SYDNEY SHOPPING CENTRES: Opening of Macquarie Centre (1981)

 

Source: Macquarie Centre. 1981. "Macquarie Centre Now Open" (Advertisement). The Sydney Morning Herald, November 17: 15. 

On Wednesday (17 November), Macquarie Centre will celebrate forty years of trading. After a decade of planning and two years of construction, the centre was opened by NSW Premier Neville Wran on 17 November 1981.

Last week, I focused on Grace Bros' plans for the centre and its attempt to seek approval to build their centre. This week, as promised, I would share promotional content from various newspapers.

Key Facts at opening

• Approximately 145 retailers
• 3750 car parking spaces
• Grace Bros, Woolworths and BigW were the major tenants
• The first ice-rink to operate in a shopping centre in Australia and can be covered to accommodate other uses such as tennis and ballet. 

The Sun featured a centre directory including maps to aid shoppers navigating the complex.

 

The Sydney Morning Herald (November 17, 1981) published this sectional view to show how it stepped up.

           

Source. Anon. 1981. “Macquarie Centre Sectional View: Looking West. Image. The Sydney Morning Herald, November 17: 13.

Below is a Grace Bros advertisement to promote their new store.

 

Source: Grace Bros. 1981. “Grace Bros at Macquarie: Opens Today - Styled For The Year “2001”” (Advertisement). The Sydney Morning Herald, November 17: 16-17. 

Below are some selected features from the newspaper supplements.

The Daily Mirror (16 November 1981)

The Sun (16 November 1981)

The Sydney Morning Herald (17 November 1981)

 

 

The centre forty years later

COVID-19 restrictions in recent months have made it difficult for any Sydneysider to travel around our great city and hopefully in 2022, can do a follow up post on the centre today by visiting the centre in person. I have not visited the centre since 2017 when I went there for lunch.  Photography of the centre will pose a challenge, especially internal shots.