Yesterday (28 August), Westfield Liverpool turns 50. Last week, I shared newspaper articles associated with the unveiling of plans by Westfield and Grace Bros to build the shopping centre in the Liverpool CBD. Click here to view that entry.
As promised, I will focus on the opening which occurred fifty years ago. The centre was opened by NSW Premier Sir Robert Askin.
Source: Anon. 1972. "The West Gets Its Westfield". The Daily Mirror, August 29: 54.
Source: Anon. 1972. "The Birth of a Store". The Daily Mirror, August 28:30.
Construction took less than 12 months. Grace Bros was the anchor tenant with 20 000 square feet of space along with Target and fifty five shops.
Below is a Grace Bros Advertisement as published in The Daily Mirror on 28 August 1972. It was a true one-stop shop. Fifty years later, Grace Bros (now Myer) no longer sells pets, liquor or groceries or even a bite to eat.
Source: Anon. 1972. "From the Corners of the World". The Daily Mirror, August 28: 30.
A major expansion in the 1990's saw the centre expand westwards absorbing Macquarie and Northumberland Streets to create a "superblock". Currently the centre has over 320 retailers, a six-fold increase since 1972. Event Cinemas, BigW, Kmart, Coles, Woolworths and JB Hi-fi are also major tenants.
Plans were proposed in 2019 for an eight level office building along with additional retail space, entertainment and dining precinct. Construction has yet to commence.
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