Highpoint, Northland, Greensborough Plaza: History of shopping centres in the north
From Brashs to Foys, Waltons and McEwans, and learning to drive in the Northland carpark, check out what our northern shopping centres looked like.
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When suburban shopping centres emerged across Melbourne’s north and west, more than half a century ago, there was no Sunday trading and smoking was allowed inside.
Customers headed to Foys, New World supermarket, Waltons and Brashs to do their shopping.
It’s far to say things have changed a fair bit since then.
Photographer Wolfgang Sievers captured some incredible photos inside the centres which have been archived in the State Library Victoria database.
Take a stroll down memory lane and enjoy the history of shopping centres in Melbourne’s north.
NORTHLAND
2-50 Murray Rd, Preston
The centre opened in 1966 and was Victoria’s first and largest indoor shopping centre, according to the Darebin Libraries heritage database.
Photos taken by Sievers, and shared by the Lost Melbourne Facebook page, reveal the centre was once home to stores including Patersons furniture store, music store Brashs, Buckley and Nunn department store, Foy & Gibson department store, Martin and Pleasance Chemists, Nathan Mens Wear, hardware store McEwans and Williams the Shoemen. According to the State Library Victoria website, the centre also included children’s play equipment and a light feature in centre court.
On the Lost Melbourne page, many remembered learning to drive in the Northland carpark on a Sunday when shops were closed.
Northland also used to be home to a twin drive-in cinema.
The centre has undergone a number of revamps of the years and is now home to Aldi, Kmart, Myer, TX Maxx and a Hoyts cinema.
HIGHPOINT
120-200 Rosamond Rd, Maribyrnong
Now home to more than 500 stores, Highpoint first opened its doors in Melbourne’s west in 1975. According to Sievers’ photos, original stores included Norman Bros., Williams the Shoemen, Ron Rogers menswear, Dunklings, Sussan, Collins Booksellers, Highpoint Fruitland and Gilbertsons the butcher.
The $40 million Highpoint Homemaker Centre development on the old Hoyts’ drive-in movie site in Maribyrnong opened in 1990.
Over the years Highpoint continued to grow, and welcomed the first David Jones store in the western suburbs in 2013, part of a $300m redevelopment.
GREENSBOROUGH PLAZA
25 Main St, Greensborough
The centre, which celebrated its 40th birthday in 2018, has been home to many stores over the years, including Waltons department store and McEwans hardware store.
Coles Myer opened its first new Myer department store in Victoria for 17 years at the Plaza in 1995 but the store closed after only two years.
The centre also used to be home to a Franklins supermarket.
On the centre’s 40th anniversary in 2018, Mark Leverett, owner of Leverett & Kindler Optometrists, told Leader the opening of the Plaza was a huge milestone for Greensborough.
“Forty years ago, Greensborough was like a big country town, so the opening of Greensborough Plaza was highly anticipated,” he said.
“On opening day, all the stores were offering sales and the centre was absolutely packed. You literally couldn’t move in some areas and there were queues to get on to the moving walkways.”
Mr Leverett said he had watched the centre undergo three major renovations and recalled how the lower level once had a swimming pool and gym.
A $30 million redevelopment in 2015 included an upgraded children’s precinct Kids on the Green, and Tables on the Green — an urban style casual dining precinct — quickly followed suit, which also included a Hoyts Cinemas upgrade.
EPPING PLAZA
571-583 High St, Epping
The 31,600sq m Epping Plaza shopping complex opened in 1996, and has grown to include more than 230 stores, including Coles, Woolworths and Aldi, plus Big W, Best & Less, Target and Harris Scarfe.
On Whittlesea Leader’s Facebook page, locals remincised about the early days of the centre.
“I have a promotion fan that was given out for the opening. Says welcome to Rural Epping Shopping centre,” Janet Taylor said, while Stuart Woods said Target was among the first stores to open.
Now officially called Pacific Epping, most locals still refer to it as ‘The Plaza’.
Its entertainment precinct includes 15 restaurants and Reading Cinemas.
NORTHCOTE PLAZA
3 Separation St
Despite some shoppers calling for an upgrade, the ageing centre, built in 1981 and known for its two Coles, has no shortage of fans.
The Northcote Plaza Official Instagram page, which is “Archiving one of Melbourne’s Crown Jewels before it is no doubt gentrified into an Instagram mum’s paradise,” has more than 6000 followers.
And when vandals defaced a popular piece of artwork at the Plaza last year it wasn’t long before a group of good Samaritans came together to restore it to its former glory.
The Plaza’s Kmart store closed last year, in what some were calling the beginning of the end for the centre.
The Herald Sun reported last August developer LAS Group had submitted plans to Darebin City Council to revamp the Plaza and build a 28-storey apartment tower.
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