Showing posts with label Australia's First Malls. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Australia's First Malls. Show all posts
A PREFACE
1957 was perhaps the most important year in history for the Australian retail industry. Greater Brisbane's CHERMSIDE DRIVE-IN CENTRE, the nation's first regional-class, post-war shopping precinct, started trading to the public on May 30.
Greater Sydney's TOP RYDE DRIVE-IN CENTRE, the first for that city and the second major post-war shopping complex in the Commonwealth, opened November 14. A retail revolution down under was underway!
Greater Brisbane's CHERMSIDE DRIVE-IN CENTRE was the first suburban-style shopping complex built outside North America. The open-air mall was situated 6 miles north of the city centre. Note: a smaller (non department store-anchored) shopping facility, the BELL STREET MALL, had opened in Melbourne, in 1956.
Photo from http://westfield.com
1957 was perhaps the most important year in history for the Australian retail industry. Greater Brisbane's CHERMSIDE DRIVE-IN CENTRE, the nation's first regional-class, post-war shopping precinct, started trading to the public on May 30.
Greater Sydney's TOP RYDE DRIVE-IN CENTRE, the first for that city and the second major post-war shopping complex in the Commonwealth, opened November 14. A retail revolution down under was underway!
Greater Brisbane's CHERMSIDE DRIVE-IN CENTRE was the first suburban-style shopping complex built outside North America. The open-air mall was situated 6 miles north of the city centre. Note: a smaller (non department store-anchored) shopping facility, the BELL STREET MALL, had opened in Melbourne, in 1956.
Photo from http://westfield.com
The original CHERMSIDE was anchored by a Brisbane-based Allen & Stark department store and housed twenty-four tenants. Its car park had space for 700 autos. Today, after several renovations, WESTFIELD CHERMSIDE encompasses 1,622,400 lettable square feet and contains 513 stores and services.
Photo from State Library of Queensland
Photo from State Library of Queensland
Greater Sydney's TOP RYDE CENTRE was Australia's second major open-air shopping mall. The 169,000 square foot complex contained forty-five shops and included a 400-space car park. The TOP RYDE shopping precinct was situated 12 miles north of Sydney's Central Business District. Its slogan..."Come as you are...shop in comfort."
Drawing from Regional Centres, Limited
The original TOP RYDE anchor was a Sydney-based A.J. Benjamin (which was rebranded by Grace Brothers in 1964). In the 2020s, TOP RYDE CITY spans 840,900 lettable square feet, with a tenant roster of 276.
Photo from http://www.ryde.nsw.gov.au
Drawing from Regional Centres, Limited
The original TOP RYDE anchor was a Sydney-based A.J. Benjamin (which was rebranded by Grace Brothers in 1964). In the 2020s, TOP RYDE CITY spans 840,900 lettable square feet, with a tenant roster of 276.
Photo from http://www.ryde.nsw.gov.au
Sydney's Westfield Investments Propriety Limited (now known as the Scentre Group or Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield) opened WESTFIELD SHOPPING CENTRE BLACKTOWN between August 1958 and July 1959. The complex, which was the very first Westfield-branded shopping hub, was located in the Greater Western Sydney suburb of Blacktown.
BLACKTOWN CENTRE, anchored by Sydney-based Winns, featured a supermarket and thirteen shops. Free parking was provided for ninety autos. Westfield sold the complex in 1973. In the 2020s, the WESTPOINT BLACKTOWN commercial centre spans 1,076,400 lettable square feet and contains 259 stores and services.
Drawing from the Westfield Development Corporation
Drawing from the Westfield Development Corporation
The company's next endeavor, WESTFIELD PLAZA SHOPPING CENTRE, HORNSBY, was built in the Upper North Shore suburbs of Sydney. Anchored by Sydney-based McDowells, the open-air structure housed twenty-five shops. WESTFIELD PLAZA began trading to the public in July 1961. The current shopping precinct incorporates 1,074,500 lettable square feet and contains 259 shops and services.
Drawing from the Westfield Development Corporation
Drawing from the Westfield Development Corporation
Meanwhile, something bigger and better had come along. CHADSTONE ["chad-stun"] CENTRE opened, in Melbourne's southeastern environs, on October 3, 1960. It was the nation's largest shopping complex until being trumped by Greater Sydney's ROSELANDS CENTRE, in October 1965. After several enlargements, CHADSTONE CENTRE reclaimed its status as largest shopping centre in the nation.
Originally encompassing 355,200 lettable square feet, and housing seventy-three shops, the open-air CHADSTONE "shopping township" was truly revolutionary. For several years thereafter, Aussie shopping facilities would be referred to as being "Chadstone-like" or "Chadstone-type."
Drawing from the Myer Emporium
Originally encompassing 355,200 lettable square feet, and housing seventy-three shops, the open-air CHADSTONE "shopping township" was truly revolutionary. For several years thereafter, Aussie shopping facilities would be referred to as being "Chadstone-like" or "Chadstone-type."
Drawing from the Myer Emporium
THE INSIDE STORY
With the open-air shopping centre now firmly established in Australia, the next logical step was to the fully-enclosed "pedestrian precinct." Canberra, Australia's capital, beat Sydney and Melbourne to the punch with the completion of its MONARO ["Muh-NAIR-oh"] SHOPPING MALL, which began trading to the public on March 6, 1963.
The MONARO SHOPPING MALL originally encompassed approximately 220,000 lettable square feet and housed sixty-one tenants. Billed as "A whole city block under one roof," the complex was also the nation's first 3-level shopping centre. It has been known as CANBERRA CENTRE since November 1989.
Photo from http://www.flickr.com / "Canberrahouse"
With the open-air shopping centre now firmly established in Australia, the next logical step was to the fully-enclosed "pedestrian precinct." Canberra, Australia's capital, beat Sydney and Melbourne to the punch with the completion of its MONARO ["Muh-NAIR-oh"] SHOPPING MALL, which began trading to the public on March 6, 1963.
The MONARO SHOPPING MALL originally encompassed approximately 220,000 lettable square feet and housed sixty-one tenants. Billed as "A whole city block under one roof," the complex was also the nation's first 3-level shopping centre. It has been known as CANBERRA CENTRE since November 1989.
Photo from http://www.flickr.com / "Canberrahouse"
As the MONARO SHOPPING MALL was welcoming its first patrons, another Sydneyside shopping centre was nearing completion. WARRINGAH ["wear-EENG-guh"] MALL started trading to the public on April 4, 1963.
Developed by Sydney's Hammerson Group, WARRINGAH MALL encompassed 290,000 lettable square feet. It opened as Australia's second-largest shopping precinct (Greater Melbourne's CHADSTONE CENTRE being the largest).
In 1963, WARRINGAH MALL housed fifty shops and services. Located 7 miles north of the Sydney Central Business District, the open-air complex cost 6 million pounds to construct.
Drawing from The Hammerson Group
Developed by Sydney's Hammerson Group, WARRINGAH MALL encompassed 290,000 lettable square feet. It opened as Australia's second-largest shopping precinct (Greater Melbourne's CHADSTONE CENTRE being the largest).
In 1963, WARRINGAH MALL housed fifty shops and services. Located 7 miles north of the Sydney Central Business District, the open-air complex cost 6 million pounds to construct.
Drawing from The Hammerson Group
The original WARRINGAH was anchored David Jones, a Sydneyside department store. Today, it has enclosed and open-air components and envelops 1,356,000 lettable square feet. There are over 300 shops and services. Australia's Westfield Group established a 50-percent share in the complex in 2012, with its name being changed to WESTFIELD WARRINGAH.
Photo from State Library of New South Wales
Photo from State Library of New South Wales
The second enclosed retail complex in the Land Down Under was built in the northwestern environs of Adelaide. ARNDALE CENTRE was dedicated on November 14, 1963. Among its thirty-eight charter tenants were Woolworths, Banana Bowl and an Adelaide-based John Martin's department store. Today, the facility is known as ARMADA ARNDALE. It features 120 stores and services.
Photo from State Library of South Australia
Greater Sydney's first fully-enclosed mall opened for business on March 21, 1964. MIRANDA FAIR, situated 12 miles southwest of the urban core, cost over 3 million pounds to build and had parking accommodations for 1,100 autos.
Photo from State Library of New South Wales
Originally anchored by a Sydney-based Farmer's, MIRANDA FAIR would go on to become Australia's first two-anchor shopping complex. A Grace Brothers store was completed in August 1971. In the 2020s, the retail complex is known as WESTFIELD MIRANDA. It encompasses 1,191,500 lettable square feet, with 396 tenant spaces.
Photo from State Library of New South Wales
THE NEXT BIG THING
Not to be outdone by its southern sibling city, Sydney strived to build something bigger, better and -also- fully-enclosed and air-conditioned. ROSELANDS CENTRE, located 8.5 miles southwest of central Sydney, first traded to the public on October 12, 1965. It immediately trumped Melbourne's 5 year-old CHADSTONE CENTRE and assumed the distinction of largest retail hub in the Southern Hemisphere.
Sydneysiders were immediately smitten with their gargantuan ROSELANDS CENTRE, which outdid everything that had come before it. Developed and anchored by Sydney-based Grace Brothers, the 15 million pound merchandising mecca housed ninety stores and services. Its slogan..."A meeting place, A market place!"
Photo from National Archive of Australia / Image number: A1200 L52829
Not to be outdone by its southern sibling city, Sydney strived to build something bigger, better and -also- fully-enclosed and air-conditioned. ROSELANDS CENTRE, located 8.5 miles southwest of central Sydney, first traded to the public on October 12, 1965. It immediately trumped Melbourne's 5 year-old CHADSTONE CENTRE and assumed the distinction of largest retail hub in the Southern Hemisphere.
Sydneysiders were immediately smitten with their gargantuan ROSELANDS CENTRE, which outdid everything that had come before it. Developed and anchored by Sydney-based Grace Brothers, the 15 million pound merchandising mecca housed ninety stores and services. Its slogan..."A meeting place, A market place!"
Photo from National Archive of Australia / Image number: A1200 L52829
Meanwhile, Melbourne's Myer Emporium was developing that city's first fully-enclosed shopping hub. NORTHLAND CENTRE would be officially dedicated on October 4, 1966. The trend-setting shopping precinct encompassed over sixty stores and services.
Melburnians were introduced to air-conditioned shopping with the dedication of NORTHLAND CENTRE. The first of Melbourne's three directionally-designated malls, it was followed by EASTLAND CENTRE (in October 1967) and SOUTHLAND CENTRE (in September 1968). The Myer Emporium planned for a WESTLAND mall in 1973, but it was never built.
Drawing from The Myer Emporium
Melburnians were introduced to air-conditioned shopping with the dedication of NORTHLAND CENTRE. The first of Melbourne's three directionally-designated malls, it was followed by EASTLAND CENTRE (in October 1967) and SOUTHLAND CENTRE (in September 1968). The Myer Emporium planned for a WESTLAND mall in 1973, but it was never built.
Drawing from The Myer Emporium
The Australian retail industry continued to evolve throughout the 1960s. Sydney's Westfield Development Company was being established as a major mall owner-operator. They inaugurated the first of many "Shoppingtown" -branded centres in October 1966. BURWOOD WESTFIELD SHOPPINGTOWN, which first traded to the public on October 10, 1966, was located 5.4 miles west of central Sydney.
A circa-1966 aerial view of the Harbour City's "incline mall." BURWOOD WESTFIELD SHOPPINGTOWN was built on a sloping site, which facilitated its rather unique design. Instead of elevators, its two shopping concourses were connected via ramps and a set of escalators.
Photo from the Sydney Morning Herald
One of -if not- the first open-air shopping precincts in Western Australia was dedicated on December 16, 1965. WESTGATE MALL, in Perth's southwestern suburbs, was anchored by a Cole's variety store and Perth-based Bairds department store, with twenty-five additional tenants. After several years in decline, the complex was demolished in 2020.
CAROUSEL CENTRE was Western Australia's original enclosed shopping mall. Situated in the southeastern suburbs of Perth, it first traded to the public on March 15, 1972. Major stores in the original complex were a Coles New World supermarket, Walsh's men's wear and Perth-based Boans department store. The complex, now known as WESTFIELD CAROUSEL, encompasses 1,181,800 lettable square feet and houses 362 stores and services.
A circa-1966 aerial view of the Harbour City's "incline mall." BURWOOD WESTFIELD SHOPPINGTOWN was built on a sloping site, which facilitated its rather unique design. Instead of elevators, its two shopping concourses were connected via ramps and a set of escalators.
Photo from the Sydney Morning Herald
One of -if not- the first open-air shopping precincts in Western Australia was dedicated on December 16, 1965. WESTGATE MALL, in Perth's southwestern suburbs, was anchored by a Cole's variety store and Perth-based Bairds department store, with twenty-five additional tenants. After several years in decline, the complex was demolished in 2020.
Photo from http://www.oldperth.tumblr.com
CAROUSEL CENTRE was Western Australia's original enclosed shopping mall. Situated in the southeastern suburbs of Perth, it first traded to the public on March 15, 1972. Major stores in the original complex were a Coles New World supermarket, Walsh's men's wear and Perth-based Boans department store. The complex, now known as WESTFIELD CAROUSEL, encompasses 1,181,800 lettable square feet and houses 362 stores and services.
Photo from State Library of Western Australia
DAVID JONES'
Originating in Sydney in 1838, the David Jones' chain is noteworthy today for being the world's oldest department store still operating under its original name. By the mid-1980s, the mercantile, known colloquially as "D.J.'s," had expanded from its base of operations in New South Wales to stores in Queensland (Brisbane), Australian Capital Territory (Canberra), Victoria (Melbourne) and South Australia (Adelaide).
Graphic from the David Jones Propriety Limited Company
MYER
A Melburnian institution dating back to 1900, Myer Emporium expanded exponentially between 1961 and 1984. Chains such as Sydney's Farmer's, Adelaide's Marshall's, Western Australia's Boans and Queensland's Barry & Roberts were acquired. A merger with the owners of Melbourne-based Coles New World supermarkets was completed in March 1985. The Myer end of the conglomerate was sold to a consortium of US investors in March 2006.
Graphic from the Myer Emporium
FARMER'S
Sydney's Farmer's chain acquired Australia's Western Stores in October 1960. In 1961, Farmer's became a division of Myer Emporium. Although a reference or two to "Myer-Farmer's" may be found in mid-1960s newspapers, the Farmer's chain continued to trade under its own banner until 1976, when stores were Myer-branded.
Graphic from the Myer Emporium
GRACE BROTHERS
Another Sydneyside department store, Grace Brothers was founded in 1885. The chain was bought by Melbourne's Myer Emporium in July 1983. However, Myer continued to operate stores under the Grace Brothers banner for several years. All twenty-five locations officially became Myer operations on February 13, 2004.
Graphic from the Grace Brothers, Propriety Limited Company
MARK FOY'S
This Sydney-based ladies' wear retailer first traded to the public in 1909. Mark Foy's expanded into the suburbs of Sydney and Melbourne in the 1960s but was in a state of decline by the late 1970s. The last store, in downtown Sydney, was shuttered in January 1980.
Graphic from Mark Foy's, Limited
WOOLWORTHS
Colloquially known as "Woolies," this chain opened its first store -in Sydney- in December 1924. The retailer had no connection with the defunct North American 5 & 10 chain of the same name, although it was also a variety store operation. The first Woolworths supermarket opened in 1960. By the early 1990s, the Woolworths name was being used exclusively as a label for the chain's grocery stores. The variety store division had been gradually phased out.
Graphic from the Woolworths Group
BIG W
Big W was a name given to a new line of discount department stores operated by Woolworths, Limited. The first Big W -located in Tamworth, New South Wales- began trading to the public in 1964. The Big W brand was used to differentiate the new discount stores from the company's existing Woolworths variety stores and its burgeoning Woolworths supermarket division.
Graphic from the Woolworths Group
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