When Sydney Shifted: The Changing Face of George Street in 1928

Bebarfalds Limited, George Street Sydney

In the heart of Sydney’s CBD, George Street has always been a place of evolution. But in March 1928, a significant transformation was underway as the well-known Bebarfalds Ltd. Furniture Store at 540 George Street began its demolition. This moment marked not just the loss of a beloved retail institution, but also the shifting landscape of a growing city embracing a modern era.

 

Bebarfalds Ltd: A Household Name in Sydney

For decades, Bebarfalds Ltd. had been one of Sydney’s most respected furniture retailers. Located on the corner of George and Park Streets, its four-storey building was an icon for anyone furnishing a home in the early 20th century. More than a shop, it was a destination where generations selected their first armchairs, dining sets, or elegant sideboards.

By 1928, as construction trends and urban needs evolved, the decision was made to bring down the old Bebarfalds building. Its removal symbolised Sydney’s transition from late Victorian and Edwardian architecture to the streamlined façades and larger structures of the interwar years.

 

A Bustling Streetscape of Change

Looking northeast across George Street toward Park Street in that March of 1928, passers-by would have seen more than just scaffolding and brick dust. The atmosphere was alive with the usual rhythm of the city. Trams rolled along their tracks with a clang, weaving through the growing crowd of automobiles and pedestrians. Sydney was modernising—one building, one street, one tramline at a time.

Directly next to the demolition site, William Kerr’s jewellery store at 542-544 George Street remained open for business. His elegant storefront, known for fine timepieces and ornamental jewellery, stood in stark contrast to the rubble next door. It was a perfect example of how the old and the new coexisted—sometimes uneasily—during this dynamic period in Sydney’s development.

 

The Rise of a Modern George Street

Credit The City of Sydney Archives &

Photo by Milton Kent & Demolition

Books-Albums & Prints 1900-1949

The demolition of Bebarfalds Ltd. was not the end, but rather a chapter in the reinvention of George Street. As Sydney embraced electric lights, motorcars, and new retail concepts, its buildings began to reflect the ambitions of a city aiming to compete on the global stage.

Though Bebarfalds would eventually resurface in new premises, and its legacy lingered in advertising and household memory, its original home was lost to the march of progress. What stood in its place would soon house new businesses, signalling opportunity for a generation defined by post-war optimism and increasing consumer culture.

 

Trams, Cars and the Life of the Street

At street level, George Street in 1928 was a vibrant corridor of movement. Tram tracks ran straight down the centre, ferrying workers, shoppers, and schoolchildren. Early automobiles parked along curbsides shared space with horse-drawn delivery wagons. Pedestrians crossed briskly beneath the shadows of rising construction, their paths framed by advertisements, glass windows, and store awnings.

It was a transitional moment, a city not yet finished, caught between eras and shifting skyward.

To explore more about Sydney's architectural and retail history, visit:
https://www.cityofsydney.nsw.gov.au
https://www.sl.nsw.gov.au

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