The iconic Sirius building is up for sale and on Thursday morning the blind great-grandmother left the building for the last time – and as she drove out of Millers Point she closed the door on 60 years of memories.
Myra Demetriou, who recently turned 91, spoke to Daily Mail Australia from her new home in Pyrmont, as removalists worked quickly and carefully, bringing her last belongings from the Sirius building.
‘I am very sad to leave the area, but I can assure you our campaign to save Sirius will continue,’ she said.
Myra Demetriou has left the Sirius building – four years after the government announced they would be selling up
The blind great-grandmother’s apartment in the building featured stunning views that she hadn’t been able to see for years
Pictured here leaving the apartment for the last time with friend John Dunn who is part of the Save Our Sirius Foundation
‘I will settle in here the best I can – but I am upset with the government for breaking up our lovely community,’ she said
‘I will settle in here the best I can – but I am upset with the government for breaking up our lovely community.
‘I can’t believe the government still doesn’t realise it needs social housing in the city – it can’t all just be elsewhere.’
Removalists arrived early to remove Myra’s possessions, which had been stacked in boxes in her spare room.
The Sirius building is empty for the first time in over 36 years – after it opened on May 16, 1981 to provide affordable social housing accommodation in the inner city.
But the fight for the iconic brutalist building isn’t over, according to the Save Our Sirius Foundation, who will offer $100million to buy the former housing commission property.
‘The Save Our Sirius Foundation will then oversee the refurbishment and restoration of Sirius before it is repopulated with a substantial component of social and affordable housing,’ Shaun Carter from the foundation said.
He also promised that if the foundation were successful in their final effort to save the building they would reserve Myra’s apartment, on the top floor, for women and their families.
The Sirius building is empty for the first time in over 36 years – after it opened to provide affordable social housing accommodation in the inner city
Security guards have been monitoring the building for months – keeping it safe from vandals
But the fight for the iconic brutalist building isn’t over, according to the Save Our Sirius Foundation, who will offer $100million to buy the former housing commission property
‘The Save Our Sirius Foundation will then oversee the refurbishment and restoration of Sirius before it is repopulated with a substantial component of social and affordable housing,’ Shaun Carter from the foundation said
‘Members of the government have refused to speak to Myra or Save Our Sirius for four years. We have solutions for Sirius that retain a substantial proportion of it for social and affordable housing while delivering the financial return to the government which the government has said is its only interest in the building.’
The Department of Family and Community Services said money from the planned sale would go towards new homes for people waiting for social housing.
‘Millers Point properties will fund more than 1,500 new purpose built homes for people on the social housing waiting list.
‘Members of the government have refused to speak to Myra or Save Our Sirius for four years,’ the foundation chair said
On Wednesday Myra ate cake and shared a cup of tea with friends, enjoying her last moments in the apartment she loved so well
‘As of August 2017, the sale of 233 properties has funded a total of 1,077 new homes in areas of NSW where social housing is needed.’
On Wednesday Myra ate cake and shared a cup of tea with friends, enjoying her last moments in the apartment she loved so well.
‘The housing commission maintenance man hung my pictures in the new place so that is nice, that means therte will be less to do, moving is a lot of work,’ she said.
‘The housing commission maintenance man hung my pictures in the new place so that is nice, that means there will be less to do, moving is a lot of work,’ she said
‘I will miss this place but I wont miss the moving part – I am staying put at the next house’
Myra was honoured with a farewell party on Saturday more than 200 people showed up to the special morning tea included a special giant card for Myra, along with lamington cake in the shape of the famous building
‘There are boxes packed to the ceiling in the other room, I had already packed the coffee away so my friend and I had a cup of tea, but we had to share the teabag.
‘I will miss this place but I wont miss the moving part – I am staying put at the next house.’
Myra was honoured with a farewell party on Saturday where more than 200 people showed up to the special morning tea, which included a special giant card for Myra, along with lamington cake in the shape of the famous building.
A relocation officer was on-site on Thursday to help the elderly great grandmother with the move.
Myra has lived in Millers Point for over 60 years and will miss the tight-knit community
A relocation officer was on-site on Thursday to help the elderly great-grandmother with the move