City Of Millions, NFSA, Sydney History, 1964 Construction of Modern Sydney, AMP Tower.

City of Millions was a NSW Government film in 1964 used to promote the development and construction of the city of Sydney. The documentary covers a time in Sydney's history where the birth of the construction of modern high rise building and skyscraper had just begun.
In this documentary we are lucky enough to see "Sydney life" in full colour with automobiles, computer technology and a full manufacturing industry with strong work ethic reflecting the culture of Sydney people in 1964. "if it's wanted this city will make it"
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00:19 Alfred Street Tower Circular Quay
01:30 Milsons Point Eastern flyover
02:35 Central Station Sydney
03:57 Sydney CBD life
05:22 Sydney Manufacturing Industry
06:47 Hyde Park
09:00 Domain Car Park Sports Fields
09:20 Sydney Harbour
10:23 Sydney's Mascot Airport
10:50 Mitchell Library NSW
11:44 Sydney High-rise Construction
13:34 Sydney College Building 1964
13:53 Australia Square Development
14:23 The Rocks Redevelopment
15:03 Sydney's Urban Sprawl
16:45 Sydney the Island, Gladesville Bridge
18:19 Opera House Under Construction
18:56 Velvet Dark of Night & Wonderland of Stars

[@SydneyHistory]

What aspect of this documentary struck a cord with you? I was surprised to see so many woman working in manufacturing in 1964.

[@neil2402]

We had a manufacturing industry in those days! Interesting to see the construction workers without any regard to safety - would never happen today. The identity of the man in the taxi and library bugged me, but I've looked him up - it was Kit Taylor.

[@SydneyHistory]

@@neil2402 Yes, no hard hats or vest or harness walking along planks of wood with a ciggie. What attracted you about the man in the taxi? How did you find out who he was? When watching documentaries like this of this age I can't help but think and gauge if the people would still be alive today. I would say about 70% would be dead most people over 20 years of age in the doco would be dead. sounds grim but likely true. The amazing thing is that the video quality is so clear it's like they are with us in the present.

[@neil2402]

@@SydneyHistory The face looked familiar. With a lot of hard thinking(!), I realised it was the actor that played the dentist in Don's Party, so found the name from there. As to the video quality, it is an NFSA transfer so they've probably done some restoration.

[@SydneyHistory]

@@neil2402 yes indeed, amazing investigative work, Neil. I guess I was a bit naïve and thought they were all natural scenes.

[@neil2402]

@@SydneyHistory I suspect most of them are, they just decided to use actors for a few scenes.

[@peterhladky5481]

It made me sad to see how much manufacturing we have lost 😞

[@knowingeverythings9609]

1964, I was 5y.o korean boy Seoul sth korea Now, I am 65y old Australian Sydney Australia

[@ktkt9982]

The Sydney of my childhood ❤️

[@markcreighton3733]

In 1955 my Dad was promoted to a new role in Sydney from his hometown Perth and took up a new office in Unilever House located at 1 Macquarie St. Its the very tall building next to where the Opera House was built. I wasn't born yet but Dad came home from his first day and told Mum how his new office was on the 10th floor looking at the Harbour Bridge !! Dad was aged 27yo. and was the Australian Sales Manager of Rexona Ltd a Unilever company. In 1970 I was 10yo and the 200year anniversary of Capt Cook meant a huge firework night on the harbour. My family watched it from within Unilever House.

[@sharongoodsell9341]

Lucky it's on film we that remember are almost gone ,

[@user-xb1qk7rg9v]

Nice to remember the old days in Sydney .I Love it.❤

[@captainkydd4851]

That's the Sydney I remember. Where has it gone? I miss it.

[@SydneyHistory]

Yeah, it seems to change faster and faster each year. I wonder what we'll think watching a 4k video of Sydney 50 years from now.

[@gobblelevclass3nuclearsubm393]

omg the opera house wasnt even built then ! but much better then than the crowded competittive place it is now

[@SydneyHistory]

@@gobblelevclass3nuclearsubm393 Yes it was like that moment in time where the birth of modern Sydney had just begun and some sights have become a victim of their own success and popularity. 😀

[@gobblelevclass3nuclearsubm393]

@@SydneyHistory and non existent uraban planning/government response !

[@freeman10000]

I was born in Sydney in 1969. I don't miss it at all! Having a great time in Perth with my family enjoying the fact that there are no toll roads, no pokies, easier living and less stress here.

[@freeman10000]

2:30 "NSW The senior state." Get your hand off it grandpa! Love from Western Australia 😊

[@nightowldickson]

14:51 I guess that plan was shelved? can't remember seeing skyscrapers in the Rocks area

[@SydneyHistory]

Yes, it was and some might say fortunately. Sydney Living Museums currently has an exhibition called "Unrealised Sydney" where this Rocks scheme features. In the 1960s there was heavy pressure to knock things down and build new. The QVB almost suffered a similar fate, but was also saved. The Rock was probably at it's lowest point in the 1960s, run down housing commission barely an business in the area and it was not appreciated for its historical value at the time. But it was prime real estate making it most vulnerable when it came to eager developers. The closest they got was the building of the Sirius apartment complex for the department of housing, but that was in 1978 some 10 or 15 years after the time in this video.

[@philipbirzulis5099]

My dad worked for an engineering firm based in the Argyle Centre in The Rocks in the 70s and 80s. And later I had great times at The Glenmore and The Lord Nelson pubs. The Rocks has a wonderful atmosphere - it's the only place in Sydney with a deep connection to history. Skyscrapers are a dime a dozen but that's unique.

[@marcomaddox]

Many thanks to Jack Mundie and the BLF green bans it was preserved.

[@tompchromedome]

the commo Jack Mundey saved the rocks and in this case he was correct.

[@tompchromedome]

factory work is honorable work for anyone, The Lima agreement sent these jobs to Asia

[@schtaiv]

crazy to think the rocks was going to be redeveloped like that! i cant imagine it

[@SydneyHistory]

True, I guess if it did happen, developers would be ready to pull it all down at start again. Just look at the only high rise Sirius getting redeveloped.

[@schtaiv]

@@SydneyHistory yeah, such a shame that the sirius is being redone, i loved how it looked before ):

[@krishyket]

It's a good thing it wasn't. I was there earlier and remember thinking "damn this city's weird. The city centre looks so modern but the rocks looks like the 1930s".

[@stephenterrilltraveller]

Wonderful channel, just subscribed..

[@SydneyHistory]

Thank you. I'm glad you're enjoying it.

[@boonarga]

Great to see the old northern entrance to the Cahill expressway, which was formerly a tram track. So glad that horrid vision for The Rocks never came to fruition. It was quite common for women to do factory work in those days. Much of it menial. Skilled but very repetitive.

[@SydneyHistory]

Yes, it was. For me it was probably one of the biggest loses from a transportation perspective. One of the hardest barriers for the Northern beaches rail link was a harbour crossing and there it was done. All it needed was a successive government to finish it. Yes that 70s looking version of the Rocks would have dated fast. It would have been a water front suburb that looked like the UTS building at Ultimo.

[@judithmargret5972]

The days when it was possible to get many jobs in a day, no resumes or ID. Then we could pick which one we wanted, and the paymaster would come around on pay day, we would check our money and sign for it.

[@markjones4485]

You could tell the difference between men and women in those days

[@Nickclappo]

Any video that advocates the destruction of heritage is to be questioned.

[@michaelg8465]

What happened to our booming country? Greed.