'It's ridiculous': Last resident of Sydney's Sirius building relocated

The last resident of Sydney's Sirius building, a 91-year-old woman, is being relocated after the social housing block was put on the market.

Myra Demetriou.

Myra Demetriou. Source: Twitter @rose_bolger

The last resident of Sydney's controversial Sirius building isn't leaving quietly, warning the NSW government the city will be the laughing stock of the world if it knocks down the social housing block.

Myra Demetriou became the face of the campaign to save the brutalist Rocks building after the government refused to place it on the State Heritage Register in July 2016.

The state government is now selling the site - which has been used for social housing for more than 30 years - to developers who plan to replace it with hundreds of private apartments.
The controversial Sirius apartments in Sydney.
The controversial Sirius apartments in Sydney. Source: AAP
It was put on the market for about $100 million in December.

One of the groups which has registered an interest in buying the building is Save our Sirius with foundation chairman Shaun Carter vowing to continue the fight to save the block.

As Mrs Demetriou prepared to leave the place she's called home for 10 years, SOS hosted a farewell morning tea on Saturday for the 91-year-old legally blind woman.

But, she isn't going quietly.
"Can you imagine moving at age 91? It's ridiculous," she says in a video posted by SOS.

"It's ridiculous not to have social housing in the middle of the city. We'd be the laughing stock of the world because every other great city in the world has social housing - London, New York, you name it, they've got it."

Sydney City Lord Mayor Clover Moore and deputy opposition leader Tanya Plibersek were among the supporters at Mrs Demetriou's send-off.

She will be relocated to an apartment in Pyrmont in February.


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