Westfield Burwood Redevelopment (2000)

Source: Westfield. 2000. "Westfield Burwood Grand Opening Thursday 17 August" (Advertisement). The Inner Western Suburbs Courier, August 14: 1. 

Did you know that Westfield Burwood is the only Westfield Shopping Centre to have been completely demolished and rebuilt as part of a redevelopment?

Source: Anon. 2000. "Designed for the new millennium". The Inner Western Suburbs Courier, August 14: 21.

This month is 25 years since the redeveloped complex opened to shoppers. The size of the centre was doubled to 62 000sq/m and contained 220 stores. Anchor tenants from the original complex returned, including Grace Bros and Coles. Target, which traded on a separate site in Victoria Street, moved into the complex and its former site was incorporated into Westfield, becoming home to a new 12-screen Greater Union (now Event Cinemas) complex. 

 

Source: Westfield. 2000. "It's easier to get here (but even harder to resist)." (Advertisement). The Inner Western Suburbs Courier, August 14: 155. 

Woolworths and Kmart opened new stores for the first time. The official opening was on August 17, 2000, by swimming legend Dawn Fraser, an Inner West local herself.

According to The Inner Western Suburbs Courier,  an estimated 90,000 flocked to the centre for the first day of trading.

Source: Anon. 2000. "Huge crowd flocks to Westfield". The Inner Western Suburbs Courier, August 21: 1.

Grace Bros was branded as Myer in 2004, before closing in 2007 and was replaced by David Jones. In 2024, a refurbishment saw David Jones reduce its trading space from three floors to two floors. The space on level 2 is now occupied by Aldi, JB Hifi, Nike and Rebel Sport. 

These advertisements were published in The Inner Western Suburbs Courier in its editions throughout August 2000.

Coles

 Woolworths 

 Kmart

Dymocks

 

Grace Bros published a special advertising supplement on August 17, 2000, in The Daily Telegraph. I share three of those pages with you.

Entry of interest

MILESTONE: Westfield Burwood opens (1966)

1964: Westfield Burwood Plans released

Full Citation Below

In 2016, I published an entry on the opening of Westfield Burwood in 1966. This year, the complex will turn 55.  Below is a clipping from The Daily Telegraph in July 1964 relating to the announcement of plans by Westfield to construct the centre. One eventual tenant (Mark Foys) was reported to have announced that they would open a store in the new centre. 

Source. Anon. 1964. "£2m. Plan for Burwood". The Daily Telegraph, July 1:9. 

This was not the final scheme. In June 1965, The Sydney Morning Herald reported that the planned shopping centre had enlarged to encompass more of the block, which would be the built design. Additional retail space was added along with an office block facing Burwood Road.  

Source: Anon. 1965. "Myer's Gets Store Site Sought by Mark Foy's". The Sydney Morning Herald, June 17: 1. 

Despite three years of negotiations, Mark Foys was unsuccessful to act as the anchor for the new centre. Farmers (owned by Myer) was successful in securing the lease for 100 000 square feet of space (up from 80 000 square feet in the previous scheme). Mark Foys had to settle for a smaller space within the centre. 

Related:

MILESTONE: Westfield Burwood opens (1966)

EVOLUTION OF WESTFIELD MIRANDA: The fourth expansion (2014)

This is our last entry in the evolution of Westfield Miranda (Miranda Fair). It has been a great and exciting journey of its evolution.

This month happens to be five years since the last of the expansions over its 55-year period occurred.

The timing was perfect. The centre was turning 50. The perfect way to celebrate a half-century of serving the Sutherland Shire.

But how did it get there?

The last expansion was in 1992, which made it the first in 22 years. It also meant that the first decade of the 21st century was the only decade where there was no major expansion or upgrade of the complex.

Meanwhile, the Sutherland Shire continued to grow in population, but disposable incomes were on the rise fuelling demand for high-end retailers.

In 2009, expansion plans were approved by Sutherland Council, but construction did not commence until 2013.

This resulted in the current centre featuring 470 retailers (up 100).

Expansion works concentrated on the western half of the complex, with the entrance moved forward to the Kingsway, and there was a reconfiguration of the layout, though some of the original areas from 1964 were retained. The office building was demolished, and there was controversy over the demolition of the famous revolving star atop the building. The Moreton Bay fig at the Kingsway Entrance was incorporated into the expanded complex.

Myer shrank its space from four floors to three. This allowed Woolworths to relocate into the space. on level 2 Woolworths anchored a new fresh food hall that is more upmarket than the fresh food hall located at the eastern end of the centre (Anchored by Coles, who replaced Franklins).

Mini majors led by international clothing brands, including Uniqulo and Zara moved in.

A major feature of the expansion was the construction of an entertainment precinct which included a new Event Cinemas complex (relocated from the basement at the Kiora Road end) and restaurants along the Kingsway. The cinemas opened in 2015.

The former cinema site was converted into a Skyzone, a trampoline park catering to kids. Despite its popularity, it is due to close.

Model (and local) Cheyenne Tozzi officially opened the redeveloped centre on November 27, 2014. Below is a Nine News Report from November 2014 reporting on Stage 2.

Below are photos I have taken of the centre as it is today. Photos were taken by yours truly.

Restaurant Precinct

Kingsway Entrance (including the Moreton Bay fig tree)

That concludes the series on the evolution of Westfield Miranda (Miranda Fair). Below are links to the previous entries in the series.

1962
1964 (Part 1)
1964 (Part 2)
1969
1971 (Part 1)
1971 (Part 2)
1984-1985
1992

EVOLUTION OF WESTFIELD MIRANDA: More Expansion (1992)

The 1990's bought another expansion for Westfield Miranda which was its largest expansion to date. This was completed in 1992.

Westfield had spent around two decades purchasing sites in the block bounded by the Kingsway, Kiora Road, Urunga Parade and Jackson Avenue including shops, offices, Miranda Police Station and the Miranda Congregational Church. St Lukes Anglican Church refused offers to sell, though they did sell a small portion of the site.

For expansion to proceed (and gain support of locals and council), Westfield purchased sites within Miranda to relocate the police station (Cnr Wilcock Street and Kiora Road) and Miranda Congregational Church (Cnr Kariumbla and Kiora Street). Westfield also funded the construction of the new buildings for Miranda Congregational Church.

Source: Stark, N. 1991. "Huge Westfield complex set for Miranda". The St George and Sutherland Shire Leader, May 16: 2.

Expansion plans were officially unveiled in 1991. The expanded centre would contain 370 retailers, up from around 160 retailers..

New retailers included David Jones which meant that Miranda would once again have two major department stores on the one site. BigW was now forced to compete with Target and did an upgrade of their store.

Grace Bros did an upgrade of their existing store.

Greater Union would occupy an eight screen entertainment complex and was joined by a new food court and restaurants.

Above: Advertisement to promote the opening of Greater Union at Miranda in 1992.

The expansion was completed in stages with the full expansion officially opened to shoppers on October 1, 1992. The crowds flocked in their hundreds of thousands. Yours truely as a young child does remember going on that first weekend and yes it was full.

Source: Davis, G & Habermann, L. 1992. "Shopping crowds flock to Miranda". The St George and Sutherland Shire Leader, October 8: 2. 

Below are some advertisements to promote the Westfield Expansion as advertised in The St George and Sutherland Shire Leader on various dates in 1992.

Below is an advertisement for Country Road which promoted itself as a Department Store.

Westfield produced its own special advertisement for the opening of David Jones in August 1992.

Finally is an advertisement to promote Tilt, which was a video game and entertainment arcade complex. With the rise of video gaming during the 1990's, it would not see out the decade. It occupied the space now occupied by Aldi and The Reject Shop.

EVOLUTION OF WESTFIELD MIRANDA: Westfield Miranda Expansion Completed (1971)

In September 1971, just eighteen months after approval, the expanded Miranda Fair complex was completed and opened to the public.

The expansion made it the first shopping complex in Sydney to offer two department stores under one roof - Farmer's and Grace Bros. Grace Bros would trade over four levels. In 2019, Myer still maintain space on three of the four levels with Woolworths relocating into the vacant space as part of the 2014 expansion.

Woolworths had expanded to become a Woolworths Family Centre which was a hypermart comprising of BigW and Woolworths in the one shop.

Nock & Kirbys completed what became "the big 4".

Below is a map of the complex following the 1971 expansion as published in The Sydney Morning Herald on September 14, 1971. I recall a person who superimposed the map below with a 2014 map of the complex on the Skyscrapercity forums around 2015 but has since been removed. It is interesting to note that the Woolworths Family Centre for encompasses what is now BigW (plus more) and the escalators in the middle of Farmers is now an atrium surrounded by shops

Sydney newspapers published special supplements to mark the expansion along with The St George and Sutherland Shire Leader. 

A special feature of the centre was the creation of a 10 000 sq/foot Cameila Court given the local interest in Cameilas with the E. G. Waterhouse National Camellia Garden located nearby in Caringbah.

A snapshot

• 56 000 sq/m of retail and commercial space (up from 18 000 sq/m).
• 75 retailers (up from 20).
• Miranda Library was doubled in size.
• Five level office building (completed in 1972) would house professional tenants including doctors, lawyers and accountants.

NEVER BUILT SYDNEY: Early concept for the expansion of Westfield Hurstville (1986)

Just eight years after opening in 1978, Westfield were already planning for an expansion of its shopping centre at Hurstville.

An early concept plan would see the centre cross over Park Road; in effect turning the street into a tunnel and would not reach The Avenue as the centre eventually did.

Note that there was no plans for a cinema but were intent on a major department store (secured Grace Bros) and discount department store (secured Kmart).

Snowy Hill Park was to be retained, but was eventually replaced with parking.

Source: Gladstone, C. 1986. "Massive bonus for shoppers: Giant centre doubling area". The St George and Sutherland Shire Leader, March 4: 1. 

1968: The conception of Sydney Tower

Sydney Tower has been the defining structure on the city skyline since its completion in 1981. Getting there was a timely process.

The story of Sydney Tower dates back to 1968, when plans were unveiled by the AMP Society to build an 850 foot (259 metre) tower atop a new shopping centre and 15 level office building on a site bounded by Market, Pitt and Castlereagh Streets. The estimated cost was just $25 million.

Source: Anon. 1968. "$25 Million Plan Keeps Shoppers Safe From Cars". The Daily Telegraph, March 22: 1. 

Sydney Tower is designed by architect Donald Crone. It is believed that the design (in fact the entire development) was conceived at a dinner party where he drew a sketch of the tower on a napkin.

Source: Anon. 1968. "Untitled" (Artists Impression). The Sydney Morning Herald, March 22, 1.

The initial proposal contained a four level turret with an observation deck and revolving restaurants as we see today. However the section above for the plant room did not feature with an antenna rising from a flat roof. 

Within a year, the design was evolving into what would become the final product with the section for the plant room included with a small antenna rising above it. You will notice this from a 1969 article in The Sydney Morning Herald, where a scale model of the tower was being subject to wind tests.

Source: Anon. 1969. "Untitled" (photograph). The Sydney Morning Herald, August 14: 11. 

A more detailed render had been published a few weeks earlier in The Sun Herald on June 29, 1969.

Source: Anon. 1969. "Untitled" (photograph). The Sun Herald, June 29: 9. 

They were aiming for the tower to be completed by 1974, but completion was pushed back further and further.

Above: One of the advertisements promoting Sydney Tower as part of the Centerpoint Complex. The retail centre was opened in two stages (1972 & 1974 while the office component was completed in 1974.

Further refinements led to the final design that we see today, especially with the plant room, which also contains water tanks to be used in the event of a fire but also to minimise swaying. 

The final height would be 309 metres, fifty metres higher than the earlier schemes.

In a fortnight, we will look at its opening in 1981, and the impact it has had on the city skyline. 

MILESTONE: Westfield Eastgardens turns 30 (1987)

Above: Two page spread from The Southern Courier in October 1987

Back in 2015, I provided an overview of the opening of Westfield Eastgardens in 1987.

To mark its 30th anniversary, I have managed to scan through copies of the Southern Courier which ran a series of features and advertisements to promote the opening of the centre. The centre was officially opened on October 19, 1987, with 1300 guests invited despite global share markets collapsing around them.

Sydney's "A" list stars were in attendance. NSW Governor Sir James Rowland, John Saunders and Frank Lowy (Westfield) presided over proceedings.  Interest in leasing the space was high with 750 applications made to lease retail space.

Above: Advertisement published in The Southern Courier on October 28, 1987, promoting transport options to the new centre. Some locals were initially unimpressed with transport options.

When the centre opened to the public on October 21, there were protests, but not about the centre itself. Fifty locals protested against changes to bus services in the area. Some services serving the area faced the axe while services to Eastgardens from nearby suburbs were inadequate.

Above: Two advertisements promoting the opening of the Super Kmart Store at Eastgardens as published in The Southern Courier in October 1987.

Super Kmart was unique to Eastgardens. It was a hypermart combining a discount department store and supermarket under one roof, modeled on hypermarts in the United States like Walmart, Target (USA) and Kmart (USA). In 1989, the Super Kmart brand was dropped by parent company Coles Myer. The space was divided into two, forming the current Coles and Kmart stores seen today.

Here were some of the opening specials at Super Kmart:

Below are advertisements for Target and David Jones:

Two years ago I had commented about the impact of the centre on Maroubra Junction retailers. Westfield was confident that normal trading conditions would return to the area, but did not eventuate. Not even the presence of Grace Bros at Marboura Junction helped. Grace Bros fell victim itself!!!

Recently, I went for a drive to Eastgardens. The 1987 signage is still visible today.

And another two advertisements that I found that were published in the lead up to Opening Day.