Before the third runway and IT expansion - Page 3

Peter Agatsiotis · #21 18th October 2010, 05:51 AM

Searching the garage for more negatives/prints I found the negatives for the photos I posted.
As it turns out these were taken whilst work had started on the terminal expansion so I have added a few more to show the 'work in progress' plus 2 new a/c.
Sorry for quality as these are scanned negatives.

Nigel C · #22 18th October 2010, 07:10 AM

A bit of useless trivia for you Peter...

The original project site office for the third runway still exists on the airport...it's the old Airport Operations building, which is located just before General Holmes Drive Tunnel northbound; look for the white building on stilts.
Since airport ops moved out, it has been used as the project office for the RESA upgrade, and is now home to the runway re-sheet guys.
If you google map this building, you'll see it still has "Building a Better Airport" painted on the roof, a remnant from the third runway construction days.

Noel White · #23 18th October 2010, 07:50 AM

Thanks Peter, those photos brings back memories especially the first one of the foundations of Pier C.

Can't remember how far the concrete piers were driven down (well over 100 feet), but to support the ITB extensions they had to rest on bed rock. Where the ITB now stands was originally the Cooks River bed and flowed across the paddock into Botany Bay near where the General Holmes Drive and Foreshore Road join. The whole ITB stands on stilts because of the mud and silt that the river left behind when the river was diverted in 1948.

Peter Agatsiotis · #24 18th October 2010, 07:50 AM

Thanks Nigel

I know the building well as I used to sneak down the side of it to check out a/c parked at the terminal.

Behind the BA 747 near the old control tower you can see the cars parked at Gate 20 (the original main spotting area - now staff car park). Can even make out Jimmy's Ice cream van where we would buy coffee, hot dogs, etc.
Also amongst the trees is a house that I think was owned/leased by the Coast Guard with a resident couple (forgot the guy's name who passed away some years ago).
Lots of memories.

I didn't realise that work started that long ago.

Nigel C · #25 18th October 2010, 01:13 PM

The staff car park is now an empty lot, possibly to be used for staging the re-sheet equipment. I believe there may be plans to turn it into aircraft stand-off parking too.

The old house in the middle was demolished once the tennants passed away. Apparently they had a long lease that they'd never see the end of (99 years or something similar). He used to have chooks running around the yard whe I first started; not sure what happened to them once he departed.

Kent Broadhead · #26 18th October 2010, 03:29 PM

If anyone's interested at playing around (as it's not entirely user friendly, and seems to work best with Explorer), you can do an overlay of the 1943 aerial photos and modern hi-res pics at http://imagery.maps.nsw.gov.au/

The river flowed across where the ITB now is, and it appears that most of 07/25 is built on the original river bed. I though the house in question was part of the pre-1948 structures, but it appears to be more recent.

Matthew Chisholm · #27 19th October 2010, 09:31 AM

Some great old photos here!

Sarah C · #28 19th October 2010, 04:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nigel C

The old house in the middle was demolished once the tennants passed away. Apparently they had a long lease that they'd never see the end of (99 years or something similar). He used to have chooks running around the yard whe I first started; not sure what happened to them once he departed.

Thanks for all the information everyone - that information from Nigel was interesting. Imagine if they had lived longer, given the changes in the airport.

I am jealous they had such a residence in such a good location

NeilP · #29 19th October 2010, 06:32 PM

When I was a kid I used to ride my BMX from Maroubra (along Foreshore Rd and through the tunnel - before helmets were mandatory) and sit on the slope next to that house, dreaming of living in it one day...

There were also times I would go with my dad and sit with some of the old Gate 20 crew...

I love these types of threads as I was into plane spotting up until I was about 15 years old and having just come back to the hobby after a 20 odd year absence, I love seeing all the changes, aircraft, airlines and such that I missed out on at the time...

Keep 'em coming, I say...

Michael Cleary · #30 19th October 2010, 08:02 PM

When I first moved to Sydney in 1976, there were about 6 houses to the East of Gate 20. They were removed one by one, and the Gate 20 viewing area itself went at about the same time as the last house. I did ask a question about those houses back in the days of the old Board, and I think Will Tidmarsh replied with information that now escapes me.