EVOLUTION OF WESTFIELD MIRANDA: Westfield purchases Miranda Fair (1969)

As we know, 1969 was a huge year. I would see 1969 as a pivotal year in the history of Miranda Fair/Westfield Miranda.

It was in this year that the growing Westfield Corporation purchased the centre from Myer for $10 million. Immediately, plans to expand the centre were lodged with Sutherland Council.

Page 1 of The St George and Sutherland Shire Leader from March 26, 1969.

The expanded centre (illustration above) was proposed to be twice the size of the 1964 complex and would now extend to the Kingsway. Farmers would exapnd their existing store, a new supermarket, hardware store and junior department store. As for the original centre, it had been designed with future expansion in mind.

Above: Page 1 of The St George and Sutherland Shire Leader from November 3, 1969.

Sutherland Council approved expansion plans in November 1969. As a condition of approval, Wandella Road would be upgraded from the Kingsway to President Avenue. This included the construction of a road bridge over the Cronulla Railway Line.

Final approval was given in early 1970.

By the end of 1970, Grace Bros would join as the "junior" department store and Nock & Kirbys would open a store in the expanded centre.

Page 1 of The St George and Sutherland Shire Leader from October 14, 1970.

EVOLUTION OF WESTFIELD MIRANDA: Miranda Fair opens (1964)

A few months back, I looked at the conception of what is now Westfield Miranda. This week, I look back at the opening of the centre in March 1964.

The St George and Sutherland Shire Leader provided detailed coverage, and bought out a special edition on March 16, 1964.

Above: Page 1 of the special edition of The St George and Sutherland Shire Leader published on March 16, 1964.

Below is an advertisement to promote the opening of Miranda Fair, marketed as the "largest shopping centre under-one-roof" in New South Wales.

Opening day was March 16, 1964 with trading commencing the following day. NSW Premier Ron Heffron was given the privilege of opening the 3.25 million pound (6.5 million dollars) centre before 1 600 guests. A highlight of the opening ceremony was the arrival of a helicopter to deliver newspapers. That evening, a special fireworks display was put on for the locals.

Source: Anon. 1964. "Premier to Open Fair at Miranda". The St George and Sutherland Shire Leader, March 4: page unknown.

The premier lavished praise on the new centre as reported by The St George and Sutherland Shire Leader in its edition of March 18, 1964 (see below).

Farmers anchored the centre with a three level store and was supported by a variety of familar names both at the time and/or presently - Woolworths, Angus & Coote, Fletcher Jones and H.G. Palmers, Kenray's and Fay's.

Three tenants from 1964 still trade in the centre today. Woolworths still maintains a presence through its supermarket and BigW store. Angus & Coote is currently located on level 2 next to BigW.

Myer can also claim that it has been present since day one. Farmers was owned by Myer in 1964. In 1976, Farmer's stores were re branded as Myer.

In 1983, Myer bought out Grace Bros which also had a store in Miranda. Myer stores in Sydney were either re-branded as Grace Bros or closed if Grace Bros was trading nearby. As Miranda also had a Grace Bros trading on site, it was allowed to remain open.

All Grace Bros stores in NSW and the ACT were rebranded as Myer in 2004.

Below is another feature article from The St George and Sutherland Shire Leader as published on March 16, 1964.

Next Week, I will provide some additional clippings associated with the opening.

1962: The Genesis of Westfield Miranda

Westfield Miranda is among Sydney's most famous shopping centres. In 2019 the shopping centre has around 450 stores anchored by: David Jones, Myer, Big W, Target, Coles, Woolworths, ALDI, JB Hifi and Apple.

Source: Anon. 1962. "New Shopping Centre". The Sydney Morning Herald, October 18: .

It also includes a dining precinct and Event Cinema complex.

The centre also has a rich history, which lives on the reference to Sutherland Shire residents by its original name of Miranda Fair.

Did you know that the centre was not originally a Westfield shopping centre?

In 1962, the Myer Corporation (Myer), the parent company of Sydney department store chain Farmers unveiled plans to build a regional shopping centre on nine acres of land near Miranda railway station on the Kingsway.

The centre would include a Farmers department store, Woolworths Supermarket and variety store, 16 speciality stores and a public library.

Estimated cost was 2.5 million pounds ($5 million dollars) with an anticipated completion date in 1964.

Upon completion, it was anticipated to be the second largest regional shopping centre in Sydney after Warringah Mall (under construction) which had fifty stores at its opening in 1963.