How Westfield Marion became SA’s biggest shopping centre
DANCING. John Farnham. Empty carparks. From 80 shops to 350. A little house at one end. Over the past 50 years, Westfield Marion became SA’s largest shopping centre. But that’s not how it started.
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WHEN it first opened its doors 50 years ago, Marion Shopping Centre was described as “a giant airconditioned complex with two major stores, 82 shops, a supermarket and a drive-in hardware store”.
It was Adelaide’s second shopping centre to be built by Arndale Developments (the first opened five years earlier at Kilkenny), and the only facility in the country with two full-size department stores — John Martin’s and the Myer Emporium — under the one roof.
Shopping centres were new to Australia in the 1960s and the idea of having department stores, shops and entertainment areas all on the one campus, complete with free parking, was seen as both ambitious and futuristic.
The Advertiser reported that on March 11, 1968, then-premier Don Dunstan “told the big crowd of invited guests that the (new) centre offered shoppers facilities of a standard not bettered anywhere in Australia”.
Five decades on and four upgrades later, Marion is now recognised as the biggest shopping complex in South Australia, with some 350 retailers, including all the major department stores and the big supermarket chains.
The centre also houses the Southern Hemisphere’s largest cinema multiplex, featuring 26 screens.
It was in July, 1979, that Westfield Holdings Ltd became the head lessor of the Marion centre and accepted the responsibility of managing and marketing it. Marion then became known as Westfield Shoppingtown Marion.
As the centre celebrates its 50th year, it has been rolling out displays of memorabilia, looking back over half a century of its own history.
Brett Charlesworth, from Charlesworth Nuts, can remember those very early years when his father opened their first shop other than at the Central Market.
“It was in 1974 and I have this really vivid memory of our new shop being wheeled into place at the shopping centre one Sunday morning.
“It was a great big stainless steel kiosk, as big as most shops, which had been constructed off site. It had overhead hoppers where we could store the products, a back room for office staff and a peanut roaster.
“It was transported to the shopping centre on a low-loader then lifted on to steel rollers just outside the entrance. The automatic doors were dismantled and removed and this full shop was just rolled into place outside Woolies at the time.
“So customers would have finished their shopping on Saturday morning and when they came in on Monday there was this huge new shop opened and ready for business.”
In those early years, the shopping centre was converted into an entertainment venue for teenagers on a Saturday night. There were regular dances and, on occasions, more formal balls.
New and emerging artists like a young Johnny Farnham would perform his hit song Sadie, The Cleaning Lady upstairs on the Quarterdeck and the crowds danced to music from bands like Masters Apprentices, The Valentines and The Twilights.
When some of the bigger-name interstate bands performed there, downstairs would be opened up for dancing as well.
Brett and I reminisced about some of the very early shops, such as Pinocchios, with its marvellous bacon, banana and walnut sandwiches. They also did great toasted sandwiches and milkshakes.
There was Granny May’s gift and card shop (upstairs from memory), Gaby’s Craft Shop and Johnnies’ Cafeteria in John Martin’s.
The Twin Cinema held matinees for children on Saturday afternoon, the continental store was Con’s, a godsend for the Europeans, and I recall the health food store where you could bring your own container to buy honey.
Lasscocks had the garden centre, Allans the music and record shop and Campbells ran the newsagency.
The other thing we recalled was the carpark on a Saturday afternoon or Sunday, with Mums and Dads teaching one of their teenage children how to drive and reverse park the car.
No weekend trading meant the huge expanse of the carpark was deserted, making it an ideal place for driving lessons at a time when getting a driver’s licence was simply learning to drive and passing an easy driving test.
And, speaking of the carpark, we both remembered that for many years there was an old house at one end of the carpark. Legend has it that a little old lady had refused to sell her property when Marion was first developed and as her land was only required for carparking she could not legally be evicted.
Eventually, she passed away and the house was bulldozed and converted into additional carparks.
Readers from the Adelaide Remember When blog joined in the conversation also and posted their own memories, including, “Doorstops at Pinocchios, chocolate frogs from Haigh’s, a hot dog from the Dog Inn and The Centre staff Christmas party on the Quarterdeck.”
Chris Hugo wrote: “My very first job was at Myer, Marion, 1968-69, in children’s shoes. I was 16, later moved on to ladies shoes. I got paid the huge sum of $11.37 a week. It was a very exciting time, getting the stock ready in preparation for the grand opening. We used to walk along the mall during lunch and watch all the small stores getting fitted out in readiness. As a teenager, Witchery was my favourite and I loved eating at the Quarterdeck on payday.”
There were other recollections too of photos taken with Father Christmas in the entertainment area, Humphrey B Bear, Patsy Biscoe and the Channel Niners on stage, and “those chrome ball thingys hanging from the ceiling. They turned very slowly but over the years they got slower until they eventually stopped working and were taken down.”
“Fantastic memories of Marion, they were the good times with many happy and memorable occasions!”
Bob Byrne is the author of Adelaide Remember When and posts memories of Adelaide every day on facebook.com/adelaiderememberwhen/
