George Street looking north, Sydney (NSW)
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Where: 200 Elizabeth St, Surry Hills NSW 2010, Australia
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When: Unknown
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Title: George Street looking north, Sydney (NSW)
Dated: c. 01/01/1960
Digital ID: 17420_a014_a0140001213
Rights: No known copyright restrictions www.records.nsw.gov.au/about-us/rights-and-permissions
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Source: Flickr Commons
Views: 38277
Dated: c. 01/01/1960
Digital ID: 17420_a014_a0140001213
Rights: No known copyright restrictions www.records.nsw.gov.au/about-us/rights-and-permissions
We'd love to hear from you if you use our photos/documents.
Many other photos in our collection are available to view and browse on our website using Photo Investigator.
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Owner: MHNSW - State Archives CollectionSource: Flickr Commons
Views: 38277
archives
staterecordsnsw
newsouthwales
blackandwhite
georgestreet
traffic
pedestrians
brickfieldhill
cars
automobiles
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3 years ago a contributor from Sydney, Australia suggested this image location is -33.8799, 151.209
Comment:
john cowper
http://www.flickr.com/photos/27331537@N06 Trams had ceased running in George Street Sydney by the time this shot was taken. The overhead wires had been removed, but the tracks remained.
pellethepoet
Is that a zebra crossing (on busy George Street!) I spy at the bottom of the frame? What were they thinking? Perhaps traffic was more sedentary in the late 50s/early 60s ...
BridgesandTunnels
and the trams will be back by the end of this decade. Back to the future.....
uminarampart
awesome shot. when cars used to use george street
mich_sydney_2007
There are at least 3 FB Holdens in the photo, which they only started making in Melbourne on 14 January 1960, so the 1 Jan 1960 looks just slightly ambitious. Maybe March 1960
mich_sydney_2007
I am still bamboozled by that car in the left foreground.
john cowper
http://www.flickr.com/photos/pellethepoet Ben, not a Zebra Crossing, something to do with the former tramway 'Safety Zone' that used to be on the Goulburn Street corner (I think!). Note that it doesn't continue to the eastern side of the road.
john cowper
http://www.flickr.com/photos/mich2009 Vauxhall (?)
pellethepoet
http://www.flickr.com/photos/johncowper I think some of the lines in the middle of the road have just faded. I can just make them out ... Aha! Have a look at this - http://www.flickr.com/photos/27331537@N06/4463463511- taken perhaps 1 minute later (see clock), after strolling a few metres and turning around to take the south view?
BridgesandTunnels
does anyone know when the tracks on George street were removed?
excellentzebu1050
Excellent amazing shot
john cowper
http://www.flickr.com/photos/pellethepoet Ben, I stand corrected! I'd forgotten that we had zebra crossings as early as that. Talk about bending the evidence! Good work! http://www.flickr.com/photos/27331537@N06 Certainly a mid-week shot. And the traffic got worse! Compelling case for a 'western distributor'.
Corinneski
The Woolworths building was previously the Bebarfalds building. Bebarfalds sold furniture and I think must have had some other departments as well. I have a photograph of me with Santa with the Bebarfalds name proclaimed in the pic. I think I was about 3 years old at the time.
john cowper
http://www.flickr.com/photos/bridgestunnels Certainly by the mid-sixties
City of Canterbury Bankstown, Australia
That a great photo! Thanks for sharing.
samdefranc
Google Map
samdefranc
I think I remember visiting that Mick Simmons to buy a cricket ball! I think it could have been there even later than the 70's, but could be wrong.
john cowper
http://www.flickr.com/photos/samdefranc I remember being kitted out at Mick Simmons as well. I looked good, but that was about as far as it went ...!
mich_sydney_2007
that pedestrian crossing in the foreground is the corner of campbell street
mich_sydney_2007
The car on the left does resemble a Vauxhall, however, it would be a 1966 Vauxhall....
mich_sydney_2007
The car on the lower right corner is an FE Holden made between 1956 and 1958
granttt73
Thank you for posting this photo in Flickr's Car Memories and Guesses Group www.flickr.com/groups/car_memories_guesses/ I think I can ID three more cars today, First the car at lower right has a straight horizontal crease that begins at the start of the rear wheel well and goes back all the way to the rear. That's typical of the 'big' Toyota Crown about 1960 (pre-Corona) that began to be sold in the US in 1959 as a 'Toyopet Crown.' There's a second one in the same area, farther back, just look for the crease at the rear wheel. I think I see a Fiat 1100 in the center of the photo just to our left of the Austin Noted above. Regarding the big car at the lower left, I'm thinking it is a 1961 Pontiac (USA). These would have been available in the US and Canada around 1 October, 1960. Remember that US cars changed noticeably every single year back then. Here's an advert from the same angle: . www.google.com/imgres?sa=X&biw=1032&bih=455&t... .
Hugo-90
http://www.flickr.com/photos/13411027@N00 Grant, you are quite right about the 1961 Pontiac (a Parisienne pillarless hardtop, 283 Powerglide), but production of them by Holden probably didn't start until mid-1961, so this has to be later than that. Also, I see a Falcon wagon right in the middle of the scrum and production of the wagons started in November 1960. Because of the high taxes on imported cars, every car in this picture was at least assembled in Australia.
buzzzwords
Remarkable to note THREE volkswagen "beetles".....+ possibly a fourth away at the back.....were these assembled in Australia...?
Hugo-90
http://www.flickr.com/photos/nevis_beeman Yes, Volkswagens were built in Melbourne.
Yuri B,
Milk Bar - haha :)
olivier.jeannin
Love this pic, great!
dunedoo
The traffic definitely improved after the trams were removed !.
john cowper
http://www.flickr.com/photos/29029178@N03 Yes, we all noticed that!
lindsaybridge
The road appears full of cars. Anthony Hordern's Building right, Brickfield Hill. I knew the area well, after the trams were cut out. The motor traffic increased. In 2015-20 construction will start on placing Light Rail on this section of George Street, Sydney. The light rail will run from Circular Quay to Kingsford and Randwick.
mich_sydney_2007
The car at the lower right is an FE Holden. Not some Toyota.
MHNSW - State Archives Collection
A comment received from David via email: I believe this date is approximated - Clearly there is a 1960 model Holden Station wagon (with sunshade) 3rd inline in the left lane - the nearest cerbside heading toward the camera. Regardless cars were never released on the 1/1/ and the traffic displayed are generally of poorer workers departing for home in an area where there was much industry in this period. Haymarket. Contrasting with this is the very low more modern American vehicle with rectangular rear window parked curbside first vehicle on the far left. A 1961/62 Pontiac Ventura. This would have been a very expensive vehicle at that time - and rare to see, as the model was not generally sold by GM Aust. and therefore was a private import. It does help us date the photo better. It was most likely a important businessman's vehicle - contrasting with the 4.30pm workers rush hour vehicles coming down Haymarket toward the camera from the Town Hall hill, to go home. I attach a rear view photo of a 1961/62 Pontiac Ventura for your reference. You can see its a later generation of vehicle (as contrasted in your photo) from the more rounded older 1950s style vehicles of the workers. Incidentally the 1960 Pontiac has a different rear with 2 small round tail lights. The 1962 Pontiac is similar to the 1961. Unlike today American cars were facelifted every year in the early 1960s . Finally being a private import and a right hand drive conversion there is no way this vehicle got onto Australian roads in the first half of 1961 - and it could be a 1962 model I think the most accurate date of your photo therefore is probably early 1962 Regards David
Hugo-90
https://www.flickr.com/photos/state-records-nsw David, the big Pontiac is a Parisienne, built in Australia from Canadian parts. There was a 40% duty on imported cars, so they were assembled locally.