The late Sayde Hayson epitomized hard work, a valuable skill passed down to her entrepreneurial son, John Hayson. To some, she was known as ‘Sally’, a competitive entrepreneur who defied the odds by doing more than most working mothers. Sally was a well-known owner of Northbridge Plaza, a property that she bought and co-owned with her son from 1987 to 2004. The mother-son team turned an underperforming Plaza into a successful shopping center. Growing up, Sally had a difficult life, hard work was something she learned and mastered at a very young age.

With no formal education, Sally married at a young age. When she turned 27, Sally had 3 children and ran a greengrocer where she worked 18-hour shifts, seven days a week. Sally was determined to succeed in both business and motherhood.

Her day started at 2 am, driving to the fruit markets so she could go back and help her children get ready for school. Between running the fruit markets and being a mother; Sally was also a very busy real estate trader. He sold land and built houses with capital from his business.

In the midst of all that, he also ran a small shopping center started by his father-in-law. He sold the greengrocer and added 22 stores and eight more offices. Sally sold the mall in 1986 and the following year bought Northbridge Plaza. When he bought the plaza, it was not a thriving business, the first remodel was in 1989 with the redesign of the internal areas of the shopping center to correct the flow of traffic, some additional stores and a remodel. The last extension took place in 2001, and Sally spent more and more time making the business a success.

In 52 years, Sally went on vacation twice.

In the years that followed, the Plaza became one of the best performing shopping centers in Sydney. In addition to being a successful businesswoman, Sally was also a humanitarian donor to community groups and local schools. She was a founding sponsor of the Umbilical Cord Blood Bank, and each year she sponsored the Northbridge Rotary fireworks and donated annually to the Royal North Shore Hospital. The Rotary Club Northbridge presented him with its highest honor, the Paul Harris Fellowship.

Sadly, Sally passed away in 2010 on August 16 at the age of 69 after a long battle with cancer, but her legacy lives on.