My Manly – Ever changing

Walking down Manly Corso today it’s hard to imagine how many times it has been changed since its conception by Henry Gilbert Smith in the 1850s.

In fact, Manly has undergone many transformations from Henry Gilbert Smith’s vision of a ‘Brighton in the South’ seaside suburb – which Smith almost single-handedly created – to the vibrant tourist and residential area we see today.

The name ‘Manly’ was officially adopted for the popular seaside destination when Manly Council was constituted on 6 January 1877. But I believe not since the radical move in the 1980s when The Corso was closed to traffic, turning it into a pedestrian mall – the second road closed after Martin Place – has Manly seen more change than it will experience in the next few years, starting from the Wharf right through to our world-famous oceanfront.

The recent purchase of the lease of Manly Wharf by developers Howard Smith Wharves (who are well known for their transformation of Brisbane Wharf) is promising to give our gateway a much-needed upgrade. Manly’s world-famous iconic Ferry, which I worked tirelessly with a community committee to successfully retain, is likely to go electric. Imagine them being replaced with fully electric look-alike “Freshwater” ferries, retaining the historic look but gaining net-zero emission technology.

Then there’s the removal of the old aquarium, originally built as Marineland within the existing celebrated Harbor Pool in Manly Cove in the 1970s. Scheduled over the next few months its demolition will really open up this area, revealing the heritage listed Pavilion and Amenities Block behind. Expect to see an outdoor dining offering, on what was once the platform for this building, this summer.

While the return of the boardwalk, which once connected the Wharf to the Pavilion creating the harbour pool, is no longer an option, there’s no reason why the pool itself could not be upgraded with decking around it making it more of an attraction.

Moving down the Corso, The Manly Town Hall is destined to become the heart of Manly’s entertainment centre, utilizing this 1930s heritage building for a far more creative use than simply Council offices. But there is still a lot of work to do done before this becomes a reality.

The Council is currently reviewing a new Manly Place Plan, to replace the 2015 Plan, which is designed to bring new life into The Corso.  The return of outdoor dining is a priority as is the planting of more mature trees and better signage.

Meanwhile on the oceanfront, we look forward to a new Manly Life Surf Club building, providing better facilities to service the estimated 2 million visitors to the beach each year. And the Royal Far West’s major development will transform Manly Beach offering a high-end of amenity and residential apartments within the next two years. I can hardly wait.