevelopment (Series): The first apartment block proposal (1979)
2. East Circular Quay Redevelopment (Series): Opera Garden Centre Scheme (1984)
3. East Circular Quay Redevelopment (Series): Unilever House Hotel Conversion (1986)
4. East Circular Quay Redevelopment (Series): Opera Garden Centre Scheme Revisited (1986)
5. East Circular Quay Redevelopment (Series): Unilever House Hotel Conversion (1987)
6. East Circular Quay Redevelopment (Series): CML's 1990 Scheme
7. East Circular Quay Redevelopment (Series): CML's Bennelong Centre (1991)

Property Advert of the Week: Park View Estate, Hammondville (1967)

Below is a 1967 newspaper advertisement for the Park View Estate at Hammondville. The estate comprised streets including Sligar Avenue, Bradey Avenue, Norman Avenue, and Keato Avenue. Blocks retailed for a maximum of £1395 ($2790). According to the RBA Inflation Calculator, this would equate to spending $42,000 today.

Source: James Deering Pty. Ltd. 1967. "Land Sale" (Advertisement). The Daily Telegraph, July 29: 34. 

Note: Advertising in pounds, shillings and pence was permitted in 1967 as part of a two-year transition to decimal currency in 1966.

East Circular Quay Redevelopment (Series): CML's Bennelong Centre (1991)

From: O'Brien, G & Chancellor, J. 1991. "Too high, too wide, too big: Quay tower rejected". The Sydney Morning Herald, July 26: 1. 

With Easter now over, I resume our series on the redevelopment of East Circular Quay.

Three weeks ago, I mentioned how Colonial Mutual Limited (CML) had spent $250 million in 1988 and 1989 to purchase four adjoining properties or sites to add to their existing ownership of Bennelong House. This opened up opportunities to redevelop the block. In 1990, plans for an office complex known as the Bennelong Centre were leaked to the public, sparking opposition.

Source: Hawes, R. 1991."'Ugly' Quay gets new look". The Daily Telegraph Mirror, June 27: 1 & 4. 

In June 1991, a more conservative scheme known as the Bennelong Centre was unveiled. It complied with Sydney City Council's planning guidelines, restricting the height to seventeen storeys. The estimated cost of redevelopment was $700 million. However, it would exceed the height limits and width dimensions by three metres. Council also recommended a maximum of 46 000 sq/m of floorspace, but CML proposed 56 000 sq/m of floorspace.

Apart from office space, three levels of retail space were provided, with an open colonnade and a concealed bus interchange underneath Macquarie Street to replace the existing street-level terminus. The creation of the Colonnade and building onto the Macquarie Street footpath enabled the extra 10,000 sq/m of space, which was needed to make the development economically viable. 

Graham Rogers, Director and General Manager of CML, presented their case for the development based on the argument that it complied with guidelines. 

Source: Rogers, G. 1991. "Quay proposal 'follows guidelines'". The Sydney Morning Herald, July 23: 25.

And opinion was stacked against it.

Source: Briggs, L. 1991. "Cool response to $300m Quay plan". The Weekend Australian, June 29: 1 (Property Review Section).

NSW Opposition Leader Bob Carr called for a public inquiry into the site's development and considered a possible land swap for other government-owned land west of the Sydney CBD.

Source: Romei, S. 1991. "Carr calls for Quay inquiry". The Daily Telegraph Mirror, July 24: 10.

The majority of Aldermen at Sydney City Council also expressed their opposition. 

Source: Catalano, A. 1991. "Helen leads Quay fight". The Sun Herald, July 21:15. 

The Sydney Morning Herald approached nine architects to share their insights. 

Source: Chancellor, J. & Nixon, A. 1991. "Opinion is stacked against the Bennelong Centre". The Sydney Morning Herald, July 15: 26. 

The Central Sydney Planning Committee rejected the proposal on July 25 1991, as it did not comply with planning guidelines, given it had exceeded its height, width and bulk. This would lead to CML withdrawing their development application within a fortnight of its rejection.

  

Source: O'Brien, G. & Chancellor, J. 1991. "Too high, too wide, too big: Quay tower rejected". The Sydney Morning Herald, July 26: 1.

The series continues next week. 

Entries in this series

1. East Circular Quay Redevelopment (Series): The first apartment block proposal (1979)
2. East Circular Quay Redevelopment (Series): Opera Garden Centre Scheme (1984)
3. East Circular Quay Redevelopment (Series): Unilever House Hotel Conversion (1986)
4. East Circular Quay Redevelopment (Series): Opera Garden Centre Scheme Revisited (1986)
5. East Circular Quay Redevelopment (Series): Unilever House Hotel Conversion (1987)
6. East Circular Quay Redevelopment (Series): CML's 1990 Scheme