1972: Opening of Miranda Fair's new office tower

Westfield Miranda is known widely as Miranda Fair, which opened in 1964 as a shopping centre owned by Melbourne's Myer Corporation. In the early 1970s, the shopping centre was expanded from approximately 40 shops to 80 shops. This included a Grace Bros Department Store. Part of the expansion also included the construction of a small office tower facing the Kingsway.

In 1971, Westfield began advertising space for lease in the tower.

Source: Westfield Development Corporation Limited. 1971. "Miranda Fair Shoppingtown" (Advertisement). The St George and Sutherland Shire Leader, August 18: 19.

It was officially opened in March 1972, six months after the retail expansion had been opened to the public.

Source: Anon. 1972. "Tower has a vantage point for shire panorama". The St George and Sutherland Shire Leader, March 8:7.

Source: Anon. 1972."Miranda Fair tower a magnet for tourists". The St George and Sutherland Shire Leader, March 15:11.

The office building was a local icon, namely for its famous revolving star, the symbol of the centre. You'd have to stare at it for a half a minute to notice its movement.

Photos taken by the Author (2005). 

Sadly, it was demolished in 2013 to make way for an expansion of the centre which bought it right onto the Kingsway. What outraged locals (like me) at the time was that it led to the loss of the star. Westfield promised they would retain elements of its part, but they have only kept a Moreton Bay fig.

 

I look at the roof of Westfield Miranda today and is it really that hard to plonk a spire atop it.

Above: Westfield Miranda following its recent expansion (2015). Photos by the author.