Building society panic
Premier Neville Wran, accompanied by a police escort, raced to the Hurstville headquarters of the St George Building Society in 1979 to assure investors their savings were safe.
Panic started just before midday on a Friday, March 2, when Sydney's highest rating radio broadcaster John Laws told listeners "a big building society is going to go bust".
The Minister for Consumer Affairs Sid Einfeld identified St George as the target of the rumours while stressing the organisation was financially sound.
Mr Wran told 100 investors milling in the foyer the society had $800 million of capital investment and $200 million cash.
The building society kept its doors open and paid out every withdrawal.
By the following Monday, many customers were returning to reinvest their savings, but the Leader observed many withdrawals were also being made.
The society would not disclose how much was withdrawn.
St George Building Society became a bank in 1992 and was acquired by Westpac in 2008.
Changing technology
The opening of Apple's newest store in Westfield Miranda in July, 2015, coincided with the news that the much-loved ABC Shop would be closing.
Dozens of customers queued from 5am on a Saturday for the opening of the Apple store, number 22 in Australia.
More than 100 staff would be employed in the store, the company said.
At the same time, staff in the ABC Shop were devastated by the announcement of an overhaul of the retail chain, which would see stores replaced by online sales.
The ABC Shop in Miranda closed in February 2016 after a long and painful goodbye.
Year of the Child
More than 3000 children attended a giant party staged by Sutherland Shire Council for the Year of the Child in 1979.
Eton Street was closed between Princes Highway and Flora Street for two hours as youngsters enjoyed watching Humphrey B. Bear, performing chimpanzee Mr Monks, the Sutherland Shire Silver Band and other entertainment.
Thousands of apples, ice creams and packets of Twisties were donated by Miranda Fair.
Shire president Jean Manuel had a kiss and a loving cup for the first child born in the shire during the special year. Olivia Mary Connell was born in Sutherland Hospital at 12.20pm on January 1.
The United Nations declared 1979 as the Year of the Child to draw attention to the problems affecting children throughout the world.
'Servo' plan fails
A Caringbah South service station was at the centre of a council storm in 1982 over plans by Caltex to close down the workshop and convert it into "a self-serve grocery outlet".
The plans for the "servo", which still stands on Port Hacking Road, were submitted to Sutherland Shire Council but never went ahead.
Ten years later, the service station was back in the news in 1992 as Australia was coming out of economic recession.
Mechanic Michel Girgis could not find anyone among the thousands of unemployed to fill a position.
Mr Girgis said he had been advertising regularly for a motor mechanic to work with him and two others in his service station for four months without success.
He said fewer than 10 people had replied to the advertisements and, of those who did attend interviews, some said they wanted the job but failed to turn up.
Others backed out after claiming their wives disapproved, and others laid down too many conditions about the type of work they were willing to do.
