NEVER BUILT SYDNEY: Early Westfield Hurstville Scheme (1975)

Source: Anon. 1975. "Big New Shopping Complex". The St George and Sutherland Shire Leader, December 3: 3. 

Westfield Hurstville was opened in 1978. At the time of opening, it had 120 stores anchored by Waltons, Coles and Nock & Kirbys. It was confined to a block bound by Park Road, Cross Street and Humphreys Lane before being extended over Park Road in 1989/1990.

Before the expansion at the end of the 1980s it also had the Snowy Hill Park, open to the public at all hours of the day. 

In 1975, an ambitious proposal was lodged with Hurstville Council (now Georges River Council), which envisioned an even larger park spread on its roof (equivalent to a town square) and an office building, which had become standard with any Westfield development at the time. Three levels of retail would be provided. 

Jake Harproff had recently posted scanned images from a document to the Old Shops Australia Facebook Group.

The cross sections from three different angles gives one the perspective of the layout, which would differ significantly from what would be built within the original section of the centre. 

• Snowy Hill Park would be built atop a three-level car park located at the Humphreys Lane end, with footbridges connecting the centre to Forest Road. It would act as a town centre for central Hurstville.
• An office block with three levels of office space to be built above the rooftop car park. This component was scrapped.
• Three levels of shops, but would become two levels when the design was modified to the eventual original layout, and the retail area was extended down to Humphreys Lane, while Snowy Hill Park was reduced.
• As originally planned, the department store (Waltons) would be located towards the Park Street end. Coles would be located on level 1 (and has been since opening in 1978). 
• Provision of space for a discount department store (didn't eventuate in 1978).

Would this have affected its subsequent expansion over Park Road to encompass the block bounded by The Avenue, Cross Street, Park Road and Humphreys Lane in 1989-1990? The layout of that block in its current form would have been possible, but the famous sloping of shops in the complex (which allows shoppers to use the centre without using stairs or escalators) would not have occurred. Escalators and stairs would have been used to move up or down each floor. It's likely, though, that the current centre may have fewer stores than it has in its current layout.