MILESTONE: Roselands Opens (1965)

Last week, I shared with you some of the advertisements promoting the opening of the Roselands Shopping Centre in 1965. Today, I will share some clips of the opening on October 11 1965.

The centre was opened by Premier Robert Askin on October 11. 6000 guests were invited to the ceremony. In his address, Askin said that the opening was "historic" and reflected Grace Bros commitment to Sydney. Grace Bros Chairman B. A. Grace in his address said that Roselands was the "greatest and boldest" step ever taken.

 

When Roselands opened the following day to the public, 70 000 were reported by The Sydney Morning Herald to visited the centre during the first day of trading. Police reported that there was congestion on nearby roads as the hordes descended to inspect the new centre. Shops had to be closed because they could not cope with the crowds.

The opening of Roselands was front-page news as Page 1 of the October 13, 1965, edition of The Sydney Morning Herald Shows.    

  Key Facts at the time of opening

• Largest Shopping Centre in the Southern Hemisphere.
• Construction took 16 months at a cost of six million pounds ($12 million).
• Major retailers were Grace Bros & Coles.
• The Grace Bros department store was the largest suburban department store in Australia.
• Approximately 90 retailers.
• Parking was provided for 1950 cars, and up to 15 000 cars could be accommodated daily.
• Cinema Complex