https://www.facebook.com/226304965471496/

Sydney Explained, Punchbowl Road, Sydney (2026)

14/10/2026

THE COLOMBIA GRAPHOPHONE COMPANY OPENED ON THIS DAY 100 YEARS AGO 💿🎙️📍Homebush
The Columbia Graphophone Company plant and studio in Homebush was officially opened on October 14, 1926, by the Governor of New South Wales, Sir Dudley de Chair. The opening marked the birth of the commercial recording and record-pressing industry in Australasia.

The site on Parramatta Road at Homebush was originally built in 1921 as Gold’s Hosiery Mills before being purchased by the Australian subsidiary of the Columbia Graphophone Company around 1925–1926.

It was the first dedicated record-pressing factory and recording studio in the region, ending the need to wait months or years for records to be shipped from overseas.

The factory featured 20 modern pressing machines imported from the UK, capable of producing nearly 11 million records per year, and employed around 350 workers.

The studio captured historic moments and artists, including trans-Pacific flight stories of Kingsford-Smith and Ulm (1928), political speeches by Stanley Bruce and Billy Hughes(1929), the classic cricket tribute “Our Don Bradman” (1930), and early sessions for icons like Slim Dusty (starting in 1946) and Gladys Moncrieff.

In 1931, parent company Columbia Graphophone merged in Britain to form Electric & Musical Industries Ltd (EMI), centralising Australian record production and operations at the Homebush plant.

During World War II, the facility also manufactured electronic devices for the Australian defence effort.

As vinyl production slowed with the rise of Compact Discs (CDs), the historic factory closed down in the early 1990s.

The original brick building still stands on the corner of Parramatta Road and Columbia Lane and has been converted into Kennards Self Storage.

Nearby Nipper Street Open Space features musical themes and historic boards honouring the site’s legacy.

11/10/2026

THE OBSERVER HOTEL (1848) REOPENS AFTER A 6 YEAR HERITAGE RESTORATION 📍The Rocks
The Observer Hotel in The Rocks, was first established in 1848 as the Observer Tavern and later rebuilt in 1908–1909 as a classic post-plague heritage pub.

While the exact origin of the name is unconfirmed, the first stage of the Sydney Observatory on Observatory Hill was also built in 1848.

Located across from the Sydney Morgue (or “Dead House”), the original pub frequently acted as an unofficial coroner’s courtroom due to the small and overcrowded state of the morgue.

Following an outbreak of plague in the area in 1901, the government resumed the land, and the old buildings were demolished by 1908.

The existing two-storey building was constructed between 1908 and 1909 to designs by architects Halligan & Wilton, incorporating the older cellar of the Waterman’s Arms.

The three storey building was designed in the Federation Free Style architectural style. The building features a cement render finish, central recessed balconies on the upper floors, rare Art Nouveau detailing, and a decorative triangular section in the roofline. It originally featured a footpath verandah which was later replaced by a metal cantilevered awning (Wunderlich).

The onset of the pandemic and initial lockdowns in early 2020 forced the venue to shut its doors.
It remained shuttered as a “ghost pub” for over six years undergoing extensive heritage restoration.

The historic venue officially reopened in October 2026 after being reimagined and revived by the Barrelhouse Group (the team behind The Duke of Clarence).

10/10/2026

WESTFIELD BURWOOD IS 60 YEARS OLD TODAY 🛍️
The original Westfield Shoppingtown Burwood officially opened on October 11, 1966, with a dedication ceremony led by New South Wales Premier Robert Askin, making it one of the earliest shopping centres in Australia.

The site was chosen specifically because of its midpoint position between Parramatta and the Sydney C*D.

It was the first shopping centre ever to carry the official Westfield logo and the first to be branded as a “Shoppingtown” concept. The “Shoppingtown” model was designed by founders Frank Lowy and John Saunders to offer more than just retail stores, integrating professional and community services such as doctors, dentists, petrol stations, and entertainment.

Built on a natural slope, it was the first shopping centre in New South Wales to use a gently ascending grade connected by ramps and stairs rather than traditional multi-level steps.

The opening lineup included major department stores and supermarkets such as Farmers (later Grace Bros, then Myer), Coles, Winns, and Mark Foys.

The original 1966 build featured a unique circular stage and a famous air fountain that kept metallic-colored balls suspended using controlled compressed air.

The original 1960s complex was completely demolished in 1999 and replaced with a modern multi-level shopping and entertainment destination that officially reopened on 17 August 2000.

*Historical photographs sourced from Trove, Old Shops Australia and Fairfax Media. All current photographs taken by 10th October 2026.

09/10/2026

ALLEN C. LEWIS MEMORIAL FOUNTAIN ⛲️📍Circular Quay
The Allen C. Lewis Fountain is a prominent public monument located in the centre of a traffic roundabout at the northern end of Macquarie Street, right near the entrance gates and forecourt of the Sydney Opera House. Because of its strategic placement, the fountain welcomes millions of locals and international tourists who walk down the quay to the Opera House every year.

The fountain was gifted to the city of Sydney by the Concrete Constructions Group, in collaboration with the Sydney Opera House Trust. It serves a dual purpose: honouring the legacy of its founder, Allen C. Lewis, and acting as a memorial tribute to all the company employees who heavily contributed to the growth and development of the Australian construction industry.

Allen Copeland Lewis was a highly influential industrialist who co-founded Country Concrete Constructions Ltd in 1916. The business was reconstituted in 1920 as Concrete Constructions Ltd, where Lewis served as the long-term chairman.

Under his leadership, the Concrete Constructions Group grew into one of the country’s premier building firms. The company shaped the skyline of Sydney and Australia by constructing major architectural icons of the era, including: the AMP Society building (Sydney’s first official “skyscraper”), the Menzies Hotel, the Government Savings Bank and, Mark Foy’s department store

The fountain features a circular structure composed of four concentric basins. Water cascades down via integrated gutters from the upper central level step-by-step down to the lower tiers and the ground-level basin.

The urban landmark is positioned to act as a visual anchor and drop-off reference point leading into Bennelong Point, framed by views of the Opera House shells and Sydney Harbour.

09/10/2026

MARRANAWI COVE TO BE EXTENDED 🏊‍♂️📍Barangaroo.
The NSW Government is expanding and upgrading Marrinawi Cove at Barangaroo, which commenced construction in September 2026 and is expected to be finish in time for summer.

The upgrade will add 380 square metres of new public open space by converting an adjacent car park area on Moore Wharf into usable land.

New facilities will Include dedicated changing facilities for swimmers and visitors, new lawn areas, additional seating, shade structures, and improved landscaping. A new entry area will be constructed with upgraded paving.

The project is fully funded through Barangaroo developer contributions.

The cove is expected to remain open to the public while construction takes place, with only localised and immediate work zones temporarily cordoned off.

07/10/2026

THE ORIGINAL 1900 BRICKWORK HAS BEEN REVEALED AT ARTARMON RAILWAY STATION 🧱
The pedestrian subway at Artarmon railway station has recently had layers of paint removed to reveal its original 1900 brickwork.

The brick archway or brick culvert/drain/tunnel structure near Artarmon Station relates to the area’s rich 19th- and early 20th-century brickmaking industry and the construction of the North Shore Railway.

From 1828 onward, and peaking in the late 1800s to early 1900s, Gore Hill and Artarmon formed one of New South Wales’ largest brickmaking and clay-mining districts (driven by local Ashfield shale deposits). Major operators included Magney & Weynton, Butcher Brothers, and the North Sydney Brick and Tile Company.

The subway features traditional turn-of-the-century clay-fired brickwork. The top edges of the stair and subway walls feature traditional stone capping typical of early New South Wales railway infrastructure.

The structure was designed by NSW Government Railways civil engineers and constructed by local brickwork builders.

The subway had murals painted on it during the 70s and 80s by the local school. Over the years, the mural was covered or painted over in a standard railway cream colour. Layers of paint were later stripped away to restore the subway to its original historic brick appearance.

The distinctive brick platform building at Artarmon Station, often associated with the station’s classic brick aesthetics, was actually dismantled brick-by-brick from the old Glenbrook railway station in the Blue Mountains and re-erected at Artarmon in 1916.

#🧱

06/10/2026

ABANDONED LOWER DECK AND RAMPS OF THE WESTERN DISTRIBUTOR 🛣️
The “Ramp to Nowhere”, an abandoned lower deck and ramp section of Sydney’s Western Distributor near King Street Wharf which was left unfinished when grander plans for a double-deck freeway system and southern extensions were cancelled.

The Western Distributor was designed with a second, lower road deck intended to connect to a major interchange at Ultimo for the planned F4 and F6 freeways.

Several planned connections and ramps for Sydney’s Western Distributor were never completed due to resident protests, changing traffic needs, and scrapped freeway schemes.

The lower level was intended as a collector-distributor road and a connection to a major interchange for unbuilt southern and western freeways

The Western Distributor was originally planned to be the southern terminus of a major freeway connecting to the Sydney-Newcastle (F3) Freeway. It was meant to slice through Glebe and over Wentworth Park, but massive local resident protests in the 1970s halted construction, leaving the freeway abruptly truncated.

When plans for the connecting links were scrapped by the government, the grander multi-level scheme was abandoned, leaving the short lower road deck severed and floating in mid-air at both ends.

The original Western Distributor design also included a viaduct ramp and interchange connection allowing traffic to flow directly between Druitt Street in the C*D and the elevated Western Distributor flyover lanes above Darling Harbour.

Construction commenced on the on-ramp from Druitt Street, but the whole project was abandoned mid-construction around 1978 after the axing of the grander freeway plans. The abandoned Druitt Street on/off ramp is now used for scooter parking, with the W Hotel now constructed on the previous corridor left for Druitt Street flyover lane.

05/10/2026

HAPPY WORLD ARCHITECTURE DAY/ CHIFLEY SOUTH DEVELOPMENT 🏙️
Chifley South is a $1.8 billion, 37-storey commercial tower currently under construction at 2 Chifley Square in the Sydney C*D.

The project forms part of an expanded $4 billion two-tower precinct alongside the existing Chifley North tower (built in 1992 and designed by Kohn Pedersen Fox and Travis Partners).

Following a design excellence competition won by Bates Smart in 2023, formal development approval was granted. The new tower complements the 1992 Chifley North structure while introducing a 21st-century aesthetic.

Features include a revitalised podium with an integrated ground plane, a double-height pedestrian arcade connecting Bent Street and Hunter Street, a grand urban room, business lounges, and active retail/dining options to invigorate Chifley Square.

Construction work began in early 2024 and is being carried out by contractor Built. The project is expected to be completed in mid-2027. Upon completion, the combined asset will span roughly 110,000 square metres of space for major financial and legal firms.

World Architecture Day is celebrated annually on the first Monday of October to highlight the social role of architecture and the responsibility of architects in shaping human habitats

04/10/2026

Railway waitresses from the golden age of railway travel, NSW Transport Heritage Expo 2026

04/10/2026

THE GREAT TRAIN RACE 2026 🚂📍Erskineville The Great Train Race in Sydney is a popular heritage event where historic, century-old steam locomotives run head-to-head on parallel tracks through the city's inner suburbs.

The trains depart from Sydney's Central Station and run side-by-side along the T4 Illawarra Line, with the winning locomotive declared at Hurstville before returning passengers back to Central.

It is presented by Transport Heritage NSW as a key attraction and traditional opener for the annual Transport Heritage Expo held over the October long weekend.

Celebrated historical engines, the legendary express passenger engine 3801, and the 108-year-old 3526 (affectionately nicknamed "The Nanny"), in the two participants in the 2026 dual-track showdown.

The race celebrates the romance, power, and operational legacy of steam-era rail transport directly through the heart of a modern major metropolitan area.

After a hiatus following disruptions up to 2019, the popular race made a triumphant return to Sydney's rail network, drawing thousands of spectators to linesides and station platforms

Sydney Explained

14/10/2026

11/10/2026

10/10/2026

09/10/2026

09/10/2026

07/10/2026

06/10/2026

05/10/2026

04/10/2026

04/10/2026

Address

Website

Alerts

Shortcuts

Sponsored

Share

Category

Listing takedown request