Broadway, Grace Brothers department store
These two buildings along Broadway, built in the Federation/Edwardian style of architecture, were the flagship buildings of the former Grace Brothers department store. Both feature distinctive, iconic clock towers and globes. The original five storey building on the left in Glebe was built in 1904 and the matching building on the right in Ultimo was completed in 1923. Changing retail patterns in the city, led to Grace Bros vacating the Broadway store in 1992 and the company was later taken over by the Myer department stores. These buildings were restored and redeveloped in 1998. The 1904 building became part of The Broadway Shopping Centre, a shopping mall with retail space, cinemas, restaurants and car park. The 1923 building is now UniLodge, student accommodation for the nearby University of Sydney. Broadway is the name of the road that runs from Railway Square to the University of Sydney and also creates a border between the suburbs of Ultimo and Chippendale, Glebe and Camperdown.
WOW! These are great shots J, love this kind or architecture.
ReplyDeleteG'morning JIm. Beautiful buildings. Your posts always make me feel as if I know what it would be like to live in Sydney.
ReplyDeleteCan't help but ask if you know the old Britcom series "Are You Being Served?" I am pretty sure that the department store in that was called "Grace Brothers." Did the series writers steal that from you guys and set it in London?
A great place of history for the students! These are truly great shots of the old buildings!
ReplyDeleteWhat grand looking old buildings! Those clock towers are magnificent.
ReplyDeleteLovely image collage
ReplyDeleteHi Jim ~ Thanks for stopping by my blog and leading me back to yours. Beautiful photos. I am really enjoying going through your posts and look forward to more. Thanks again!
ReplyDeleteGorgeous building! It stands so grand!
ReplyDeleteOoo did you add some photos? I went for my walk, come back and you now have details of the "turrets". I love this pair of buildings. I love the concept of Broadway. It could be so much more than it is. I have a tram old and new comparison of Broadway coming early next week. I like the shopping centre in here, 'cept I get lost. I always get lost in shopping centres. Then I panic ...
ReplyDeleteSallie, I know the comedy series well. I don't know if there ever was a connection between that show and this Grace Brothers. I know when they did two spin-off Australian seasons of the show featuring the Mr Humphries character, the store he worked in was Bone Brothers because they couldn't use the Grace Brothers name in Australia.
ReplyDeleteJulie, I didn't add any photos to the post. Maybe you didn't notice them because I used a bit of a different layout this time, with some extra photos after the words. I usually stick to a standard couple of photos followed by some words. I had so many good photos of these building this time that I wanted to use them all.
Beautiful photos, your buildings must be built at the same time as Brisbane's Treasury.
ReplyDeleteGrace Bros like Sallie says, was a TV series in the 1970s, one of the lead guys, died recently.
Maybe I should wait for the coffee to work before I start my commenting rounds. I like to show more than just the one shot, to flesh out the story. It is interesting to go back and check out our own posting style from a year ago and see how we have changed.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Jim.
Great architecture. Unfortunately they don't make buildings like this anymore. Nice shots Jim.
ReplyDeletecool buildings! i lived in a 12 story dormitory during college that was supposed to have 2 identical buildings built next to it, but they never did... the school had the art drawing on display for the original plans. i love the clocks on top of these in your photo!
ReplyDeleteWow! What majestic old buildings. Definitely the Queen's style of architecture.
ReplyDeleteWith a background in retailing, «Louis» finds this post to be interesting - department stores in Australia, just as in the U.S. and Europe, are no longer the retail powerhouses they once were.
ReplyDelete«Louis» thanks you for visiting San Francisco Bay Daily Photo.
lovely captures!
ReplyDeleteYou are currently photography a part of the city I know well, having lived in Ultimo for several years and Broadway shopping centre was my local shops. I really like these old buildings and marvel at how such a functional shopping centre could be incorporated into the space while retaining the historic street appeal that you have captured so well.
ReplyDeleteThose are two beautiful buildings and very unique clock towers.
ReplyDeleteYou was right posting all these photos: these are bautifful buildings and the the details of the turrets are gorgeous. Great post.
ReplyDeleteThay are lovely buildings. I remember walking past them everyday when I worked at the university.
ReplyDeleteI love the matching clock towers with the glass balls, so Victorian!
ReplyDeleteThree Rivers Daily Photo
beautiful old bulding
ReplyDeleteGreat architecture! The clock towers are gorgeous!
ReplyDeleteWonderful buildings and I'm so glad they've been restored and put to use instead of being torn down and replaced by some modern monstrosity!
ReplyDeleteI love those clock towers!
Great architecture and very impressive shots, Jim.
ReplyDeleteNow thats what I call a clock tower (much better than my SWF) Thanks for your visit.
ReplyDeleteI kinda like the way department stores used to look. I am glad the buildings were restored. MB
ReplyDeleteThe two buildings are terrific, especially the clock towers and globes. But I would call in the Heritage people, now that one is used for student accommodation for Sydney Uni :)
ReplyDeleteHope 2010 brings new images of old architecture. I love it.
I love victorian era building, great architecture...
ReplyDeleteHels, I noticed this weekend that they were sprucing up the exterior again with a new coat of paint. So at least the tenants in both buildings allow them to keep up the restoration work.
ReplyDeleteI love the architecture. Nice department store.
ReplyDeleteTony
Beautiful architecture.
ReplyDeleteIf you want to get away from city hustle and still get all the basic amenities then this is the place to consider. It is well equipped with all your daily requirement and you don’t have worry about anything except focusing on your studies. The University of New South Wales is just a 10 minutes walk away so it saves on time and money, the most important part of a students life.
ReplyDeleteSSA Maroubra Sydney