I was googling something quite unrelated and unaccountably came across this photograph of the old Sydney Stadium.
The Stadium has sentimental memories for me. It was located down the hill from where I lived from the age of about 8 until my early 20s and from where I have lived since 1990. It was also adjacent to the sporting fields of my old school.
This structure was built in 1908 on the site of an old Chinese market garden as a venue for boxing and by the 1960s it was also the venue for international artists. This photograph shows crowds arriving for a concert by Frank Sinatra. I wonder what he thought of the undoubtedly primitive conditions in which he would have performed there? This may have been the tour when Mr Sinatra called Australian women journalists 'hookers' provoking a ban by the Australian union movement which prevented his departure from the country for days until he finally apologised for his comment.
Around the same period I recall seeing concerts there by The Beatles and Gene Pitney. I think it was also the 1960s when the venue hosted some sort of faux semi-brutal roller game featuring two teams (one 'good' and one 'bad') which tagged and battled their way around an oval track to the boos and cheers of the crowd. I recall a Ralphie Valaderez as the hero of the 'good' team. It was the World Wrestling of its day on roller skates.
The Stadium was demolished in 1973 to make way for an overhead section of the Eastern Suburbs railway with my old school extending its sporting fields across the site at ground level.
I wonder what 'self supporting trousers' advertised so boldly at the venue were?
That is Rushcutters Bay Victor? They used to need dozens of trams lined up to clear the crowds after boxing matches. Luckily it was near the tram depot.
ReplyDeleteAndrew: absolutely correct. The tram depot was replaced by a bowling alley and now a hotel is on that site. I used to travel to and from school by trams out of that depot.
ReplyDeleteI am not very familiar with Sydney. I think there is a Rushcutter's Bay bus depot. I assumed it was the old tram depot. It would seem not.
ReplyDeleteI visited Rushcutter's Bay by mistake two years ago. I was in a hire car and already had taken a wrong turn before Anzac Bridge. I was stressed and with three other people in the car, I missed the 'Cross' exit from William St after coming out of the tunnel and had to turn around at the lovely looking bay.
Andrew - there was a tram depot at Rushcutters Bay across the road from the Stadium. When trams ceased running in Sydney the depot was replaced by a bowling alley. Later that alley was replaced by a hotel. There is no bus depot in Rushcutters Bay.
ReplyDeletethe site is opposite Ruushcutters Bay Park. the Entrance as seen in this image would have been in the middle of what is now a large traffic islandcorner of neild Ave and Rushcutters Bay rd/New Sth Head Road. Everyone seems to 'remember' the stadium, its a wonder something hasnt been put up to commemorate it in some way. I mean The Beatles played there! :-)
ReplyDeleteI love this place - Sydney!
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