Australia Fair Shopping Centre: Southport Shopping Centre’s $300m upgrade opening in 1990

Australia Fair was originally known as Scarborough Fair when it first opened. But a giant upgrade in 1990 saw it take on a whole new look. RARE PHOTOS.

AUSTRALIA Fair is today the heart of Southport and the suburb’s most prominent shopping centre.

With a cinema and dining precinct, it is one of the Gold Coast’s busiest retail meccas, along with Pacific Fair and Robina Town Centre.

But it wasn’t always the case.

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Australia Fair in mid-1990 shortly after the extension opened. Picture: Graham Weeks, courtesy of Gold Coast City Council Local Studies Library.

It was first proposed at the dawn of the 1980s and replaced the South Coast Cooperative Dairy’s art deco building on the western side of Scarborough St.

Originally known as Scarborough Fair, it opened in 1983 and was anchored by Franklins supermarket.

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The southwest corner of Young and Scarborough Streets, Southport before Scarborough Fair Shopping Centre was built. Picture: George Litfin, courtesy of Gold Coast City Council Local Studies Library.

Then-State Commerce and Industry Minister Bill Gunn said “there’s a fair amount of faith in the state” as he officially the centre.

There was originally 40 speciality shops, including Treasureway and a toy shop.

Just a year later Mayor Denis O’Connell approved the $30 million stage two, which included a walkway over Scarborough St to the eastern side where the extension was to be built.

Its shops included Kmart, Coles, 60 specialty shops, offices, a restaurant and seven-storey carpark for nearly 1000 cars.

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A view of Scarborough Fair circa 1985. Picture: Jack McCormick, courtesy of Gold Coast City Council Local Studies Library.

Gold Coast Chamber of Commerce president Jim Bergin at the time warned the city had too many shopping centres and warned an oversaturated market would see Southport become “overshopped”.

But within a few years the crowds were again growing and a $300 million expansion was announced.

The facade of the carpark in 1990.

In 1989 construction began on a major redevelopment which doubled the size of the complex and saw it extended to Nerang St and the newly completed Southport Mall.

Its opening day was announced as April 10, 1990 and in the days before the new section was unveiled, the Gold Coast Bulletin was given a sneak peak at the revamped shopping centre.

There were plenty of trees on the ground floor.

“The opening of the $300 million Australia Fair retail complex is undoubtedly the most sensational advance in Southport’s 116-year history,” the Bulletin said at the time

“Its unique decor includes a host of various European and Chinese artwork, furniture and antiques.

The staff at Amies on opening day.

“It offers a spacious, pleasing and pleasant environment with panoramic views of the Broadwater that will attract tourists as well as local shoppers, business people and workers.

At the opening the centre put on a display of Australian memorabilia, including the 1929 Melbourne Cup. Several conviction notices from the mid-19th century, medals to celebrate Queen Victoria’s jubilees and bank notes.

Some of the fashion on offer at Australia Fair on opening day.

There was also around $2 million of artwork around the centre, much of which remained for more than a decade.

Clowns and comedic acrobatic troupe Splat also performed.

One popular item which was on display was a clock built in England in 1901 which was discovered in an old farm shed and restored to take pride of place in Australia Fair.

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The famous clock.

It remained on display in the centre for many years.

At the time it was the only shopping centre in Australia with three supermarkets at once – Woolworths, Coles and Franklins.

The new shopping centre proved a hit but it came at a cost.

The ageing Sundale Shopping Centre which was nearby, saw a major decline in business and closed within a year.

By 1993 a six-cinema complex and “leisure court” were added to the centre.

Thanks to several years of upgrades, the centre’s interior today bears little resemblance to the Australia Fair of 1990 but if you look closely, there are still some reminders of those exciting early days.