Pizza Hut/Curves Gym – Bankstown, NSW
There’s a sick sense of humour lurking behind the decision to turn an old Pizza Hut into a gym. It used to be that you’d walk out of the Bankstown Hoyts 8 cinema and straight over to Pizza Hut for all you could eat, but now you’re faced with a reminder that if you have that plan, you more than likely also have a few curves.
Sadly, for those hoping to undo the damage of years of pizza abuse at Curves, you’re out of luck. The building appears to be empty now, further adding to the wasteland feel of this part of Bankstown, and with his ad-hoc adjustment of the number of years he’s been in Bankstown, Frank isn’t helping.
UPDATE: The Curves gym is still in operation, functioning as a kind of Masonic secret gym society for women only. It’s rumoured that an angry husband of one of the members caused a fuss inside the gym once upon a time, and ever since, men have not been admitted…maybe the guy was just peeved that Pizza Hut was gone. Whatever the story, this sign awaits anyone with the balls the enter (so to speak):
Image courtesy Irmgard Heap.
Imagine a Pizza Hut toilet, and then imagine how many times that manager must have been notified. Thanks for the tip, Irmgard!
Scripture Book Centre/Spice World – Bankstown, NSW
Before Ginger, Posh and Baby moved in, this was the place to go in Bankstown for your scripture book needs. Back in the late 80s and early 90s though, before it was the Scripture Book Centre, this and the neighbouring ‘Funland Games’ building were the Spin Out video arcade. If anyone has any pictures or further information about Spin Out, please let Past/Lives know.
These shops sit on the Appian Way, Bankstown, across from Bankstown Square. In 1954, the Appian Way was home to the *chortle* S & M Fox Institute, an x-ray clinic where checks were compulsory in the 50s and 60s. If you were content to stay home with your terminal case of TB just because you didn’t want a dose of pure radiation, you were fined no less than 20 pounds. Just think – adjusted for inflation that’s the equivalent of a big cash settlement from the NSW Government for having contracted cancer from dodgy x-rays in today’s money.
Ray White Real Estate/Car Wash – Bankstown, NSW
Ray White, Bankstown. It looks a little…unusual, doesn’t it? Like it could have been a Pizza Hut, or some other kind of fast food restaurant? Well, you’re right. There IS something strange about this Ray White…
It’s the only real estate agent with a car wash and a lube bay.
Tri-Star Video/Titanic Cafe – Bankstown, NSW
Tri-Star Video showcased their entertainment at this location until approximately 1995. It has since become the Titanic Cafe. This is apparently Tri-Star’s second location – from at least 1989 until 1993 they were on the opposite corner of West Terrace. In a way they were pioneers – jumping ship on the video shop business long before it was a necessity.
Past/Lives of the Near Future 