Santa not coming to town: Myer store closure means Claus pause

Santa will be absent from a Brisbane CBD Myer store for the first time in more than 60 years after the department chain exited the city a few months ago.

For the first time in 60 years, Santa will be absent from Myer in Brisbane’s CBD.

Myer has long occupied a landmark stretch of Queen St and Adelaide St and in 1988 the Myer Centre was born with its trademark Christmas windows’ display becoming a seasonal tradition for young and old.

Prior to that the Myer Emporium got into the festive cheer after taking over Allen & Stark in the 1950s and McWhirters in Fortitude Valley.

In more recent times, mounting costs meant Myer in Brisbane – unlike the flagship Melbourne store – closed down its automated spectacular tradition a few years ago and replaced it with general Christmas visual merchandising.

On August 1, Myer vacated the building all together with the owners ISPT and Vicinity Centres re-naming the now near vacant Queen Street Mall building Uptown.

Rival David Jones – just down the mall at QueensPlaza- is still getting into the yuletide spirit offering a premium Santa photo experience, the state’s first Waterford Bar stocked with Waterford crystal, festive entertainment and bespoke brand activations this Christmas.

But what are they up to at Uptown?

Children having their photos taken with Santa at the Myer Centre in the Queen Street Mall. Pics Tim Marsden

Vicinity Centres regional general manager shopping centres Daniel Sutton says they’re working on it. “The team at Uptown is looking at a number of Christmas activations for the centre and the Queen Street Mall windows including workshops, photo experiences, gift wrapping including some smaller window activations,” he says.

On a larger scale, Vicinity and ISPT are in the early stages of an extensive refurbishment of the five-storey shopping centre, with a potential investment of about $500m into a retail, leisure, food and beverage, and entertainment destination. Hopefully Santa will make a reappearance.

Girls’ day out

Members of Brisbane Women’s Club, one of the oldest women’s clubs in Queensland, are getting ready to clink glasses next month.

The 115-year-old institution will host its annual charitable champagne high tea on November 4 at the Emporium Hotel Brisbane Frangipani Ballroom from 12:15-3pm. Established in 1908 as the Women’s Progressive Club, the organisation has a rich history of advocating for women’s rights and improving the community.

The club also has contributed to the establishment of organisations such as the Queensland Country Women’s Association and the Bush Book Club. The highlight of the high tea will be the recipient announcement of the 2023 Brisbane Women’s Club $10,000 charitable grant.

V for victory

Frucor Suntory, the beverage giant behind V energy, will open its new $400m factory in Ipswich next year creating hundreds of jobs. Chief executive Darren Fullerton says the 17-hectare site will create 160 long term roles and 450 construction and installation jobs.

“Working for a multi-beverage company, like Suntory will come with lots of benefits, including the opportunity to enjoy complimentary beverages to share with family and friends as part of our employee benefits program,” Fullerton says, who add the company will start its first recruitment drive at the end of the year or in early 2024.

Fullerton says job opportunities included beverage crafters, automation engineers, electrical engineers and maintenance engineers. “We are looking forward to being a long-standing member of the community, for ways to bring our Suntory values to life and to offer some fantastic employment opportunities to Queenslanders. Fullerton says the Swanbank site will be an entirely net zero operation.

Dan Jones from Frucor Suntory the makers of V Energy drink at the companies new manufacturing site for the drink. Picture David Clark