Abandoned Oz - Sydney’s Harbourside Shopping Centre - Final Walkthrough - DEMOLITION STARTED
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 25 ส.ค. 2024
- It has been 20 days since the closure of Sydney’s Harbourside Shopping Centre in Darling Harbour.
The centre is mostly fenced off however there is still partial access so people can walk through to the Wilson Carpark.
This video shows a final walkthrough Harbourside 20 days after closure featuring the beginning of demolition of the food court.
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Film date - 29th December 2022
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Thanks mate. Video was awesome. Please keep us up-to-date thank u
We haven't really moved on from the Rum Corps. Offer enough money and you can build apartments and hotels all the way around Darling Harbour.
One day there will be an inquiry into this.
All these people saying they miss this shopping centre and how it was always buzzing.
But I even remember as a young kid in the 90s, Harbourside always felt really quite small and was always missing something.
Even when it was “busy” it was still quite empty and it didn’t offer much. Not quite sure what, but it didn’t offer anything distinctive besides being next to Darling Harbour.
A lot of touristy souvenir tatty stuff as well. It was always relatively small and cramped. It gave off local suburban shopping centre vibes - and only really survived as long as it did because its location in a relatively touristy area meant its food court always had foot traffic with tourists looking for fast food and take aways.
Tourists using the dunnys,kids from nearby schools crowding maccas and tons of Asian tourist looking confused as to where the shops are😅 was never a go to spot for locals
I 100% appreciate this video, good to see Harbourside Centre before they knock it down to cram yet more apartments in. I remember when Darling Harbour was newly redeveloped and opened for the bicentennial year in 1988. I had a lot of good memories in that place, I've literally seen it packed with throngs of thousands of people. This was such a massive development in Sydney at the time with a lot of fanfare surrounding it, so it's kind of unbelievable that it barely lasted 35 years before they decided to knock it all down and redevelop it.
I remember as a kid in the 90's Darling harbour was amazing there was so much to do. You had the Aquarium, The Museum, The Monorail, Sega World. There were always street performers busking down by the fountains. Paddies Markets was intense it was like a bigger better version of Parklea, Mum loved the Chinese gardens and of course the school trips to the entertainment centre were actually fun.
@@louiscypher4186I remember Darling Harbour as a kid in the 90s. While Darling Harbour as a whole was always fairly busy, Harbourside Shopping Centre was never a great location. It was always empty.
This place used to be buzzing when I was little. Chock full of people on the weekends, public holidays and special events. Sad to see it go, but even before covid, Harbourside was pretty dead. The foodcourt and surrounding restaurants were properly the reason it stayed open as long as it did.
Devastated that this mall is being demolished. 😥 Had many great memories here. Thank you for sharing! 🙏
I find this extremely interesting as I remember this area when it was a working railway goods/parcels yard and I got occasional work helping to load the rail wagons at the age of 12. Highly illegal and cash in hand. I remember the opening of Harbouside which looked amazingly futuristic and now I am watching it's demise. I find it sad that they would put a 40 story apartment building which will block the views of the hotels behind it. That lift is sensory overload for such a small space. Thank you Phil for this excellent journey down memory lane.
Sounds like you've got some good memories of Sydney.
Approx 30 years ago my nan had a kiosk style shop in the centre. We used to have so much fun going into Darling Harbour during the school holidays. They used to provide heaps of fee activities for kids, so many fond memories
God this makes me unbelievably depressed. I've spent my whole life in the inner city and every year I watch as it gets torn down for more apartment blocks. I'm glad that the amount of housing is increasing in the city - more people should be able to enjoy my lifestyle but I wish it didn't come at the cost of the infrastructure that makes that lifestyle worth living.
I worked at The Fudge Shop years ago and visited Harbourside on many occasions since. So depressing to see this happening because of greed really. Lots of people lost their jobs and businesses because of this. Why not develop out west where it is really needed?
I'm surprised that it lasted as long as it did.
On the other hand there are alternatives to shopping Center retail. Some type of mixed use building model could be viable. Buildings with business use on ground floor with residential uses in upper levels. In my opinion, vibrant mixed use main street type areas are more pleasant than shopping centres. As Australians we should become more comfortable with European or Japanese style mixed use areas for retail, recreation and residential functions in one place. Our zoning and planning laws restrict us from experiencing the best of urban living.
Damien Beckman-Scott I feel your pain i was so looking forward to paying this place a visit this year. So sad as so many of my memories were had there
@@danielcamp4597 I was a regular customer of the Fudge shop and totally loved it. ❤ I was very sad to see it go as I used to treat my partner with their fudge for years... 😢 I'm a Pyrmont resident and I totally share your view. I remember the good old days of the Harbourside and Darling Harbour 15 years ago. It was a place full of life where everyone had a great time, at allntime of the day: City workers during their lunchbreak, local residents, families, tourists, young people looking for nightlife... I went for a farewell visit of the Harbourside on its last day. It was heartbreaking. Another part of Sydney City's history is gone... 💔
🥺 thanks for the memories. I will miss The Fudge Shop the most.
Such a shame, the exterior had a really nice aesthetic to it. This place was Darling Harbour.
I worked at Virgin Megastore in 1988, which was right where Rashays is . Its amazing to see it like this but not at all surprising it will be gone.
A lot of comments saying, "Haven't been there for years" and others who did frequent the centre saying how they liked it was never crowed gives a pretty good indication as to why it's coming down.
Building another shopping centre underneath residential apartments means the shops have their own in built customer base.
Spent lots of time in here.
First nightclub dance with my eventual wife.
Family dinners at Pancakes and Thai Foon.
Expensive Xmas shopping.
Assorted lunches with family and workmates.
A seagull stole my Oporto burger out the front.
Regular visits to EB Games near the escalator.
Lost a work 10-pin bowling tournament due to a little too much alcohol.
Family Xmas dinner and Fireworks on the Festival Cafe balcony.
Bought way too many lollies from the Candy wagon when walking back to my car at Harbourside on drive in days.
Last thing I bought there was a gift bottle of Port for a friend from the liquor store opposite Hurricanes.
Sad to see it go but hoping for something newer and better.
Those aggressive Sydney seagulls!
Always a great New Year party here 🎉 I worked with catering crews here 15 years ago and it was always a rocking place!
Thanks for this. I didn't even know it was closing. I had my very first bowl of ramen here. And my kids tried KFC for the first time here too.
I just want the Imax to open already!
Worked in the maccas (located just left of the opportos) lost my job at the beginning of this summer holidays. The fire escape door he entered back in through at 12:54 is where the entrance was to the maccas.
One where the entertainment center uses to be or where the colossal darling square is now
Ex Crinitis worker... many happy memories from Harbourside
Seems such a waste as it is still brand new in my mind. I was there on opening day age 28. The whole of Darling Harbour was packed with people in awe of this huge new beautiful complex .
Greed dictates everything unfortunately.
about time........ it was old and will look great when re-done.
What a waste 😢 I was a part of the construction of Darling harbor back in the 80s was such a beautiful construction 🏗 will be sad to see it demolished 😢
The last time i was down the Harbour was like early 2019... sad that this whole building is gonna be no more, I used to go down there to chill out w/ the Street Performers (the juggling ones) that I've known for many yrs now). Always will have great memories.
I used to go to Hurricanes there lots of time! I still remember how long the queue was. It was a busy place!
I went November 2022 and it was EXACTLY that…. right up until the end 🥹😭💖
HIf youre a fan Hurricanes still operate at Brighton Le Sands
Hurricanes sucks
Many happy memories from the 80s (before kids), when it was sparkling new. Even a huge Virgin record store. Remember those?
Very sad to see it go. I remember when it was built and opened. My late father’s workplace tnt were the monorails sponsors. As young girls we loved coming in from western Sydney to shop etc.
You know a place is in trouble if a Ferris wheel appears. This is an example of the Capital bias favoured by politicians. Often an unsolicited proposal from a developer is put in private to politicians who smooth the way for its construction, often ignoring the usual processes. They then cut the ribbon and repeat. Look at the disastrous monorail, which went nowhere. The original convention centre, now demolished for a bigger one.
Great video ( albeit sad ). So...we are knocking down a reasonably modern shopping centre to 'improve' it to world class with a special add on called 'apartments'. I guess some developers have had their eyes on this site for quite a while. Is there no limit to the corruption in old Sydney Town.
mate you should see the gold coast. our mayor is the most corrupt pig you’ll ever meet
Yep , government has bowed to Developers Mirvac
What’s wrong with apartments, we need more housing that’s not just houses far out west 1.5 hrs from the cbd
We really don't need any more apartments in Sydney, we're overdeveloped and over crowded as it is.
@@JaneParkerBowls Out West will be affordable, the apartments in Darling Harbour will not be affordable.
Very sad. Had some of the best times of my life, during the 2000 Olympic Games and also when I was a kid with my parents in 1988 during the Bicentennial year and in the last 15 years after coming back from living out of Sydney to a few bars that used to be there. Last time I went there I took the family a couple of months to a kids science exhibition. You could see how they had left the building to disrepair and commented that they should fix up all the leaks and ceiling, etc. Now with it becoming demolished it all makes sense.
I don’t understand why it died. It’s in a prime tourist spot with lots of entertainment options. They didn’t do enough to make this work. Used to buzz with shops, cafes, theatres, resturaunts, museums, such a shame.
I still remember when Darling Harbour was nothing but railway sidings.
To think it was such a big deal back in the day. I lived in Sydney for 10 years up until 2022 and no one I knew ever dined or hung out there for many years, I used to go for walks past but when Barangaroo opened I didn’t go back. It still attracted crowds though on weekends. The opposite side of Darling Harbour was more popular.
Wow! I surely will be watching all your update videos on this!
Walking through the City the other day and the Cross it all seems so dead now.
Well that explains why more than half the shops were closed when I was there in November looking for some fast food. It was very sad looking but I had no idea it was being demolished
I only found out about the demolition when my boyfriend and I wanted to go to the British Lolly Shop and they had moved. We went to their new store at the Rocks and they told us that their lease ran out and they didn't find it necessary to roll it over as it was going to be demolished anyway. I was a bit shocked but also not entirely surprised as the centre became pretty dead. I hope that the plans they have for the future bring more life to that area again. I have fond memories of this place.
The truth of the matter is people like "NEW " things . (Stuff the environment /heritage value, wasted resources etc.)
How many thousands of tons of this rubble will be non-recyclable and end up in landfill - such as the industrial window glass , plastics, combustible material & contaminated masonry ? How many tons of CO2 from fossil fuels are produced to demolish and rebuild on this site ? Multiply this in every location of the world and you get the idea .
This is a fine example that sustainability is a sham and used for ulterior purposes.
Remember high rise units rule in Syd and developers are kings, placated by their servants the politician! Remember how they wanted to destroy the iconic Powerhouse Museum for high rise development too! Kick backs and courruption well and truely pumping!
That didn't go ahead due to the cost. I'm so glad that idea was scrapped and the Powerhouse is staying! The museum is being expanded for more exhibits, was on the news recently.
I honestly don't get the opposition to medium-to-high density developments. It's a city of 6 million people - where do you expect them to live? In endless greenfield developments in the middle of nowhere?
Gatekeeping the inner city/cbd has always been the call of the NIMBY. The city is for everyone, build those high/medium density units for fucks sake! We have a dead cbd because it's all offices which isn't the case in pretty much every other major city because the old white rich retirees don't want to be within 50ft of a student, young professional or God forbid an ethnic family
@@nighty4 spot on. Apparently wanting to have a vibrant, functioning city centre where people actually live and play and not just work = developers' greed?? What other 'global city' has this parochial mentality?
It's sad to see this shopping centre go it still looks brand new.
If anything,Sydney certainly knows how to destroy an already famous and popular area not only for tourists but for businesses and locals. From what I have seen of the tram system that replaced buses, the area from videos I have seen are almost deserted....shame on you Sydney :-)
Wow this is an awesome video. So many great memories for me. It is such a shame that it’s all being demolished, but like the rest of the CBD it all has to change to make room for accomodating more people to live here. I am so glad I grew up and experienced the good old days. Keep up with the videos. Regards from a new subscriber
for accommodating more migrants, don't forget not to acknowledge Australia day, you may upset foreigners.
Craziest thing I ever saw at Harbourside was a ram raid with a Subaru WRX that drove through the center and into a jewelry shop.
I just think it sucks that there also taking the monorail station down that was the last trace everyone could see of it but now all of the monorail is practically gone
Its history
@@MitchellBPYao yeah
I wish they would at least display it somewhere or repurpose it instead of just demolishing it.
@@rosiem9228 yeah I think powerhouse should take it
@@theaustraliantrainspotter They should reconstruct some of the stations and a section of the track down at the Transport Heritage Museum and actually operate monorail rides there.
Used to be 2 nightclubs & a great food hall. Such ashame after 35 years of use that things have gone this way. I worked at Town Hall & used to meet up with family for a feed at Darling Harbour a few times a year. The James Craig was being refitted & refurbished by hiring it as a functions venue.
2023 will be the 10-Year Anniversary of when the controversial monorail was dismantled and scrapped!
I caught it a bit going to work. What a waste. It made life easier in wet weather. Cash is king though unfortunately.
Very sad watching this.
Have lots of great memories of the Harbourside Shopping Centre over the past decade and a half.
i have walked along there on holiday around 2014 maybe 2015 and all those places were packed people everywhere, pre covid was great
Went there about a month or so ago
Been about 20 years since I last went before the recent times I knew something wasn’t right it was a ghost town !!
Then about 2 weeks later I read it’s closing down !! How sad 😞. Fond memories as a teenager.
Sega World 🌎 etc real shame
I was there in July. It was more than half empty and depressing. I had breaky at the pancake place. There was almost nothing open in food court. Finding out its to be demolished explains it.
When I went to Sydney I used to make it a habit to visit the pancake on the rocks. Although that centre always felt like it was more targeted to Chinese tourists
We arrived on the 27th and are staying at the Oaks Sydney Goldsbrough of which this entry and exit is one of the only ways to get to the Harbour directly. Imagine our disappointment to find half of the harbour closed and ready for demolition. Still, great fireworks and ongoing vibes for New Year!
I don't have much attachment to the existing site, but I did have some drinks/food there with friends and family, a work Christmas party, bought a cool shirt the '90s (possibly from that Billabong shop). I was more upset when SEGA World was torn down to be honest. What's going in there instead seems trendy now...I feel it's going to age quicker than the '80s nautical stuff has to date. However it does look like a lot more green space to utilise on top instead of a roof, which is an improvement, even with the large apartment block.
They need more interactive areas down there like Playgrounds, Astroturf and seating areas cos right now it's just a huge Horrid Orange Footpath 😅 hopefully they implement more Greenery and Palm trees throughout cos I was there and it just looked desolate and very 2000s. I remember taking the monorail 🚝 in 1992 back then it was Gleaming and Futuristic.
I was standing right at 18:08 on the 22nd of December with my phone out when security came up to me and told me “no photos or videos here - this is a construction area”. Lucky you did not run into that person..
I remember when this place first opened in 1988. I used to always go to the “Virgin Records” store that was there as well. One of my most visited shopping centres whilst growing up.
I wouldn’t even stay at Darling harbour now.
I’ve just cancelled my booking at the Novotel
I found a QR code on a ferry from Manly to Circular Quay. That's how I found this channel.
Never heard this on the news.... I wonder what the payout was for the business owners in the building?
Wow I didn’t know this was being demolished! I was there a few months ago and was wondering why Hard Rock Cafe was closed. Seems like a shame to get rid of this just to put another in its place. Then again a 40 storey apartment block will be hot property in that area.
In the 80s there was a restaurant where all the staff dressed up as characters from Alice in Wonderland. Such good memories.
That sucks, I always go there when at darling harbour and when the monorail was still around went on it twice
Sad to see it go but good to see more housing, better shopping, better restaurants and something more in line with the more modern darling harbour/darling square/ Barangaroo. Defs used to feel out of place in its last few years taking people visiting from O'seas to darling harbour, seemed dated.
Goodness. I didn't even know this had shut down, let alone due for demolishing. Then again, just realized my last visit to Darling H was in 2017.
Dam 😔
Who remembers the James Craig ...?
I was actually at centre point and I saw the old monorail aswell as the old Harbourside how sad
Very sad having been there in 1988 when it opened
How much is repurposed I wonder? I really appreciate this video, it digitally preserves some of the original structure.😊
Damn I didn't know that the ferris wheel was going too, I never got to ride it 😭
I was at Sydney cbd yesterday Phil quite sad I didn’t pass you 😢
Thought he was a young skinny man but if you see his shadow its quite big and the voice seems sweet
Hardly abandoned. Harbourside is being demolished, after being built for the Bi-centenary in 1988, and is to be rebuilt into a modern, vibrant new precinct as has happened with the ICC precinct in Darling Harbour. My only hope is they cease trying to enclose Darling Harbour in tall buildings and let it remain as an open space for us all.
Used to visit here all the time
20:08 the glass atrium was the feature design aspect back in '88. Today modern commercial buildings have a 35-40 year shelf life before they become unviable. Odd when you compare it to the QVB or the Strand Arcade, nothing is classic or considered timeless these days.
I'm shocked I moved back to NZ in 2010 but lived in Syd from 1977 till 2010 saw Darling Harbour being built, opened during bi centenary, Harborside I remember bar and bistros and restaurants buzzing this is so sad and Nooooo Pancakes at the Rocks was my all time favorite place once again so sad.
Babes there’s another pancakes on the rocks around the corner
Was good back in it's heyday
So sad! Makes me glad I hve photos I’ve taken there in the past 10yrs of living here 😔
i still remember the bungie jumping next to the food court
Who remembers the flight simulator on the top floor? :)
I remember that flight simulator. It was great time though. I’m already back home for more than 10yrs now.
Why are we demolishing buildings that were only opened during the 1980s?
Nsw Government run by idiots now and always has been
Just like buildings built in the late 1800s early 1900s were demolished during the 1950s and 60s because they weren't "modern". Sydney's just becoming a massive concrete jungle.
Yes that's correct, a concrete jungle and Bondi Junction is leading the way. Bondi Beach is next...
This is closed?! Wow. Haven't been there for many years so im shocked at this. Remember travelling on the monorail with my kids when they were young. What a waste.
Last time I wandered around Darling Harbour, this place wasn't even there! Shows how often I get there...
Didn’t even know it was closed
About time, darling harbour needs a revamp so bad. Darling harbour and barangaroo will be leaders in the world and a place worth visiting. Just need the night life to come back.
Re nightlife, has the 1:30 lockout negatively impacted Sydney's nightlife? I'm just curious as a Perth resident.
man that sucks! I had a memory of doing a flight sim there and kingpin. its a shame that they are knocking it down. the monorail station was also a memory of mine. even though i went there for a vacation harbourside is still a good place for me
Used to go to Cohibar all the time; one of the very few places in Sydney you could smoke a cigar at a bar on a deck with a multi-million dollar view. Cohibar itself had gone downhill a fair bit but still, one more bit of the previously awesome Sydney nightlife gone, along with Frankie's demolished just the other day.
So many memories there, passing through and eating there... hope the new place is more memorable!
This centre was never going to do well. The only potential customers were at a few tourist hotels nearby, but the centre was really set up as a suburban shopping centre.
Never going to do well? It's been doing very well for many decades now, are you from the moon?
@@aflaz171 Doing so well that half the shops have been empty for years, and the others doing little business.
Apart from the food court it was not really like a suburban shopping centre at all. It didn't have supermarkets and fresh fruit, meat and poultry shops. The majority of the shops were selling things aimed at tourists such as opals, Aussie souvenirs and branded clothing such as Ugg boots.
Can't wait to start work there boss told us it's a couple of years work there hopefully 🙏
Harbourside Shopping Centre will be closed from January 2023 to make way for a world-class retail, residential, commercial workplace and entertainment precinct. The Harbourside Car Park will remain open throughout the redevelopment.
I was dating my wife 10 years ago, we went to the same uni and somehow she worked at one of the retail shops on ground floor and I was working at Subway on the other end. I always liked that the shopping centre was never too packed, guess that wasn't good for business lol
As an ex employee from Harbourside I can say yes it got quiet but it made up for it in peak periods. This will not change no matter what is built in it's place. It is all about housing more than our city is capable of. Our rail system can't handle what we have here now and get let's bring more in. What a joke.
Omg the best Lebanese in that place, far out can’t believe they’re knocking it down, although did look a bit tired and worn down when I last visited in September 22.
Funny thing it was never that old to demolish, developers must be surrounded in cash.
They are greedy pigs. A make over would have been better.
Mirvac developers are going to make some $$$$ on government land
I've lost count how many times I've eaten at that Pancakes At The Rocks. I loved that place. Depressed it's now closed down 😞😞😞
Babes don’t get depressed, there’s another pancakes on the rocks around the corner
Darling Harbour was always a white elephant. A tourist trap with overpriced food drinks etc blended with vacancies and tourist shops often leaving vacancies that were gimmicky or $2 shops. And disorganised in layout requiring walking through.
I went to Harbourside Shopping Centre couple days ago and I saw one entrance was closed
I didn't get to go in because I though that all entrance was close
I wish I could have gone here..
It was behind with the times but was a good shopping centre none the less :)
So sad I’m from Adelaide it was my favourite shopping centre 😢
I haven't gone to the city in so long. Is this the one that connects to the casino?
Great, I came across your channel. It's a privilege to see places you covered, especially I spent most of my time at work and home. If I covered repair tutorials on small engines, there are also other TH-camr who covered places like you. I also enjoy watching your channel. Now I subs! Cheers, VARIETECH
Interesting, thanks for the tour. I wonder if they could’ve renovated instead of tear down.
Also what is the dark circular eyesore building in the distance (around 5 mins in) with the W on it
Thats the empty shell of a hotel that they built in place of what used to be the IMAX theatre. Been in construction since I think 2016 lol.
@@davidshepherd265 what’s delaying them?
@@JaneParkerBowls Among other things, two of the construction companies used went broke
There was never really much in there,highlight as kids was the missus grabbing clothes at one of 3 stores and the food court😂 really thought more would have been done with the location
Harbourside was a giant overpriced tourist trap right from the very start way back in 1988. I hate to think how many shop owners went broke trying to make a go of it in there. Every time you went in there were more and more empty shops. The only decent shop the centre ever had was a Virgin Music store. That place had absolutely everything.
Funny that. The place I worked at lasted from 1988 until recently when the place was forced to close. You can't sell apples there but you can make a gold mine with the right idea like my past boss did. He is now rolling in coin. So what you say is barbaric. You need to cater for tourists not the locals.
@@danielcamp4597 fudge shop?
Oh no! Did the fudge shop open somewhere else?
I just had a look at their website - it looks like the main thing they are doing at the moment is pop-up cafes for events, no mention of fudge anywhere except the name. Hopefully they will open somewhere else soon.
They should build a prison here to set an example, to highlight the wretchedness & complacency that the attitude of Sydney has evolved into.
Just a bit challenging when there's so many people around you while filming.
What are their plans now ? Used to love walking or catch monorail over back in the day was very nice
I used the Monorail on rainy days going to work at The Fudge Shop. Such a shame our govt doesn't want tourism to be as good as it once was.
@@danielcamp4597 Oh wow, The Fudge Shop!! I remember that place from the year that Darling Harbour first opened, it was a bit of an institution in Darling Harbour. I used to like the jaffa (choc/orange) fudge and the macadamia. I wonder what happened to them?
@@blokeabouttown2490 yeah it was a hot spot in Harbourside. Man it got busy during holidays. I remember making the fudge you mentioned plus many more.