Local Highlight

Coca-Cola Billboard Kings Cross

Where: Darlinghurst Rd, Darlinghurst NSW 2010

It may not be obvious today but in the mid-sixties Sydney’s famous William Street was lined with a blinding array of neon signs. Glittering logos featuring Phillips, Penfolds, Dunlop Tyres and Coke all perched on soon-to-be demolished buildings.

The arrival of a striking new Coca-Cola sign in 1974 signalled big things for Sydney and the Kings Cross area. The Sydney Opera House was only a year old, and the Kings Cross tunnel was almost complete.

The new Coca-Cola sign created an unmistakable landmark, one that defined the area that quickly became known as ‘The Gateway to the Cross’. 

The cars, the hair and the fashion may have changed, but the Kings Cross Coke sign has remained familiar and loved. It also stands as a physical symbol of the long-term, working relationship between two companies ― Coca-Cola and signage company Claude Neon. For more than 40 years, Claude Neon have fabricated, repaired and tended to the sign.

After so many years of service, it was time to begin restoration work so the iconic sign can continue to illuminate Sydney's nightlife well into the future. Still unmistakably a Coke sign, but with some modern twists.

“It’s an amazing location, the area’s biggest corner,” says Site Manager, Thomas Lang. “The whole area is being revitalised and we are going to keep the biggest sign fresh and new too.”

The neon has been replaced by more than two kilometres of rope LED lighting, the background will be rebuilt and a new computer will take control. Previously controlled by a switching system the size of a van, the new controls are barely larger than a mobile phone.

Most notably, to raise money for The Wayside Chapel, Coca-Cola recently auctioned off the original letters, raising $100,700 so the charity can continue their work in the Kings Cross community. 

Read more about the history and future of the Coca-Cola Billboard : https://bit.ly/3Qktw0L