Property Advert of the Week: "Cowper Hall", Randwick (1986)

Below is a 1986 newspaper advertisement promoting apartments for sale in the "Cowper Hall" complex at 55 Cowper Street in Randwick. One-bedroom apartments were on offer for $110, 000 and two-bedroom units were on offer from $136,000. According to the RBA Inflation Calculator, this would equate to around spending $ 356,000 today (One bedroom) and $ 441,000 (two bedrooms) 

Source: L. J. Hooker.  1986. "Cowper Hall" (Advertisement). The Eastern Herald, October 30: 14. 

Royal Easter Show Flashback: 2000 (Part I)

The cover of the preview magazine was published in The Sun Herald on April 9, 2000.

Friday marks the start of the annual Royal Easter Show at Sydney Olympic Park. The year of focus is 2000 and will be presented in two entries.

This week, I will focus on key facts and the showbags.

Date:         April 14-29, 2000

The Easter Show ran for 16 days as in 1997-1999 and it will run for 12 days in 2025. 

Theme: The Great Australian Muster

Admission

Show Only entry ticket prices remained unchanged from 1999

Adults: - $17
Tertiary Students - $13

Children: - $9.50

Showlink tickets were also available and could be pre-purchased at train stations for use on any one day of the show, including show buses. 

Adults: - $22
Tertiary Students - $15.50

Children: - $12

In 2025, ticket options are broader, but the general prices are:

Adults - $ 48.00 (Up $3 from 2024)

Concession - $36 (Up $2  from 2024)

Child - $29.50 (down $1.50 from 2024)

PWD - $29.50 (down $1.50 from 2024)

Early bird tickets are available with discounts. 

Tickets in 2025 include free return travel on public transport on the day of the visit, and the date of the visit must be pre-booked. 

Unfortunately, there is a $5.50 booking fee per ticket as all tickets are sold via Ticketmaster.

Transport

As in 1998 and 1999, the Olympic Roads and Transport Authority (ORTA) oversaw public transport arrangements. The network of special regional bus services was maintained. The maps below were featured in the preview guide published in The Sun Herald on April 9 2000. There was no rail map for 2000.

Showbags

It has been reported that as many as 400 show bags are available in 2025. In 2000, 290 show bags were offered, still a large number. Showbags a quarter of a century ago ranged between $2 and $15, compared with $4 and $36 in 2024.

The images were obtained from the preview guide published in The Sun Herald on April 7, 2000.

Bensons

Note that the Cadbury Showbag was $5 and consistently a best seller. The "mega" bag for Cadbury fans in the day was the Crunchie Showbag, which cost $12. The Crunchie Showbag was a true Cadbury Showbag with various Cadbury Chocolates included.

One show bag I remember buying in 2000 was the Video Ezy Showbag, which included an ex-rental video alongside other goodies. I chose Armageddon as my movie because I am a fan of Disaster Movies. 

The Humungous Showbag, now sold under the Bensons Banner, was the only bag from The Showbag Factory that survived the move. 

Gag Magic

New Concept

They specialised in bags for TV Shows and films, including bags from Warner Bros. and Disney Franchises. In addition, merchandise could be purchased. WWF fans were also looked after, with two bags on offer. 

They also offered a Sydney Olympics Showbag ($12.50) and a  Sydney Swans showbag ($15). In 2025, AFL Fans can buy a bag for any of the 18 teams in the competition.

2DAY FM, Pepsi & Triple M 

All three were bestsellers, and the question has to be raised as to why neither of them brought out an annual bag for 2025. 2DAY FM was, at the time, the most listened-to FM Radio Station in Sydney, but it has slipped in the past decade following the departure of Kyle and Jackie O to KIIS FM ( Formerly MIX 1065/2UW).

You got a bag you could use each day, and whatever was featured was a freebie, making the bags value for money.

2DAYFM and TripleM also provided coffee mugs. 

Nestle

Bertie Beetle Showbags were on offer for $3 or 2 for $5. Only the blue (original bag) was available. Lifesavers was owned by Nestle in 2000 but is currently produced by Darrell Lea, meaning that Lifesavers Showbags are now sold in the Darrell Lea stand. 

Candy World

Mega Showbags

& the others...

The NRL had their showbags on offer, but did not require a visit to the Showbag Pavillion and cost $20. All teams were available

Darrell Lea offered four show bags in 2000 and will offer four in 2025, though the Liquorice Showbag is the one that has survived. A " classics"-themed bag is also on offer this year. One popular bag in 2000 that is no longer offered is the A Little Luxury Sample Bag.

That concludes Part I. Next week, I will share some feature articles and highlights from the 1999 Royal Easter Show in Part II. 

Related Entry 

Royal Easter Show Flashback: 2000 (Part II)

Last Edited April 16 2024


      

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

Below is a 1964 newspaper advertisement by AR Homes. The focus was on the model homes that could be built on a block of land.

Fibro Homes could be built for as little as £2090 ($4180), while Timber Homes could be built from £2215 ($4430). Brick Veneer homes were the most expensive starting from £2980 ($5960)

   Source: Arthur Robinson Pty. Ltd. 1964. "Priced beyond comparison" (Advertisement). The Daily Mirror, January 3: 26.

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: Epping Land Release (1970)

Below is a 1970 newspaper advertisement promoting a land release at Epping near the Epping Aquatic and Leisure Centre. According to the information provided, the lots appeared to encompass Pembroke Street and Raymond Place, a cul-de-sac, and the map features a cul-de-sac.

Blocks were on sale from $13,000, equivalent to spending $ 184,500 today (RBA Inflation Calculator).

 

Source: L. W. Roth & Co. 1970. "Land Sale". The Sun, December 18: 58.

1994: Closure of the original Yagoona McDonalds

McDonald's Yagoona is Australia's first McDonald's restaurant, opening in 1971. It closed in 1994, following restaurants opening in Bass Hill and Bankstown, which took away business from the Yagoona store. In 2021, McDonald's reopened on the site, with a contemporary design incorporating historical elements from its first incarnation.

Source: Mason, D. 1994. "Original Macs faces the chop". The Sunday Telegraph, August 23: 7. 

The closure of any McDonald's restaurant was rare back in that time. Since 2000, the closure of McDonald's restaurants has increased, but it is still outnumbered by store openings. Some closures result from a decision to relocate or in some instances beyond their control, e.g. McDonald's Pitt & Park Street closed to make way for the Sydney Metro around 2017. 

Another decision to close the restaurant was that the facilities in other stores were more modern, which was difficult to achieve on the site at the time.

After closure, it was converted into a building for commercial use. According to Google Streetview, extensions to the original restaurant were "tacked on" before the redevelopment back into a McDonald's restaurant which saw the demolition of the structure and the modern restaurant that occupies the site today.

Property Advert of the Week: 1 Georgina Street, Newtown (1998)

Below is a 1998 newspaper advertisement promoting the sale of 1 and 2-bedroom apartments in the  One Georgina Street complex in Newtown. Prices started from $230,000.

   

Source: Anon. 1998. "One Georgina Street" (Advertisement). The Sydney Morning Herald, May 2: 35 (Real Estate Liftout).

1965 - First Direct Flight from the United States to Sydney

Source: Anon. 1965. "End of the big hop". The Daily Telegraph, March 9: 17. 

Did you know that this month is sixty years since the first non-stop flight by a commercial jet from the United States to Australia? It was now possible for Australians to fly from Australia to the United States and vice versa without having to stop en route in either direction. It wold mark a significant milestone for Australian aviation

The first non-stop flight did not carry passengers. It was a delivery flight for Qantas who were accepting delivery of a Boeing 707 jet, named the City of Townsville.

To save petrol, the jet was towed to the runway at San Francisco International Airport, where it departed on March 6 1965. Due to crossing the international dateline (adding one day heading west), it landed at Sydney Airport on March 8 1965.

Flight time was 14 hours and 32 minutes, impressive when compared with the 13 hours and 20 minutes used by more prominent and more advanced jets. 

In 2025, flight times (non-stop) to American Cities flying from Sydney Airport are as follows.

Sydney - San Francisco:              13h, 20 min

Sydney - Los Angeles:                 13 h, 40 min

Sydney - Dallas:                           15 hours

Sydney - Houston:                        15 h, 35 min

Qantas introduced non-stop flights from Sydney to Los Angeles in 1984. when Boeing 747 jets could carry a full load of passengers across the Pacific without stopping. They had to use a smaller variant (747SP) which was designed to cover greater distances than other 747 jets operating at the time. 

 

Source: Anon. 1965. "First Flight Non-stop Over Pacific". The Sydney Morning Herald, March 10: 8.

Real Estate Advert of the Week: Pioneer Homes Australia - Sydney Advertisement (1998)

Below is a 1998 newspaper advertisement for Pioneer Homes Australia promoting house and land packages in New South Wales. Sydney locations included Narellan, Glenmore Park and Quakers Hill.

Hazel Hawke was the marketing ambassador. You may remember her from television commercials from around this time promoting the company. I recall the line "Rent money is dead money" in the television commercials as mentioned in the newspaper advertisement.

Repayments started at $199 per week. 

 

Source: Pioneer Homes Australia. 1998. "Builder pays deposit" (Advertisement). The Daily Telegraph, January 3: 7 (Homes Liftout). 

1999: Customs House Square extension

Source: Ryan, R. 1999. "Quay to the city". The Daily Telegraph, February 15:16.

In 1999, Alfred Street at Circular Quay was closed to all vehicles between Young Street and Loftus Street. This enabled Customs House Square to be extended and therefore connect the square directly to Circular Quay Station. 

The closure commenced on the evening of 14 February 1999. This meant that vehicles could no longer use Alfred Street, particularly buses, taxis, and coaches, to cross the city in either an easterly or westerly direction. It meant that they had to use Bridge Street.

Alfred Street between Loftus and George Street became one way for westbound traffic only, while two-way traffic remained in the section between Young Street and Phillip Street.

Sourced from: Ryan, R. 1999. "Quay to the city". The Daily Telegraph, February 15:16.

A consequence meant that bus services commencing or terminating in Alfred Street had to be shifted to new bus stops.

In 2015, Alfred Street was closed to all vehicles between Loftus and George Streets to enable the construction of the terminus for light rail services operating in the Sydney CBD, which opened in December 2019. In effect, it extended the square further. 

Below are some photos I recently took. It was interesting to note that the kerbs on Alfred Street at Customs House Square were retained.

This photo shows how the kerbs for Alfred Street were retained despite being integrated in Customs House Square.