I'm 77 and remember Wynyard station as a schoolboy in the 1950s. We either walked through the concourse to George Street or transferred to the underground tram platform for the ride across the bridge to the north shore. I don't remember the refreshment room but have a vivid memory of the doughnut making machine in a shop window along the concourse. It was a wonderful piece of machinery with little "train flat cars" each holding two doughnuts as they cooked in the hot fat.The carriages were attached to an endless moving chain - raw dough was deposited onto the carriages then the underside of the doughnut was cooked as it proceeded through the hot fat, then flipped to cook the other side and finally offloaded. I have no idea when the machine was retired from service,
Yes indeed. I remember buying 5 doughnuts for sixpence with my mother. We always bought them there. And we dined in that dining area with my aunt. Great memories.
Very interesting. Having the old wooden escalators preserved in art form suspended above is a stroke of genius. Also, as you panned sections of the old cafeteria ceiling still existing in the current florist shop it gave us glimpses of the old art deco style that represents the era so beautifully. Bring in the new but don't throw out the old historical touches. I look forward to more of your videos on UA-cam.
Wouldn't it be lovely if we could all go back to a time full of grace and manners. Here in Brisbane as a child my mother and grandmother would take me into the Carlton Hotel for lunch into the Ladies Bar, men were only allowed if accompanied by a woman. Ham sandwiches, a glass of beer or a "red" soft drink or a pot of tea with both ladies wearing gloves and a hat. Those days were lovely
yes I used to shop in such wonderful elegant stores in Sydney like Mark Foys and Bear Watsons it was indeed a different era... and train travel had sleeping cars and wonderful refreshments cars and stops and restaurants like at Moss Vale etc. Days or an era long gone!!
I recall at least 3 complete renovations of Wynyard station in my time. One thing I wish was still around was the 747 Bar on the ramp that was like going inside an aeroplane. We used to meet in there after work.
Excellent video Phil. I have no memory of the Wynyard refreshment room but I do remember the refreshment room at Central Station grand concourse. I have used the wooden escalators hundreds of times over the years and I think the old advertising signs should be put back beside the escalators just for a little bit of history to go with the old wooden escalators.
@AbandonedOZ No, not the eternity bar but the unused section attached to the current food market further east on the grand concourse. I remember the same setup as Wynyard, but a larger area.
@@annehat4833 I am definitely sure that it was. It was in the late 50's early 60's . I remember running from there to the men's room which was behind the large indicator board and down a flight of stairs.
@@AbandonedOZThanks for putting this link up… brings up so many memories… up and down the wooden stairs daily… at first I thought you were talking about the Sanitarium health food restaurant in Hunter St., which was closed and reverted back to the tunnel that led into the Wynyard complex… I now live in another state and did not realise they had upgraded… it looks fabulous… keep them coming🎉… the music at the end is grating😢
Thanks for the interesting video. Back in 1980 a couple of mates and I used to get the train from Campbelltown in to Wynyard and play the video games that were part way down the ramp from George St on the left hand side. My favourite was Stratovox! Then in 1983 I did work experience in the State Rail computer centre in Railway House above Wynyard Station. The computer, a Sperry Univac took up pretty much the whole floor.
Thanks Phil, in 1982 at the original Mc Donalds at Wynyard there used to be Art Deco inspired double staircase to nowhere and I always wondered where it went to. I have a thought that it may have led to the Winding counter RRR. Above Mc Donalds was our crew room and down the corridor was a narrow doorway to an abandoned room that looked like a control room. There was also the secret staircase to platforms 1 & 2 that was bricked in. Long since demolished. Good luck in finding further information about the secrets of Wynyard.
Omg that has changed so much since I worked in the city in 1997. When I got off at Wynyard Station there was a staircase that led you down underneath the station and it had shops on either side including a dry cleaners that was always busy. This stair case was in the middle of the Station. Not the Hunter connection that has been closed up. This walkway brought you up in a side street. I would then cross the road and go into Spring Street for work. I suppose that with all the changes it would be long gone now. 😢
Know that route very well having worked in Martin Place for nigh 15 years. On either side of those stairs was Wynyard Ramp up to George St. The Hunter Connection underpass was probably misnamed for whilst one leg did break off to Hunter St; probably the larger percentage of its traffic went through to Pitt Street. This refreshment room featured in this clip was certainly gone before my "terms of reference" (a kid in mid 70's) but there were at various times any number of bars of the Menzies Hotel in and around the station.
Thanks. I’ve always wondered where this was. Someone once told me it was in the old McDonalds that was off those old sloping access corridors that used to go down from George St. But clearly they were wrong since that’s not close to where the florist is now. Someone else has mentioned there’s a museum underground that has remnants of the old wooden escalators (they’ve recreated a section) and the old motor room. It was open during “Sydney Open” one year - not sure if you can arrange access specially, it’s certainly not normally open since it requires access passes to the lift to get down there (staff refreshment areas are down there as well). I helped run those tours and they let us look into the motor room for the current escalators too - very different!
Yes. There was a McDonald’s at the slope with the branch definitely being there at the turn of the millennium and into the 2010s. It appears that the current location opened in 2018 which coincides with the completion of the Wynyard station renewal project. Ironically, the current branch is near where the McDonald’s sit down restaurant was in the 1980s.
It appears that the 1990s and 2000s McDonald’s Wynyard station ‘Ramp’ branch closed in November 2016. The former station shops all closed by this supposed date in order for the development project to commence and was completed in 2018. If you Google ‘McDonald’s Wynyard station ramp’, a 2011 Flickr photo will be returned which proves of the former branch’s existence. One abiding memory I have of the old branch was seeing electronic menu boards using LED display panels for the first time at a McDonald’s location.
My mum used to eat there once a week or so or Woolworths town hall up stairs she said she mostly had a cup of tea but would meet family and friends 😂I worked at Wynyard for a long time and people were in to much of a hurry to stop and enjoy a lunch break lol it’s sad that we don’t have things like this any more . Thanks for the memories
I haven't been to Wynyard station since the early 90s and wow, nothing like it used to be. I remember it being quite dark, a bit grotty from the mysterious black dust and had that smell of those old red rattlers. I also remember using those old wooden escalators.
@@Christopher3Bishop Red rattlers are something I don't miss LOL. Bloody cold in the winter, sweltering hot in the summer and that smell of what was probably asbestos.
In the old days it was usual at big stations like Wynyard to have a cafeteria with all the stools and bar as you showed in the first image. For people with only a few minutes to spare. The second image would have been the adjacent dining room with table service, linen table cloths etc. and often slightly higher prices. English staples would have been the menu of the day. Steaks, chops, snags, omelette’s, sandwiches, fruit etc. No burgers, no sushi, no ‘foreign’ foods, even pasta would have likely been a no no unless it came out of a can and served on toast.
Oh my gosh, Wynyard station has changed big time since back in my early days.. the entrance from George street never had escalaters it was a very long RAMP down towards the trains .. It was known as WYNYARD RAMP.. how SAD they never left part of the old..
I worked for the Sydney Trains Catering section based at Central during School Holidays. We looked after all the Country trains, loading them with roast chicken, pies, refreshments, ice cream etc from the Stores underneath Central. I also worked at Wynyard 1970-1971, and remember doing the 2:00pm to 11:00pm shift, parking my Honda motorbike down the ramp near the Kiosk Island. It certainly has changed!
@@annehat4833 ... There were no wooden escalators from George street entrance.. it was a very long walkway RAMP with few shops on either side, coffee shop halfway down in the centre where I went on many occasions... maybe your thinking about the back entrance.. I'm referring to late 60's / early 70s.. so maybe you are younger than me.... LIKE I SAID.. IT WAS KNOWN AS WYNYARD RAMP...
Yes, I recall the ramp from George Street. My father was a pastry cook at the cake shop which used to have a very large donut machine in the window which I believe was originally installed due to American tastes due to WW2. Dad would even take his Falcon down there in the very early hours of the morning around 4am back in the 1960’s. Later in the 1970’s I would use the wooden escalators to exit the station on the other side up to York St to go to work.
I hadn't seen the changes to Wynyard until this video, it's a bit of a shock to find the Ramp vanished and nearly all the little shops gone. I recall hearing that in its heyday, decades ago, Wynyard processed more passengers per day than any other station on the City Circle. There used to be at least one bank branch about halfway down the Ramp on the righthand side, till about the 1980s I think. The branch was always busy with customers because of its handy location -- but it was also a favourite target for bank hold-ups. During the rush hour, a robber could hold up the branch, then run outside onto the Ramp with the cash, and vanish into the crowd of commuters surging through the turnstiles without a trace. I understand this branch had the unfortunate reputation of having suffered more armed holdups than any other bank branch in Australia. In the end the bank decided to remove the branch altogether.
I haven’t lived in Sydney for ages now, I had no idea that the wooden escalator was replaced. The whole station looks so different. It used to feel so dark and gloomy, with not as bright yellow lighting and those yellow brown floor tiles
Great video Phil. I worked at Martin Place from 2000 to 2005 and remembered those wooden escalators. Reminded me of an old shopping centre in the Czech Republic called the white swan of my childhood that also had set of wooden escalators.
Wasn't that familiar with the RRR at Wynyard but definitely used the great facilities at Central during the mid 60’s when changing over from south coast trains to Newcastle trains. Central and the many other RRR’s located in several places were every bit as good as a good restaurant and certainly better than the chook food dished out by many today. There was also a limited menu on many Daylight Express trains and some of the overnight Mail trains. Many were licensed and hence popular with travellers. Those Otis wooden escalators were virtually outlawed following a fire and a large loss of life at London King's Cross in 1987.
Thank you for another great video. I have only walked through a small portion of the refurbished station, the bits of ceiling look good and the old escalators hanging from the ceiling are amazing. All the best from Sydney. PS The Refreshment Room reminded me of the Brunch Bar in a department store called James Smith in Wellington NZ in the early 1960s, the same sort of thing but quite a bit smaller. As young boys we loved going there for special occasions such as birthdays.
Wynyard is totally unrecognizable to me now. I do remember in the early 1970's a café there and my grandmother buying me a milkshake while she had a coffee.
Remembering back to the early fifties there was a cafe halfway down the ramp on the right hand side. It was called Christines coffee shop and had the name lit up in a blue neon sign. My mother took me there to a very warm smiling welcome from Christine herself icluding hugs and kisses. Not only that but I was served two scoops of vanilla icecream covered in chocolate sauce and crushed nuts on a long silver dish and a parfe spoon. Having never before seeing anything like it I was over the moon, such special treatment and delicious ice-cream. It was then I found out that Christine was my God Mother😅 I will never forget Wynyard always yearning to return.
My dad worked in Australia Square when it was new… I had a school project on pollution, and actually stuck my head between the architectural lighting around the top ring - to take photos down the side of the building. Camera safely on a leather strap, and my father holding my lower legs!
@@laustinspeiss Love that. I took some great pictures of the building too. I think my favourite was standing on the steps, looking up and capturing the tower tapering away and framed by the opening above the stairs.
@@just_passing_through haha, that’s what piqued my interest… a teacher mentioned exactly what you say… plus, if you stood directly below - the tower seemed to be leaning forward, over you. A lot of cool stories, thanks for reminding me.
Interesting seeing trams passing Wynyard railway station entrance. I remember as a child exiting the station entrance in George Street and seeing the old original toast-rack trams passing in George Street prior to their closure in 1958. I also remember riding the wooden escalators, entering the stair entrance to the tram platforms 1 & 2 and even seeing the dividing wooden fence between the tram and rail platforms, but I have no memory of ever visiting the refreshment room. However, I more likely passed the refreshment room on several occasions. From memory, the wooden escalators had a individual sound and even smell when traveling on them. There was one particular story that I was told about the wooden escalators. On one occasion, a man heading down the escalator had the tail of his overcoat caught in the bottom of the escalator, which caused him to be toppled with his feet up in the air and all the peak hour crowds on the escalator started walking time in the opposite direction attempting to get back to the top, while the escalator continued running in a downwards direction. Eventually, an attendant came to the rescue and stopped the escalator. The man was freed without any physical injury, apart from a torn overcoat.
WOW Thank you. I vaguely remember the latter version of the refreshment room. I was with my Nan & she obviously liked her tea custom & I might have had a milkshake there. As Nan had worked for Palings the music store just across the road from the Wynyard entrance, she would have frequented it regularly. The latter version (without the horseshoe counters) was similar to the refreshment room on Central Station, which closed somewhere round the 80-90’s. 🙏
Wynyard House (above the station) was the New South Government Railways Head Office and also housed the RAN Hydrographic Office on the upper floors until the 1980's. The refreshment rooms closed in the 1960's.
Those old escalators which are now an artwork, were originally the escalators situated on the north shore. transporting people from the ferry at Lavendar Bay to the tram. When the bridge was built this arrangement was superseded by the direct train link from North Shore to the City underground.
I remember back in 1979- 1980 working in Town Hall Florist. There were mainly old shops selling clothes one was called Harolds. There were little jewellery stores and small cafes and such. Lots of changes now.
I believe wooden escalators were no longer acceptable after the Kings Cross underground station fire in London as they played a large part in causing it. Please correct me if I'm wrong.
The escalators were replaced in the 1950s prior to being replaced again in 2016 and unlike the originals from 1932 which would have had timber panelling, the 1950s escalators only had wood veneer on the exterior panels between each escalator and solid wood treads, but all the internal equipment and side panels were metal, so it wasn't an issue of fire safety. The replacement was primarily because the gaps between the wooden treads were large and guide dogs could get their paws stuck (and footwear could also get stuck). The other reason for replacement is that it is more economical in the long run: its easier to source spare parts and maintain new escalators, and they're far more energy efficient.
I can only just remember it around 1968 my mum would take me there for lunch when would visit a museums or go for a ferry ride on the South Styne but I rode the wooden escalator for a few years when I work in Kent street.
I spent a year commuting to Wynyard in 1989, exiting via those York st escalators although turning left to get down to Kent st. Haven't been through since..... holy crap! I hardly recognised the place!!! Thanks for the video.
Not that old but I do remember the Hungry Jacks prior to the redevelopment, and I think Maccas had a place further down the tunnel in the middle. The old Central Station bar had a similar vibe back before they redeveloped, someone might have better memories but I think there was also a counter service next door.
You are correct. The old "Wynyard Ramp" was two entrances from George St and merged where the original Hunter Connection stairs were. Between those stairs and George St, there was indeed a McDonalds.
@@static-san I loved that part of - and, to be honest, loved all of - the previous version of the station. You felt like you could hit your head on the ceiling when walking down the ramp. Now it feels like you're walking into a cocktail lounge.
Love it. Thank you. I remember the first time I went down the wooden escalator, I was terrified. In the country town, I had come from, they only had an up escalator and you had to walk down steps to go down.
I worked in Martin Place for 4 years from 2003 - 2006, I remember the Wynyard Ramp well, and the wooden escalators on the other side! Absolute death traps for women in high heels when it rained, and not that safe other times either! I slipped over on the shiny ramp tiles many a time, and my heels would get stuck in the slats of the wooden escalator so I tried to avoid that one whenever I could. Starbucks was on the corner of the ramp and George st, I was a regular there in the mornings and a regular at the ramp maccas in the evenings. For a time my hairdresser was situated in the underground area which was accessed by stairs after going through another shopping section and food court area. It’s changed so much!
Not terribly long ago there were wooden escalators that led to the top room in the old section of Grace Brothers in the city. They were most unusual. They were about half the width of modern escalators, the slats were very worn. You'd get to the top of the escalator and find yourself standing amongst maternity wear and soft toys for newborns. You were aware of the old world meets new born vibe, which made it really special and sweet. And I often wonder if those escalators are still there.
I remember those bumps between the escalators were there on the old wooden escalators. I think they could be the same ones as they have the same configuration. They are to stop people using the slopes as slippery slides.
There's sections of original tiles in the fire stairs on either side of the escalators up to York Street. There's also a small museum that's not open to the public under the escalator in the old motor room which has a number of items preserved.
Very interesting. I remember my grandmother talking about how she'd get 'frocked up' and go into town to meet up with her friends at the Wynyard refreshment room.
I remember the rail network from the 60's and 70's. St. James, Wynyard, Museum, Town Hall. So very different from today. Anyone still recall that you could buy a small glass of Sherry on the platform at Central whilst waiting for your train? A small waiting room with McWilliam's posters.
G'day Phil, part of my old stomping ground in the mid 60s,who would have thunk there was an Art Deco place inside it, we stayed at an Hotel the other side of Wynyard in the 80s! Perth WA
I loved those wooden escalators. Used them hundreds of times. Wynyard Station used to be wonderfully vibrant community in past decades with dozens of specialty shops. I particularly remember the coin shop because going in there I could see Roman coins. Now Wynyard is a disgustingly lifeless station. Bland, and uninteresting. The same happened to Town Hall. It was once a wonderful community of shops. I used to use the cobbler there, and buy wine in the bottle shop. Always happy and friendly faces made it a welcoming station. Now it is bland and uninteresting. One of the nice things about London is that there are still plenty of Central London tube stations that have that feeling of life that Sydney rail has strangled out of existence in their obsession with making CBD stations look like cold clean airport terminals.
I used to use Town Hall regularly from my youth, then when studying and then working in the city up to the start of last decade. I probably haven't caught a train from there for six or seven years at least. Maybe significantly longer. I got a horrifying surprise when I used Wynyard last year for the first time in about the same period, having had no idea that it had been turned into a casino foyer and found it looking like it does in this video. Your post makes me expect the same at Town Hall. What a shame.
@@andrewkemp1882 At Town Hall the big change was mostly just getting rid of the shops. They don't have enough room there to do a complete Wynyard or Central style of shopping mall makeover.
@@andrewkemp1882 Mostly recognizable, I just don't like the sterile lack of interesting little shops. I also don't like that they got rid of shops that paid them rent, which helped with operating costs and helped keep fares a little lower than they would otherwise be.
@@artistjohShops make stations much more characterful and less dreary. Character seems to be regarded as an unimportant feature of development these days.
I worked in a shoe shop in Wynyard station in the mid/late 80’s. It was dirty and dingy but had character. They still had the old 747 bar back then. You walked in and it was like the inside of a plane. Sydney has lost all its character now. Could be any city worldwide
…when travelling Interstate by train, as a kid in the ‘50’s, I remember the RRR along the way. They were marvellous places’ for a child! Also the below street level Bank Cafeteria, & Coles’ one in the city…………
Refreshment rooms used to be reasonably common for most sizable stations back in the WW2 era and earlier , I know Charleville and Toowoomba railway stations had some pretty nice restaurants in the station . Toowoomba station's restaurant has been reopened in recent history but it is a private business now that leases space from Queensland Rail. And I think that is what ended the practice , private businesses like hotels would open near a station (or fast food vendors in larger stations that lease a retail space) and offer a better service than the refreshment room. But that is just my theory.
I used to work in a shop on Wynyard ramp (as I think they used to call it). McDonalds took over the lease and that looks like it there at 2:42 - on the right side of the McDonalds sign. That was 30 years ago. I'm struggling to recall what was around there at the time and if there was an old refreshment room. I always recall Wynyard station area as being a bit of a dump, certainly not luxuriopus and the ladies' toilets there were awful. Even back in the 1960's, the toilets were old and disgusting
The wooden escalators took patrons from Wynyard station to York Street were actually heritage listed. However after the fatal fire at Kings Cross tube station in London, it was found that a piece of paper had become covered in grease and worked its way into the drive mechanism and subsequently caught fire killing many people. Those escalators also had wooden stairs and subsequently added to the ferocity of the UK fire. The NSW Government then decided to replace the wooden escalators with metal stair escalators thereby reducing the likelihood of fire. I found this information from a Wynyard station employee.
An insight into the regression, I mean progression, of society over the years: THEN: Well dressed people, proper seating, cutlery, table service etc NOW: "McDonalds"! 🤔
Ah yes I remember riding on the wooden escalators. They were looking pretty tatty after decades of use, you could see the wooden slats were worn down, with indents and chips gouged out of them. One of the most damaging things for the timber slats was women's stiletto heels. When these escalators were designed (1920s?), women's heel bases were wider, but by the 50s and 60s, the stiletto trend meant that those escalator slats were suddenly more vulnerable to damage from heel strike -- and less safe for women, as a stiletto heel might get stuck in the gap between slats. To complicate things further, women in those days put steel heel tips on their stilettos. I can remember my mother using such tips in the '50s and '60s, they were favoured because they didn't wear out as quickly as the synthetic plastic tips (though no-one uses metal tips now, because rubber heel tips have since improved). As a steel tip wore down, the 3 nail heads holding the tip also got worn off, then a nail would fall out, and the tip would come loose and swivel. A loose tip became a lethal sliver of metal, barely knife thick, which could cut your finger -- and most certainly slice into timber slats on an escalator. And a swivelling distorted metal heel tip was even more at risk of jamming between the wooden slats. It's probably just as well that the wooden escalators have been retired.
not just at night! and not just at Wynyard! but at any station on the City Circle, the rats come out to scavenge the scraps of people's snacks that somehow end up down on the tracks. Rats like to stick close to the walls when they explore, so I doubt people ever notice them, unless like me, they are looking out for them. The rats also mostly move slowly (something I suspect they may have learned) which is another reason they dont catch people's attention. The rats always look very wellfed. I bet they have been there for many generations.
The lift that goes up to Coles? If so, yes it is :) To the right of the lift you will see the florist next to McDonalds. Once you are outside the florist look up :) The old roof style is inside the florist also.
only iof u new Sydney in the 80s n even early to mid 90s it was still the grouse. nothing at all like today not to mention the vib is totally gone now a days sadly buddy eh. anyhoo i do like wat u do my good man i must say i really do,. #Cheers.
I dont recognize Sydney now. not to mention the people have totally changed as u would have in the 80s n even still in the 90s like groups of ppl say where the chinamas r n pinball parlors hanging out n talking n meeting new young adults n teenagers n so on but there isn't anywhere u can do that now sadly, it truly breaks my heart the way sydney is now n the best decade for a long time for kings cross was the 80s i mean wow bro that place was alive in the middle of the day u would struggle to get past other ppl n thats just walking to n from the train station like can u imagine how busy that must have been n trust me it was n then u had door men shouting out wanting u to come into there clubs n ppl playing musical instruments always on the side walk, it was a really meeting point n as busy as u can get but again all that sadly is gone n dead as a door nail now a days n New town also had some great places were newbands would play n even the second hand book n recod shops were open up until 1 am at least there in new Town. Oh man all that sadly is gone.
All these comments about the Wynyard ramp and wooden escalators make it sound like its ancient history. They have only just gone. The work is still in progress, they are presently demolishing much of Hunter Street and the connections to Wynyard as seen in another of these Abandoned Oz films
Great work, this video. Thanks A couple of abandoned but demolished building: Anthony Horden's, now 'World Square', I think, and the Trocadero, site of the Hoyts Cinemas. BTW, a question of style: there is no 'everyone' in media. It is professional to work as though you only ever have an audience/viewership of one person: and with UA-cam, usually one at a time. So, to keep an intimate and personal atmosphere, use singular language: e.g. "Welcome to the channel' ( not 'welcome/hello everyone', or even the more juvenescent 'hi guys'). "If you have seen, you may have seen," not if any of you/someone has seen...' There's no auditorium here, its just the individual and their phone/tablet/desktop.
I remember Sydney of the 1960s,70s,80s,90s ,2000s10 to 2018 ,would I go back,absolutely not. On second thought I would just to avoid meeting my now divorced wife!
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Wynyard Walk opened in 2016 and the overall Wynyard station renewal project was completed in 2018.
2016 really does feel like a few months ago.
Wooden escalaters . yes I remember.
its not remnants its just you talking like all the other videos
I'm 77 and remember Wynyard station as a schoolboy in the 1950s. We either walked through the concourse to George Street or transferred to the underground tram platform for the ride across the bridge to the north shore. I don't remember the refreshment room but have a vivid memory of the doughnut making machine in a shop window along the concourse. It was a wonderful piece of machinery with little "train flat cars" each holding two doughnuts as they cooked in the hot fat.The carriages were attached to an endless moving chain - raw dough was deposited onto the carriages then the underside of the doughnut was cooked as it proceeded through the hot fat, then flipped to cook the other side and finally offloaded. I have no idea when the machine was retired from service,
I remember when there was a donut machine down at Circular Quay station. Those hot cinnamon donuts were delicious.
Yes indeed. I remember buying 5 doughnuts for sixpence with my mother. We always bought them there. And we dined in that dining area with my aunt. Great memories.
Very interesting. Having the old wooden escalators preserved in art form suspended above is a stroke of genius. Also, as you panned
sections of the old cafeteria ceiling still existing in the current florist shop it gave us glimpses of the old art deco style that represents the
era so beautifully. Bring in the new but don't throw out the old historical touches. I look forward to more of your videos on UA-cam.
" about 1955 " David Jones " had a " cafeteria " ( shame we have lost that as well ! )
Wouldn't it be lovely if we could all go back to a time full of grace and manners. Here in Brisbane as a child my mother and grandmother would take me into the Carlton Hotel for lunch into the Ladies Bar, men were only allowed if accompanied by a woman. Ham sandwiches, a glass of beer or a "red" soft drink or a pot of tea with both ladies wearing gloves and a hat. Those days were lovely
Well said. What a shame we have lost morals and respect and general pleasantries
yes I used to shop in such wonderful elegant stores in Sydney like Mark Foys and Bear Watsons it was indeed a different era... and train travel had sleeping cars and wonderful refreshments cars and stops and restaurants like at Moss Vale etc.
Days or an era long gone!!
I recall at least 3 complete renovations of Wynyard station in my time. One thing I wish was still around was the 747 Bar on the ramp that was like going inside an aeroplane. We used to meet in there after work.
Excellent video Phil. I have no memory of the Wynyard refreshment room but I do remember the refreshment room at Central Station grand concourse. I have used the wooden escalators hundreds of times over the years and I think the old advertising signs should be put back beside the escalators just for a little bit of history to go with the old wooden escalators.
Cheers Mr John! :)
Oooh the Eternity bar? (As it’s now known) at Central?
@AbandonedOZ No, not the eternity bar but the unused section attached to the current food market further east on the grand concourse. I remember the same setup as Wynyard, but a larger area.
@@annehat4833 I am definitely sure that it was. It was in the late 50's early 60's . I remember running from there to the men's room which was behind the large indicator board and down a flight of stairs.
@@AbandonedOZThanks for putting this link up… brings up so many memories… up and down the wooden stairs daily… at first I thought you were talking about the Sanitarium health food restaurant in Hunter St., which was closed and reverted back to the tunnel that led into the Wynyard complex… I now live in another state and did not realise they had upgraded… it looks fabulous… keep them coming🎉… the music at the end is grating😢
Thanks for the interesting video. Back in 1980 a couple of mates and I used to get the train from Campbelltown in to Wynyard and play the video games that were part way down the ramp from George St on the left hand side. My favourite was Stratovox!
Then in 1983 I did work experience in the State Rail computer centre in Railway House above Wynyard Station. The computer, a Sperry Univac took up pretty much the whole floor.
I used to play Space Invaders at Wynyard Station😆 around 1982
Thanks Phil, in 1982 at the original Mc Donalds at Wynyard there used to be Art Deco inspired double staircase to nowhere and I always wondered where it went to. I have a thought that it may have led to the Winding counter RRR. Above Mc Donalds was our crew room and down the corridor was a narrow doorway to an abandoned room that looked like a control room. There was also the secret staircase to platforms 1 & 2 that was bricked in. Long since demolished. Good luck in finding further information about the secrets of Wynyard.
Omg that has changed so much since I worked in the city in 1997. When I got off at Wynyard Station there was a staircase that led you down underneath the station and it had shops on either side including a dry cleaners that was always busy. This stair case was in the middle of the Station. Not the Hunter connection that has been closed up. This walkway brought you up in a side street. I would then cross the road and go into Spring Street for work. I suppose that with all the changes it would be long gone now. 😢
Know that route very well having worked in Martin Place for nigh 15 years. On either side of those stairs was Wynyard Ramp up to George St. The Hunter Connection underpass was probably misnamed for whilst one leg did break off to Hunter St; probably the larger percentage of its traffic went through to Pitt Street.
This refreshment room featured in this clip was certainly gone before my "terms of reference" (a kid in mid 70's) but there were at various times any number of bars of the Menzies Hotel in and around the station.
Thanks. I’ve always wondered where this was. Someone once told me it was in the old McDonalds that was off those old sloping access corridors that used to go down from George St. But clearly they were wrong since that’s not close to where the florist is now.
Someone else has mentioned there’s a museum underground that has remnants of the old wooden escalators (they’ve recreated a section) and the old motor room. It was open during “Sydney Open” one year - not sure if you can arrange access specially, it’s certainly not normally open since it requires access passes to the lift to get down there (staff refreshment areas are down there as well). I helped run those tours and they let us look into the motor room for the current escalators too - very different!
Yes. There was a McDonald’s at the slope with the branch definitely being there at the turn of the millennium and into the 2010s. It appears that the current location opened in 2018 which coincides with the completion of the Wynyard station renewal project. Ironically, the current branch is near where the McDonald’s sit down restaurant was in the 1980s.
It appears that the 1990s and 2000s McDonald’s Wynyard station ‘Ramp’ branch closed in November 2016. The former station shops all closed by this supposed date in order for the development project to commence and was completed in 2018. If you Google ‘McDonald’s Wynyard station ramp’, a 2011 Flickr photo will be returned which proves of the former branch’s existence. One abiding memory I have of the old branch was seeing electronic menu boards using LED display panels for the first time at a McDonald’s location.
My mum used to eat there once a week or so or Woolworths town hall up stairs she said she mostly had a cup of tea but would meet family and friends 😂I worked at Wynyard for a long time and people were in to much of a hurry to stop and enjoy a lunch break lol it’s sad that we don’t have things like this any more . Thanks for the memories
I haven't been to Wynyard station since the early 90s and wow, nothing like it used to be. I remember it being quite dark, a bit grotty from the mysterious black dust and had that smell of those old red rattlers. I also remember using those old wooden escalators.
me too. I just git back to Sydney and didn't recognise the station at all. miss the red rattlers with open doors riding through the tunnels.
@@Christopher3Bishop Red rattlers are something I don't miss LOL. Bloody cold in the winter, sweltering hot in the summer and that smell of what was probably asbestos.
In the old days it was usual at big stations like Wynyard to have a cafeteria with all the stools and bar as you showed in the first image. For people with only a few minutes to spare. The second image would have been the adjacent dining room with table service, linen table cloths etc. and often slightly higher prices. English staples would have been the menu of the day. Steaks, chops, snags, omelette’s, sandwiches, fruit etc. No burgers, no sushi, no ‘foreign’ foods, even pasta would have likely been a no no unless it came out of a can and served on toast.
Oh my gosh, Wynyard station has changed big time since back in my early days.. the entrance from George street never had escalaters it was a very long RAMP down towards the trains .. It was known as WYNYARD RAMP.. how SAD they never left part of the old..
I worked for the Sydney Trains Catering section based at Central during School Holidays. We looked after all the Country trains, loading them with roast chicken, pies, refreshments, ice cream etc from the Stores underneath Central. I also worked at Wynyard 1970-1971, and remember doing the 2:00pm to 11:00pm shift, parking my Honda motorbike down the ramp near the Kiosk Island. It certainly has changed!
It had wooden escalators !... i personally rode them !...margaret
@@annehat4833 ... There were no wooden escalators from George street entrance.. it was a very long walkway RAMP with few shops on either side, coffee shop halfway down in the centre where I went on many occasions... maybe your thinking about the back entrance.. I'm referring to late 60's / early 70s.. so maybe you are younger than me.... LIKE I SAID.. IT WAS KNOWN AS WYNYARD RAMP...
Yes, I recall the ramp from George Street. My father was a pastry cook at the cake shop which used to have a very large donut machine in the window which I believe was originally installed due to American tastes due to WW2. Dad would even take his Falcon down there in the very early hours of the morning around 4am back in the 1960’s. Later in the 1970’s I would use the wooden escalators to exit the station on the other side up to York St to go to work.
@@ShepherdRAR I remember the donut machine. Often bought there
I hadn't seen the changes to Wynyard until this video, it's a bit of a shock to find the Ramp vanished and nearly all the little shops gone.
I recall hearing that in its heyday, decades ago, Wynyard processed more passengers per day than any other station on the City Circle. There used to be at least one bank branch about halfway down the Ramp on the righthand side, till about the 1980s I think. The branch was always busy with customers because of its handy location -- but it was also a favourite target for bank hold-ups. During the rush hour, a robber could hold up the branch, then run outside onto the Ramp with the cash, and vanish into the crowd of commuters surging through the turnstiles without a trace. I understand this branch had the unfortunate reputation of having suffered more armed holdups than any other bank branch in Australia. In the end the bank decided to remove the branch altogether.
I haven’t lived in Sydney for ages now, I had no idea that the wooden escalator was replaced. The whole station looks so different. It used to feel so dark and gloomy, with not as bright yellow lighting and those yellow brown floor tiles
Its great you are filming this! I live over one hours drive from the cbd haven’t been in there for about 20 years & don’t plan on going anytime soon.
Great video Phil. I worked at Martin Place from 2000 to 2005 and remembered those wooden escalators. Reminded me of an old shopping centre in the Czech Republic called the white swan of my childhood that also had set of wooden escalators.
wow! That’s brilliant thank you. So amazing to see these glimpses of history , I would never have known…
I used to use that station in 1977 as a schoolkid. I don't remember any hint of the dining room.
I worked at Wynyard station from 71 to 75 it was gone then no sign of it
Wasn't that familiar with the RRR at Wynyard but definitely used the great facilities at Central during the mid 60’s when changing over from south coast trains to Newcastle trains. Central and the many other RRR’s located in several places were every bit as good as a good restaurant and certainly better than the chook food dished out by many today. There was also a limited menu on many Daylight Express trains and some of the overnight Mail trains. Many were licensed and hence popular with travellers.
Those Otis wooden escalators were virtually outlawed following a fire and a large loss of life at London King's Cross in 1987.
Thank you for another great video. I have only walked through a small portion of the refurbished station, the bits of ceiling look good and the old escalators hanging from the ceiling are amazing. All the best from Sydney. PS The Refreshment Room reminded me of the Brunch Bar in a department store called James Smith in Wellington NZ in the early 1960s, the same sort of thing but quite a bit smaller. As young boys we loved going there for special occasions such as birthdays.
Wynyard is totally unrecognizable to me now. I do remember in the early 1970's a café there and my grandmother buying me a milkshake while she had a coffee.
Remembering back to the early fifties there was a cafe halfway down the ramp on the right hand side. It was called Christines coffee shop and had the name lit up in a blue neon sign. My mother took me there to a very warm smiling welcome from Christine herself icluding hugs and kisses. Not only that but I was served two scoops of vanilla icecream covered in chocolate sauce and crushed nuts on a long silver dish and a parfe spoon. Having never before seeing anything like it I was over the moon, such special treatment and delicious ice-cream.
It was then I found out that Christine was my God Mother😅 I will never forget Wynyard always yearning to return.
I remember those escalators from when I worked in the Australian Square Tower Building in 1982/1983, fresh out of school.
My dad worked in Australia Square when it was new… I had a school project on pollution, and actually stuck my head between the architectural lighting around the top ring - to take photos down the side of the building. Camera safely on a leather strap, and my father holding my lower legs!
@@laustinspeiss Love that. I took some great pictures of the building too. I think my favourite was standing on the steps, looking up and capturing the tower tapering away and framed by the opening above the stairs.
@@just_passing_through haha, that’s what piqued my interest…
a teacher mentioned exactly what you say… plus, if you stood directly below - the tower seemed to be leaning forward, over you.
A lot of cool stories, thanks for reminding me.
Interesting seeing trams passing Wynyard railway station entrance. I remember as a child exiting the station entrance in George Street and seeing the old original toast-rack trams passing in George Street prior to their closure in 1958. I also remember riding the wooden escalators, entering the stair entrance to the tram platforms 1 & 2 and even seeing the dividing wooden fence between the tram and rail platforms, but I have no memory of ever visiting the refreshment room. However, I more likely passed the refreshment room on several occasions. From memory, the wooden escalators had a individual sound and even smell when traveling on them. There was one particular story that I was told about the wooden escalators. On one occasion, a man heading down the escalator had the tail of his overcoat caught in the bottom of the escalator, which caused him to be toppled with his feet up in the air and all the peak hour crowds on the escalator started walking time in the opposite direction attempting to get back to the top, while the escalator continued running in a downwards direction. Eventually, an attendant came to the rescue and stopped the escalator. The man was freed without any physical injury, apart from a torn overcoat.
WOW Thank you. I vaguely remember the latter version of the refreshment room. I was with my Nan & she obviously liked her tea custom & I might have had a milkshake there. As Nan had worked for Palings the music store just across the road from the Wynyard entrance, she would have frequented it regularly. The latter version (without the horseshoe counters) was similar to the refreshment room on Central Station, which closed somewhere round the 80-90’s. 🙏
Prior to that renovation there were lots of little shops on the grade up to and down from George St. More choices of food, too.
There was an amazing cafe / refreshment room in Railway House on York Street above the station. It was a tour de force of Art Deco design.
Wynyard House (above the station) was the New South Government Railways Head Office and also housed the RAN Hydrographic Office on the upper floors until the 1980's. The refreshment rooms closed in the 1960's.
How many people walk through Wynyard EVERY DAY and don't notice these incredible details? I love the wooden escalator as art.
Those old escalators which are now an artwork, were originally the escalators situated on the north shore. transporting people from the ferry at Lavendar Bay to the tram. When the bridge was built this arrangement was superseded by the direct train link from North Shore to the City underground.
I remember back in 1979- 1980 working in Town Hall Florist. There were mainly old shops selling clothes one was called Harolds. There were little jewellery stores and small cafes and such. Lots of changes now.
I believe wooden escalators were no longer acceptable after the Kings Cross underground station fire in London as they played a large part in causing it. Please correct me if I'm wrong.
The escalators were replaced in the 1950s prior to being replaced again in 2016 and unlike the originals from 1932 which would have had timber panelling, the 1950s escalators only had wood veneer on the exterior panels between each escalator and solid wood treads, but all the internal equipment and side panels were metal, so it wasn't an issue of fire safety. The replacement was primarily because the gaps between the wooden treads were large and guide dogs could get their paws stuck (and footwear could also get stuck). The other reason for replacement is that it is more economical in the long run: its easier to source spare parts and maintain new escalators, and they're far more energy efficient.
The escalators remain. They are a artistic piece suspended above the replacement escalators thar lead to Clarence/ York.
Thank you for the video and the reminder that the name of those wooden escalators were Otis. Great video.
Nice and informative mate.
I can only just remember it around 1968 my mum would take me there for lunch when would visit a museums or go for a ferry ride on the South Styne but I rode the wooden escalator for a few years when I work in Kent street.
I spent a year commuting to Wynyard in 1989, exiting via those York st escalators although turning left to get down to Kent st. Haven't been through since..... holy crap! I hardly recognised the place!!! Thanks for the video.
Shared - Great Work mate ... keep it up.
Thank you Michael!
We’ll catch up for a beer or 10 soon!
Not that old but I do remember the Hungry Jacks prior to the redevelopment, and I think Maccas had a place further down the tunnel in the middle. The old Central Station bar had a similar vibe back before they redeveloped, someone might have better memories but I think there was also a counter service next door.
You are correct. The old "Wynyard Ramp" was two entrances from George St and merged where the original Hunter Connection stairs were. Between those stairs and George St, there was indeed a McDonalds.
@@static-san I loved that part of - and, to be honest, loved all of - the previous version of the station. You felt like you could hit your head on the ceiling when walking down the ramp. Now it feels like you're walking into a cocktail lounge.
I remember the hungry jacks! We would hang out there after school 😅
Love it. Thank you. I remember the first time I went down the wooden escalator, I was terrified. In the country town, I had come from, they only had an up escalator and you had to walk down steps to go down.
I worked in Martin Place for 4 years from 2003 - 2006, I remember the Wynyard Ramp well, and the wooden escalators on the other side! Absolute death traps for women in high heels when it rained, and not that safe other times either! I slipped over on the shiny ramp tiles many a time, and my heels would get stuck in the slats of the wooden escalator so I tried to avoid that one whenever I could.
Starbucks was on the corner of the ramp and George st, I was a regular there in the mornings and a regular at the ramp maccas in the evenings.
For a time my hairdresser was situated in the underground area which was accessed by stairs after going through another shopping section and food court area. It’s changed so much!
Phil.. have my refreshments ready upon my arrival
I used that concourse twice a week in the 70s and 80s - what a difference !
Not terribly long ago there were wooden escalators that led to the top room in the old section of Grace Brothers in the city. They were most unusual. They were about half the width of modern escalators, the slats were very worn. You'd get to the top of the escalator and find yourself standing amongst maternity wear and soft toys for newborns. You were aware of the old world meets new born vibe, which made it really special and sweet. And I often wonder if those escalators are still there.
I remember those bumps between the escalators were there on the old wooden escalators. I think they could be the same ones as they have the same configuration. They are to stop people using the slopes as slippery slides.
There's sections of original tiles in the fire stairs on either side of the escalators up to York Street. There's also a small museum that's not open to the public under the escalator in the old motor room which has a number of items preserved.
Is it something to which one can book a visit?
Very interesting. I remember my grandmother talking about how she'd get 'frocked up' and go into town to meet up with her friends at the Wynyard refreshment room.
What year was that ??
@@annehat4833 She was telling this to me in the 1970s. I imagine she was referring to the 1950s.
I remember the rail network from the 60's and 70's.
St. James, Wynyard, Museum, Town Hall. So very different from today.
Anyone still recall that you could buy a small glass of Sherry on the platform at Central whilst waiting for your train? A small waiting room with McWilliam's posters.
G'day Phil, part of my old stomping ground in the mid 60s,who would have thunk there was an Art Deco place inside it, we stayed at an Hotel the other side of Wynyard in the 80s! Perth WA
I loved those wooden escalators. Used them hundreds of times. Wynyard Station used to be wonderfully vibrant community in past decades with dozens of specialty shops. I particularly remember the coin shop because going in there I could see Roman coins. Now Wynyard is a disgustingly lifeless station. Bland, and uninteresting.
The same happened to Town Hall. It was once a wonderful community of shops. I used to use the cobbler there, and buy wine in the bottle shop. Always happy and friendly faces made it a welcoming station. Now it is bland and uninteresting. One of the nice things about London is that there are still plenty of Central London tube stations that have that feeling of life that Sydney rail has strangled out of existence in their obsession with making CBD stations look like cold clean airport terminals.
I used to use Town Hall regularly from my youth, then when studying and then working in the city up to the start of last decade. I probably haven't caught a train from there for six or seven years at least. Maybe significantly longer. I got a horrifying surprise when I used Wynyard last year for the first time in about the same period, having had no idea that it had been turned into a casino foyer and found it looking like it does in this video. Your post makes me expect the same at Town Hall. What a shame.
@@andrewkemp1882 At Town Hall the big change was mostly just getting rid of the shops. They don't have enough room there to do a complete Wynyard or Central style of shopping mall makeover.
@@artistjohSo hopefully it still is recognisable as Town Hall.
@@andrewkemp1882 Mostly recognizable, I just don't like the sterile lack of interesting little shops. I also don't like that they got rid of shops that paid them rent, which helped with operating costs and helped keep fares a little lower than they would otherwise be.
@@artistjohShops make stations much more characterful and less dreary. Character seems to be regarded as an unimportant feature of development these days.
I worked in a shoe shop in Wynyard station in the mid/late 80’s. It was dirty and dingy but had character. They still had the old 747 bar back then. You walked in and it was like the inside of a plane. Sydney has lost all its character now. Could be any city worldwide
I was wondering if anyone would mention the 747 bar. Vodka and orange thanks. Back when Sydney had a sense of humour.
…when travelling Interstate by train, as a kid in the ‘50’s, I remember the RRR along the way. They were marvellous places’ for a child!
Also the below street level Bank Cafeteria, & Coles’ one in the city…………
Great video as always, mate.
I remember this from when i was a young fella
What year was that ?
Refreshment rooms used to be reasonably common for most sizable stations back in the WW2 era and earlier , I know Charleville and Toowoomba railway stations had some pretty nice restaurants in the station . Toowoomba station's restaurant has been reopened in recent history but it is a private business now that leases space from Queensland Rail. And I think that is what ended the practice , private businesses like hotels would open near a station (or fast food vendors in larger stations that lease a retail space) and offer a better service than the refreshment room. But that is just my theory.
the new escalators at wynyard are quick. they seem to me compared to others at train stations. phil did you notice?
I can't tell you when the room was removed but it was gone by 1970.
I used to work in a shop on Wynyard ramp (as I think they used to call it). McDonalds took over the lease and that looks like it there at 2:42 - on the right side of the McDonalds sign. That was 30 years ago. I'm struggling to recall what was around there at the time and if there was an old refreshment room. I always recall Wynyard station area as being a bit of a dump, certainly not luxuriopus and the ladies' toilets there were awful. Even back in the 1960's, the toilets were old and disgusting
The wooden escalators took patrons from Wynyard station to York Street were actually heritage listed. However after the fatal fire at Kings Cross tube station in London, it was found that a piece of paper had become covered in grease and worked its way into the drive mechanism and subsequently caught fire killing many people. Those escalators also had wooden stairs and subsequently added to the ferocity of the UK fire. The NSW Government then decided to replace the wooden escalators with metal stair escalators thereby reducing the likelihood of fire. I found this information from a Wynyard station employee.
Now all built with the dollar more in mind than the service.
An insight into the regression, I mean progression, of society over the years: THEN: Well dressed people, proper seating, cutlery, table service etc NOW: "McDonalds"! 🤔
Yeah shameful
Is this the station had the jetliner interior as part of a bar. If so what's there no
It was Wynyard or Town Hall from memory I went to that bar heaps back in the mid 70's
The 747 Bar, one of the many bars of the Menzies Hotel (situated above the station) found in the vicinity of the station.
I have a beautiful old pint glass from Central Station Refreshment Room embossed with 'NSWGR RRR'.
Cool.
Ah yes I remember riding on the wooden escalators. They were looking pretty tatty after decades of use, you could see the wooden slats were worn down, with indents and chips gouged out of them. One of the most damaging things for the timber slats was women's stiletto heels. When these escalators were designed (1920s?), women's heel bases were wider, but by the 50s and 60s, the stiletto trend meant that those escalator slats were suddenly more vulnerable to damage from heel strike -- and less safe for women, as a stiletto heel might get stuck in the gap between slats. To complicate things further, women in those days put steel heel tips on their stilettos. I can remember my mother using such tips in the '50s and '60s, they were favoured because they didn't wear out as quickly as the synthetic plastic tips (though no-one uses metal tips now, because rubber heel tips have since improved). As a steel tip wore down, the 3 nail heads holding the tip also got worn off, then a nail would fall out, and the tip would come loose and swivel. A loose tip became a lethal sliver of metal, barely knife thick, which could cut your finger -- and most certainly slice into timber slats on an escalator. And a swivelling distorted metal heel tip was even more at risk of jamming between the wooden slats. It's probably just as well that the wooden escalators have been retired.
Only thing I remember about Wynyard station, was watching the big rats running in and out of the tunnels at night!
not just at night! and not just at Wynyard! but at any station on the City Circle, the rats come out to scavenge the scraps of people's snacks that somehow end up down on the tracks. Rats like to stick close to the walls when they explore, so I doubt people ever notice them, unless like me, they are looking out for them. The rats also mostly move slowly (something I suspect they may have learned) which is another reason they dont catch people's attention. The rats always look very wellfed. I bet they have been there for many generations.
Wynyard has, hands down, the best toilets I’ve seen on the entire network.
Your old photo of the dining room looks to be from the 1940s or 50s, judging by the clothing people were wearing.
I've never noticed that. is that near the lift?
The lift that goes up to Coles?
If so, yes it is :)
To the right of the lift you will see the florist next to McDonalds.
Once you are outside the florist look up :)
The old roof style is inside the florist also.
Just despicable how they can leave just a “patch” of the beauty that once was. Look at that terrible square concrete!! Just vandalism
Things change and we change with them. I don’t think that Wynyard station was ever a place of beauty.
the building with the staircase in your intro is no longer accessible, its been boarded off really well.
I believe for a time, the old wooden escalators up to Wynyard Park, were the longest in the world.
8:30 that wooden bit between the escalators, I want to slide down it like a slippery dip
only iof u new Sydney in the 80s n even early to mid 90s it was still the grouse. nothing at all like today not to mention the vib is totally gone now a days sadly buddy eh. anyhoo i do like wat u do my good man i must say i really do,. #Cheers.
I dont recognize Sydney now. not to mention the people have totally changed as u would have in the 80s n even still in the 90s like groups of ppl say where the chinamas r n pinball parlors hanging out n talking n meeting new young adults n teenagers n so on but there isn't anywhere u can do that now sadly, it truly breaks my heart the way sydney is now n the best decade for a long time for kings cross was the 80s i mean wow bro that place was alive in the middle of the day u would struggle to get past other ppl n thats just walking to n from the train station like can u imagine how busy that must have been n trust me it was n then u had door men shouting out wanting u to come into there clubs n ppl playing musical instruments always on the side walk, it was a really meeting point n as busy as u can get but again all that sadly is gone n dead as a door nail now a days n New town also had some great places were newbands would play n even the second hand book n recod shops were open up until 1 am at least there in new Town. Oh man all that sadly is gone.
Must have been a long time ago 🤔
will you ever take us behind the walls beyond the public view?
Mate you just drag it on rather than get to the point. 4 minutes in on a 9 minute video and I’ve seen 20 seconds of a roof.
Wait, what?! There was a refreshment room?!!
All these comments about the Wynyard ramp and wooden escalators make it sound like its ancient history. They have only just gone.
The work is still in progress, they are presently demolishing much of Hunter Street and the connections to Wynyard as seen in another of these Abandoned Oz films
Great work, this video. Thanks
A couple of abandoned but demolished building: Anthony Horden's, now 'World Square', I think, and the Trocadero, site of the Hoyts Cinemas.
BTW, a question of style: there is no 'everyone' in media. It is professional to work as though you only ever have an audience/viewership of one person: and with UA-cam, usually one at a time. So, to keep an intimate and personal atmosphere, use singular language: e.g. "Welcome to the channel' ( not 'welcome/hello everyone', or even the more juvenescent 'hi guys'). "If you have seen, you may have seen," not if any of you/someone has seen...' There's no auditorium here, its just the individual and their phone/tablet/desktop.
I worked above Wynyard Station in the 80's it was a dismal place then, let us not talk about the large rats that used to wander around late at night
Oh no the escalators are new! Far out, I have no interest in New Sydney.
I remember Sydney of the 1960s,70s,80s,90s ,2000s10 to 2018 ,would I go back,absolutely not. On second thought I would just to avoid meeting my now divorced wife!
Wooden escalators..fire hazard ..big fire in London wooden escalators
Too bad a comprehensive restoration didn't happen of the old!
That's Sydney ??? So many Asians
It looks too clinical!
I hate change.they could have saved most of this.history gone for good.
Good video but you completely missed the fire stairs which is also original
Yea mate you should have been access to hungry jacks and maccas
no blackfullas ate there ill bet