HERITAGE & HISTORY

History of the Australian Technology Park

1996 ATP officially opens in November

1997 A site near the Garden Street entrance is earmarked for new facilities to house the Sydney Ambulance Centre (SAC) and the RTA Transport Management Centre.

1998 The Park’s Conference and Exhibition Centre opens.

1999 Construction begins on the Biotechnology Building (later to be known as the Biomedical Building) which will be the new facilities for Johnson & Johnson Research

2000 A major management re-structure in August sees ATP now governed by the Sydney Harbour Foreshore Authority (SHFA); ATP Innovations Pty Limited (ATPi) is formed; extensive site remediation and landscaping creates substantial new public open space throughout the Park.

2001 Significant restoration and remediation works of The Blacksmith’s Workshop in Bays 1 and 2 is completed; two new CRCs are also established – Smart Internet Technology (SIT) and Securities Industry Research Centre of Asia Pacific (SIRCA), while cleaning technology is applied to heritage machinery in preparation for permanent display

2002 A 4.5m refurbishment of Bay 15 creates an additional 2500sqm of contemporary office space

2003 Bay 15 is leased by National Information & Communications Technology Australia (NICTA) in February, while plans are drafted for a new 12,000sqm building on Site D (which will eventually be NICTA’s new headquarters)

2004 7.6m improvement works are carried out on the Locomotive Workshops.

2005 Ownership of ATP is transferred to the NSW Government’s newly-formed Redfern-Waterloo Authority (RWA); construction of the new multi-million dollar research facility for National ICT Australia is given the go ahead in September

2006 Construction commences on the new 12,000sqm NICTA research facility, while a landmark agreement sees a private sector investment for the creation of a 41,800sqm media centre to house Channel 7, Pacific Magazines and Global Television. The contract is also awarded for the construction of a new main entrance to the Park, internal roads, additional parking and associated infrastructure.

2007 Construction on the new NICTA research facility continues.

2008 The new NICTA building is completed and the Defence Science and Technology Organisation (DSTO), the Australian Government’s leading agency charged with applying science and technology to protect and defend Australia, move in to their offices. NICTA also relocate from their former offices in to the new NICTA building.

The construction of new internal roads, including the creation of a new Park entrance, opens to the public.

Work commences on the construction of the new media complex, the future home of Channel 7, Pacific Magazines and Global Television.

2009 Work continues on the construction of the new media complex.

2010 The 8 Central Avenue building is completed. Channel 7 their subsidiary Pacific Magazines and Global Television move into their new offices in the building.

A new car parking system is installed after road works have been carried out around the Park.

Parking rates are officially increased. Heritage work commences for the upgrade of Innovation Plaza.