1987: Roselands gazetted as a suburb

Below is an article from The St George and Sutherland Shire Leader relating to the gazetting of Roselands as a suburb. No residents objected to the naming and were in support of the idea.

Source: Anon. 1987. "Roselands - officially". The St George and Sutherland Shire Leader, February 5: 16.

SYDNEY SHOPPING CENTRES: Early Scheme for Roselands (1961)

A few years ago, I shared some material on the opening of Roselands in 1965. Here is a "prequel" entry.

I recently found a proposed scheme for the Roselands Shopping Centre dating from 1961 which was approved by Canterbury Council. Instead of one big building housing all retailers (as they did) anchored by Grace Bros, this scheme had several buildings. It appears that there was even two open air squares.

Source: Anon. 1961. "New Shopping Centre". The Sydney Morning Herald, November 10: 6. 

Could Roselands have evolved differently had they gone with the scheme? Would we have seen a Warringah Mall style shopping centre, south of the Harbour Bridge?

Or would they have to demolish the centre or a major renovation may have had to occur in future years to bring it to date with retail trends? Some good What If's to answer.

The design for the original centre was finalised in 1964. Projected cost was five million pounds.

Previous entries on Roselands that you may find of interest: 

• 1965: Grace Bros Supermarkets (Roselands) Advertisement
• MILESTONE: Roselands turns 50 - The Marketing (1965)
• MILESTONE: Roselands Opens (1965)
• MILESTONE: Roselands Turns 50 - The Future

MILESTONE: Roselands Turns 50 - The Future

Roselands may have had its place in the hearts of Sydneysiders over the years. In order for shopping centre to survive and remain competitive, they have to respond to changing consumer trends and tastes. This has meant expanding centres to provide more retailers and services. Since 1965, there has only been one major expansion - in 1981 and an upgrade of the centre in 2000 to accommodate a modern food court (Raindrop Food Court).

However, they have faced planning hurdles, particularly with Canterbury Council. I remember in the early 2000s of a plan to construct a Hoyts cinema complex. This fell through. Another attempt for expansion a few years back was proposed. What happened to it? I don't know.

I have believed that some of the hurdles based with planning authorities combined with management practices of owners have meant that they have not able to be the benchmark for shopping centres in Sydney. It could have easily been our answer to Chadstone in Melbourne, which has been the benchmark for Melbourne shopping centres for more than five decades. Roselands has let its competition pace ahead and even centres built in more recent times would be well ahead.

A change of management has given Roselands the chance to keep up with the times. Federation Centres currently manage the complex. Earlier this year, they unveiled plans for a major upgrade and expansion of the centre to include an expanded retail offering. Myer (originally Grace Bros) will also reduce its footprint from three levels to two, with the lower floor to accommodate new retailers. The cinemas would be built above Myer.

The expansion will also see the introduction of another major discount department store (BigW), Woolworths Supermarket and Kmart store. The expansion will cover the southern parts of the site, where open-air carparks occupy space (on a normal day, they are empty). It will mean that Roselands Drive will be realigned along with Martin Street to cater for expansion


Source: Federation Centres. 2015. "Untitled" (Floorplans). Accessed October 15, 2015. http://www.roselands.com.au/development/our-plans/

I hope it goes a fair way to bringing back the 'mojo' that Roselands once bought to Sydney, but that opportunity to remain or even regain the place of Sydney's shopping jewel is all but gone.

MILESTONE: Roselands Opens (1965)

Last week, I shared with you some of the advertisements promoting the opening of the Roselands Shopping Centre in 1965. Today, I will share some clips of the opening on October 11 1965.

The centre was opened by Premier Robert Askin on October 11. 6000 guests were invited to the ceremony. In his address, Askin said that the opening was "historic" and reflected Grace Bros commitment to Sydney. Grace Bros Chairman B. A. Grace in his address said that Roselands was the "greatest and boldest" step ever taken.

 

When Roselands opened the following day to the public, 70 000 were reported by The Sydney Morning Herald to visited the centre during the first day of trading. Police reported that there was congestion on nearby roads as the hordes descended to inspect the new centre. Shops had to be closed because they could not cope with the crowds.

The opening of Roselands was front-page news as Page 1 of the October 13, 1965, edition of The Sydney Morning Herald Shows.    

  Key Facts at the time of opening

• Largest Shopping Centre in the Southern Hemisphere.
• Construction took 16 months at a cost of six million pounds ($12 million).
• Major retailers were Grace Bros & Coles.
• The Grace Bros department store was the largest suburban department store in Australia.
• Approximately 90 retailers.
• Parking was provided for 1950 cars, and up to 15 000 cars could be accommodated daily.
• Cinema Complex

MILESTONE: Roselands turns 50 - The Marketing (1965)

I'm going to present a special series as we mark fifty years since the opening of Roselands Shopping Centre.

There is a plethora of material that I have amassed, so I might as well split it into several parts. Next week I'll look at the opening of the centre itself. And then we have to ask ourselves, how did we get this to happen, where it is now and where to from here.

This week I'm going to share with you a selection of advertisements that were promoting the centre itself as opening day neared.

An official invitation is needed of course.

Source: Roselands. 1965. "A new concept in shopping pleasure" (Advertisement). The Torch, October 6, Page Unknown

This two-page advertisement (Below) was loaded with illustrations which gave Sydneysiders an overview of what to expect.

Source: Roselands. 1965. "you'll love exploring Roselands" (Advertisement). The St George and Sutherland Shire Leader, October 6. 

Months before the opening, tenants were being sought.

Source: Jones Lang Wooton. 1965. "This is Roselands: Australia's Greatest Shopping Adventure" (Advertisement). The St George and Sutherland Shire Leader. 

This one was an official advertisement by Grace Bros to promote their Roselands Store.

Source: Grace Bros. 1965. "Grace Bros Roselands" (Advertisement). The St George and Sutherland Shire Leader, October 13: 49. 

Roselands pioneered Food Courts inside major shopping centres through its "Four Corners" food court, where one could eat their way around the world.

Source: Roselands. 1965. "Roselands, Open Soon (Advertisement). The St George and Sutherland Shire Leader, September 15: 8. 

Another two page advertisement from The Daily Mirror. It included a map. Grace Bros were strategic in where to place it, not just in a booming suburbia but also to make sure that it was in reach of as many people as possible.




Source: Roselands. 1965. "Australia's Greatest Shopping Centre Opening Tomorrow" (Advertisement). The Daily Mirror, October 12:

Finally, this ad told you how far you were from Roselands by car.

Source: Roselands. 1965. "Is YOUR suburb here?" (Advertisement). The St George and Sutherland Shire Leader, September 15: page unknown.

Next Monday is the 50th anniversary itself and we will look at opening day.

1965: Grace Bros Supermarkets (Roselands) Advertisement

This was something, I didn't know about Grace Bros until I saw this. Once upon a time, it was possible to do all your shopping in one store, even your grocery shopping. In fact, they were happy to brag about the future of supermarket shopping.

I am not a fan of the duopoly between Coles and Woolworths and if the Department Stores want to stay in the game, it might mean going back to some of the ideas of the past. One of them is supermarkets. Billions are made by Coles and Woolworths each year and that says something. Spending on food is going up. Helped by cooking shows such as Masterchef or My Kitchen Rules, people's interest in cooking is on the up. Why cannot the department stores join the party? David Jones fortunately still have their Food Hall in their Market Street store, why not build on that? Even creating their own chain might be a start?

Source: Grace Bros. 1965. "Roselands Advertisement: See the Supermarket of Tomorrow". The St George and Sutherland Shire Leader, October 12: 56-57.