Reddit: Demolition of Sydney monorail station begins leaving Aussies heartbroken

A chapter of Sydney’s transport history is being destroyed with the demolition of the Harbourside monorail station at Darling Harbour.

A grey, eerie image surfaced on Reddit showing removal of the long defunct station has commenced as part of an overhaul of the Darling Harbour district.

Some Sydneysiders wanted the iconic circular station retained as a souvenir of the monorail system that operated around the city centre from 1988 to 2013, while others wanted the last vestige of the white elephant system removed.

The single-loop monorail opened in 1988 connecting the CBD with Darling Harbour, Pyrmont and Chinatown, but low demand saw it scrapped in 2013.

Hundreds of Sydneysiders wish the iconic circular stations were left untouched to remind locals and travellers alike what once was

‘This makes me sad. So many 80s memories, now turned to rubble,’ one person wrote on Reddit. 

‘NO! Not the monorail,’ another added, a third said: ‘No way! I thought that was going to be there forever.’

‘Pity. Great bit of heritage,’ a fourth said.  

Others had hoped the station could be retained and repurposed as a bar or café rather than being torn down.

‘Often thought this is an opportunity wasted to convert them to a transport themed bar or historical centre detailing the city’s transport history,’ one wrote.

Many say they adore seeing the ‘historic’ monorail stations from afar because it reminds them of a certain point in time 

The stations were once bustling with locals and travellers and can be spotted around the city 

The single-loop monorail opened in 1988 connecting central business districts, including Darling Harbour, Pyrmont and Chinatown 

 

Ads promoting city sightseeing tours and a very early version of an Opal style card can be seen on the walls 

Previously Sydney local Simon posted images to the ‘Old Shops Australia’ Facebook group alongside the caption: ‘The station is all boarded up but there are a few holes for some photographs to the past (turn styles and wall advertising).’ 

‘The next station along the walk bridge is still there. Also boarded up. The panels blocking the entry are often used for some really nice hand-drawn advertising for movie releases.’

In the comments, many wished the government had kept the convenient mode of transportation and suggested turning the abandoned stations into accessible cafes.

‘I wish they had kept the track. They could have put a platform on the existing track and used it as a walking circuit, use those stations as cafes, it could have been great,’ one person wrote.

‘The monorail was removed but could’ve actually been upgraded and maintained to be such a great travel system for the city,’ another added.

Sydney continues to have other means of public transport, including trains, buses, the light rail and ferries. 

However, the monorail network was not popular with every Sydneysider with one group attempting to stop its construction in the 1980s 

There were eight stations on the 3.6 kilometre loop, with up to six trains operating simultaneously (pictured: Sydney’s monorail map)

However, the monorail network was not popular with every Sydneysider with one group attempting to stop its construction in the 1980s.

Sydney Citizens Against the Proposed Monorail, which was led by solicitor Michael Mobbs, formed in 1985 in a bid to stop the monorail from being built.

Their campaign involved taking out advertisements in the newspapers and staging protests urging the proposal for the monorail to be binend.

‘QVB yum – Monorail yuk,’ ‘No Monorail,’ ‘Stop the Monsterail,’ and ‘Who needs a monorail? I’ve got feet!’ were among the several slogans.

Ita Buttrose, Peter Carey, Leo Schofield, Jim McClelland, Mike Carlton, Nick Greiner, and Patrick White were some of the high-profile Australians that joined the cause.

White said the monorail was ‘one of the many autocratic farces perpetuated by the powerful on our citizens.’

Sydney mayor Clover Moore even expressed her disapproval when she was an independent MP at the time.

A Mirvac spokesman said the company had no intention of preserving the Harbourside station, news.com.au reported.

‘We received approval for the demolition of the monorail station at Harbourside in 2021, and the monorail does not form part of the redevelopment of the site,’ he said.