![Macquarie Centre Clock Fountain](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e8/Macquarie_Centre_Clock_Fountain.JPG)
Macquarie Centre is a shopping centre in the suburb of
Macquarie Park
Macquarie Park () is a suburb in the Northern Sydney region of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. Macquarie Park is located 13 kilometres north-west of the Sydney central business district in the local government area of the City of Ryde.
Macqu ...
on the
North Shore of Sydney and is located opposite the main campus of
Macquarie University
Macquarie University ( ) is a public research university based in Sydney, Australia, in the suburb of Macquarie Park. Founded in 1964 by the New South Wales Government, it was the third university to be established in the metropolitan area of S ...
.
Transport
The
Metro North West Line
Metro North West Line is a rapid transit rail line in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. The first–and currently the only line on the Sydney Metro network, it commenced operation on 26 May 2019, running between and .
The line will be ...
offers frequent services to
Macquarie University station directly next to Macquarie Centre with trains running from
Tallawong to
Chatswood.
Macquarie Centre has bus connections to the
Sydney CBD
The Sydney central business district (CBD) is the historical and main commercial centre of Sydney. The CBD is Sydney's city centre, or Sydney City, and the two terms are used interchangeably. Colloquially, the CBD or city centre is often refer ...
,
North Shore and
Northern Sydney
Northern Sydney is a large metropolitan area in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia on the north shore of Sydney Harbour and Parramatta River. The region embraces suburbs in Sydney’s north-east, north and inner north west. Northern Sydney is ...
, as well as local surrounding suburbs. It is served by
Busways
Busways is an Australian bus company operating services in Sydney
Sydney ( ) is the capital city of the state of New South Wales, and the most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis ...
,
Forest Coach Lines
Forest Coach Lines is an Australian bus and coach operator. Founded in 1930 in the Northern Suburbs of Sydney, since 2016 it has expanded with purchases in the Mid North Coast and North West Slopes regions in New South Wales. It is a subsidiar ...
,
Hillsbus
Hillsbus is an Australian bus company that operates services in the Hills District of Sydney. Founded in 2004 when National Express merged its Glenorie Bus Company and Westbus (Hills District operations only) subsidiaries, it is today part of C ...
,
Transit Systems
Transit Systems Group is an Australian-based public transport company, which also operates overseas through its subsidiary Tower Transit Group. Transit Systems Group is a subsidiary of the Kelsian Group, formerly SeaLink Travel Group.
History
...
and
Transdev
Transdev, formerly Veolia Transdev, is a French-based international private-sector company which operates public transport. It has operations in 17 countries and territories as of November 2020.
History
The group was formed by the merger of V ...
. The majority of its bus services are located in Herring Road in front of the shopping centre's main entrance.
Macquarie Centre also has multi level car parks with 4,900 spaces.
History
In 1968
Grace Bros.
Grace Bros was an Australian department store chain, founded in 1885. It was bought by Myer (later Coles Myer) in 1983. There were 25 stores across New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory plus a few in Victoria, until they were r ...
purchased 16 acres of land in North Ryde with plans to build a $12 million shopping centre. Rival department store
David Jones had shown interest in the area and developed plans with Hooker Investment Corporation (now
LJ Hooker
LJ Hooker is one of Australia's largest real estate groups, with 600 franchise offices and 6,000 people engaged in residential and commercial property sales and property management. The company was founded in 1928 by Sir Leslie Joseph ...
) to build their own shopping centre known as Garden City at Epping Road, Macquarie Park on what was industrial land. David Jones had difficulty seeking approval with the plans rejected by
Ryde Municipal Council
The City of Ryde is a local government area in the Northern Sydney region, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. It was first established as the Municipal District of Ryde in 1870, became a municipality in 1906 and was proclaimed as the ...
and they were forced to lodge their plans with the
State Planning Authority
The Sydney Region Outline Plan (SROP) was a land use and infrastructure scheme for metropolitan New South Wales released by the State Planning Authority in March 1968. The SROP superseded the 1948 County of Cumberland planning scheme. Whereas t ...
. Garden City was designed by Donald Crone, one of the leading architects who had designed the
Sydney Tower
Sydney Tower is the tallest structure in Sydney, Australia, and the second-tallest observation tower in the Southern Hemisphere. It has also been known as ''Centrepoint Tower'', ''AMP Tower'', and colloquially as'' Flower Tower'', ''Glower To ...
. The plans included 80 speciality stores, an
office tower
A skyscraper is a tall continuously habitable building having multiple floors. Modern sources currently define skyscrapers as being at least or in height, though there is no universally accepted definition. Skyscrapers are very tall high-ri ...
and a
distribution centre
A distribution center for a set of products is a warehouse or other specialized building, often with refrigeration or air conditioning, which is stocked with products (goods) to be redistributed to retailers, to wholesalers, or directly to con ...
which would replace the one at
Alexandria
Alexandria ( or ; ar, ٱلْإِسْكَنْدَرِيَّةُ ; grc-gre, Αλεξάνδρεια, Alexándria) is the second largest city in Egypt, and the largest city on the Mediterranean coast. Founded in by Alexander the Great, Alexandria ...
. The initial development application made by Grace Bros was not approved by council and instead lodged with SPA which was later rejected. Grace Bros unturned submitted a further appeal with the support of three town planners. In 1969 Grace Bros purchased further land and by November 1969, the
State Government
A state government is the government that controls a subdivision of a country in a federal form of government, which shares political power with the federal or national government. A state government may have some level of political autonomy, or ...
approved the Grace Bros proposal while David Jones proposal on zoning grounds was rejected.
Throughout the 1970s Grace Bros barely opened a store with the Macquarie store set to be their first full-line store in over a decade. Work began in March 1979 on the site adjoining the university when the
AMP Society
AMP is a financial services company in Australia and New Zealand providing superannuation and investment products, financial advice, and banking products (through AMP Banking) including home loans and savings accounts. Its headquarters is in ...
agreed to become the majority shareholder and provide greater share of the finance for the $80 million shopping centre.
Throughout the construction period the centre had faced industrial disputes with the Industrial Commission awarding $24 over their awards in November 1979 as major site allowance. After further problems arose workers were offered $1000 in shopping vouchers depending on their qualification level. Further disputes continued with the demand for an additional $40 a week increase which was rejected and by July 1981 only a third of the required workforce were on the job.
Macquarie Centre had originally planned to open in Easter 1981 however it was delayed to September and then delayed again to November. The delays had a devastating impact on small retailers who had stocked up for opening deadlines.
Macquarie Centre officially opened on 17 November 1981 by then premier of New South Wales
Neville Wran
Neville Kenneth Wran, (11 October 1926 – 20 April 2014) was an Australian politician who was the Premier of New South Wales from 1976 to 1986. He was the national president of the Australian Labor Party (ALP) from 1980 to 1986 and chairman of ...
. The centre featured an Olympic sized ice rink,
Grace Bros
Grace Bros was an Australian department store chain, founded in 1885. It was bought by Myer (later Coles Myer) in 1983. There were 25 stores across New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory plus a few in Victoria, until they were re ...
(rebranded to
Myer
Myer (stylised MYER, sometimes known as Myers) is an Australia, Australian mid-range to upscale department store chain. It trades in all Australian states and one of Australia's two self-governing territories. Myer retails a broad range of ...
in 2004),
Big W
Big W (stylized as BIG W) is an Australian chain of discount department stores, which was founded in regional New South Wales in 1964. The company is a division of Woolworths Group and as at 2019 operated 176 stores, with around 22,000 employee ...
,
Target
Target may refer to:
Physical items
* Shooting target, used in marksmanship training and various shooting sports
** Bullseye (target), the goal one for which one aims in many of these sports
** Aiming point, in field artillery, fi ...
,
Woolworths and 130 speciality stores. Macquarie Centre was the third centre in Sydney to facilitate an "incline mall" design (after
Westfield Burwood
Westfield Burwood is a large shopping centre in the suburb of Burwood in the Inner West of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
Transport
The Northern and Inner West & Leppington Line offer frequent train services to Burwood station which ...
and
Westfield Hurstville
Westfield Hurstville is a shopping centre in the suburb of Hurstville in the St George area of Sydney, Australia.
Transport
The Eastern Suburbs and Illawara Line offer frequent train services to Hurstville station located opposite the cen ...
) and was built on a spiral staircase around the sundial water fountain. This meant that it is a gently-ascending grade and that the levels were connected via a system of ramps, stairs and escalators. Franklins Big Fresh was added to the centre in 1992 and was renamed to
Franklins
Franklins was an Australian discount supermarket chain selling packaged groceries and perishables throughout New South Wales, Queensland, Victoria and South Australia. It sold the "No Frills" home brand generic products. In 2011 the chain was ...
in 2001 and operated until its closure in 2012.
Macquarie Ice Rink
The Macquarie Ice Rink is an ice sports and public skate centre, opened in 1981 and located within the Macquarie Shopping Centre in the northern Sydney suburb of Macquarie Park, New South Wales, Australia. It is the current home of the Sydney ...
is home to
Sydney Bears
The Sydney Bears (formally ''Macquarie Bears'') is an Australia, Australian semi-professional ice hockey team from Sydney, New South Wales. Established in 1982, the Bears are the only remaining founding member of the Australian Ice Hockey League ...
and Sydney Ice Dogs ice hockey teams. The
ice rink
An ice rink (or ice skating rink) is a frozen body of water and/or an artificial sheet of ice created using hardened chemicals where people can ice skate or play winter sports. Ice rinks are also used for exhibitions, contests and ice shows. The ...
is used for
ice skating
Ice skating is the self-propulsion and gliding of a person across an ice surface, using metal-bladed ice skates. People skate for various reasons, including recreation (fun), exercise, competitive sports, and commuting. Ice skating may be per ...
,
ice dance
Ice dance (sometimes referred to as ice dancing) is a discipline of figure skating that historically draws from ballroom dancing. It joined the World Figure Skating Championships in 1952, and became a Winter Olympic Games medal sport in 1976. Ac ...
,
speed skating
Speed skating is a competitive form of ice skating in which the competitors racing, race each other in travelling a certain distance on Ice skate, skates. Types of speed skating are long track speed skating, short track speed skating, and marath ...
and
ice hockey
Ice hockey (or simply hockey) is a team sport played on ice skates, usually on an ice skating rink with lines and markings specific to the sport. It belongs to a family of sports called hockey. In ice hockey, two opposing teams use ice hock ...
. Macquarie Centre is the only shopping centre in Sydney to provide a full size
Olympic rink
Olympic or Olympics may refer to
Sports
Competitions
* Olympic Games, international multi-sport event held since 1896
** Summer Olympic Games
** Winter Olympic Games
* Ancient Olympic Games, ancient multi-sport event held in Olympia, Greece b ...
(60m x 30m) with seating for approximately 2000 people. Macquarie Ice Rink was used for the 1991 World
short track speed skating
Short-track speed skating is a form of competitive ice skating, ice speed skating. In competitions, multiple skaters (typically between four and six) skate on an oval ice track with a length of . The rink itself is long by wide, which is the s ...
Championships.
There were plans for a cinema complex to open in the centre in 1981 however it had fallen through and it was not until September 1994 when the eight screen
Greater Union
Greater Union Organisation Pty Ltd, trading as Event Cinemas, Greater Union, GU Film House, Moonlight Cinema and Birch Carroll & Coyle (BCC Cinemas), is the largest movie exhibitor in Australia and New Zealand, with over 140 Multiplex (movie the ...
multiplex and leisure precinct opened on the rooftop level.
In 2000 the 'Escape' and 'Loft' areas were opened, which included a major facelift in 1999 to the centre's entrances, extra parking and new retail stores. These included
Borders
A border is a geographical boundary.
Border, borders, The Border or The Borders may also refer to:
Arts, entertainment and media Film and television
* ''Border'' (1997 film), an Indian Hindi-language war film
* ''Border'' (2018 Swedish film), ...
(second store in Australia), BaySwiss,
Dick Smith Powerhouse
Dick Smith Holdings Limited (formerly Dick Smith, Dick Smith Electronics or DSE) was an Australian chain of retail stores that sold consumer electronics goods, hobbyist electronic components, and electronic project kits. The chain expanded succ ...
,
Freedom
Freedom is understood as either having the ability to act or change without constraint or to possess the power and resources to fulfill one's purposes unhindered. Freedom is often associated with liberty and autonomy in the sense of "giving on ...
and Wheel & Barrow. The Loft was designed as a home wares precinct. This development also included new food outlets and an expansion of the Greater Union cinema complex, from 8 to 16 cinemas. Greater Union was renamed to
Event Cinemas
Greater Union Organisation Pty Ltd, trading as Event Cinemas, Greater Union, GU Film House, Moonlight Cinema and Birch Carroll & Coyle (BCC Cinemas), is the largest movie exhibitor in Australia and New Zealand, with over 140 Multiplex (movie the ...
in 2009.
In 2010, Fitness First opened on the space vacated by Freedom and JB Hi-Fi moved from the location on level 2 to the space vacated by Borders on level 4.
AMP Wholesale Shopping Centre Fund No. 2 wholly owns the centre after an ownership agreement was reached with former co-owner Westfield Management Limited in 2012.
Recent development
In late 2012, AMP Capital Shopping Centres began work on the $440 million redevelopment. Stage 1 of the redevelopment was completed on 17 July 2014 with the opening of
Coles,
Aldi
Aldi (stylised as ALDI) is the common company brand name of two German multinational family-owned discount supermarket chains operating over 10,000 stores in 20 countries. The chain was founded by brothers Karl and Theo Albrecht in 1946, when t ...
and the fresh food market. Stage 2 of the redevelopment was completed in October 2014, adding an entire new wing to the existing centre.
Stage 2 consisted of:
* A full line David Jones
* A new 2 level mall linking the new
David Jones with the existing centre and
Myer
Myer (stylised MYER, sometimes known as Myers) is an Australia, Australian mid-range to upscale department store chain. It trades in all Australian states and one of Australia's two self-governing territories. Myer retails a broad range of ...
* Approximately 130 new retail stores (including Sydney's first
H&M,
Zara,
Uniqlo and
Sephora
Sephora is a French multinational retailer of personal care and beauty products. Featuring nearly 340 brands, along with its own private label, Sephora Collection, Sephora offers beauty products including cosmetics, skincare, body, fragrance, n ...
)
* Additional 1,050 car spaces
As a result, Macquarie Centre is now the largest Sydney suburban shopping centre. It is expected to reach $6 billion in spending by 2021, and can support trade for 337,770 people.
Future
Plans for the $1 billion redevelopment which included towers have been given approval. The plans would include 1000 new apartments in four tower blocks, 5000sqm of dedicated community space, including a library and public creative hub. The towers will range in height from 26 to 33 storeys, and adding another 2175 car parking spaces. A new station plaza between Macquarie University station and the centre is also part of the plan. The development will unfold in stages over several years and future applications will be developed. This mixed use development has been approved on 15 November 2016.
As part of Stage 2 planning being approved, it was announced on 16 January 2019 that Macquarie Ice Rink would close on 31 January 2020 for demolition to make way for the new retail and residential towers.
In February 2019, AMP Capital Shopping Centres, which owns Macquarie Centre, announced it had decided to preserve the ice rink. This was largely due to the large public outcry regarding the removal of the iconic rink.
Tenants
Macquarie Centre has 134,900m² of floor space. The major retailers include
David Jones,
Myer
Myer (stylised MYER, sometimes known as Myers) is an Australia, Australian mid-range to upscale department store chain. It trades in all Australian states and one of Australia's two self-governing territories. Myer retails a broad range of ...
,
Big W
Big W (stylized as BIG W) is an Australian chain of discount department stores, which was founded in regional New South Wales in 1964. The company is a division of Woolworths Group and as at 2019 operated 176 stores, with around 22,000 employee ...
,
Kmart
Kmart Corporation ( , doing business as Kmart and stylized as kmart) is an American retail company that owns a chain of big box department stores. The company is headquartered in Hoffman Estates, Illinois, United States.
The company was inc ...
,
Aldi
Aldi (stylised as ALDI) is the common company brand name of two German multinational family-owned discount supermarket chains operating over 10,000 stores in 20 countries. The chain was founded by brothers Karl and Theo Albrecht in 1946, when t ...
,
Coles,
Woolworths,
Cotton On
Cotton On Group is Australia's largest global retailer, known for its fashion clothing and stationery brands. As of 2020, it has over 1,500 stores in 18 countries employing 22,000 people across seven brands: Cotton On, Cotton On Kids, Cotton O ...
,
H&M,
Uniqlo,
Zara,
JB Hi-Fi
JB Hi-Fi Limited is an Australian consumer electronics and home appliances retail company. It is publicly listed on the Australian Securities Exchange. Its headquarters are located in Southbank, Melbourne, Victoria.
The company has 316 stores ...
,
Rebel
A rebel is a participant in a rebellion.
Rebel or rebels may also refer to:
People
* Rebel (given name)
* Rebel (surname)
* Patriot (American Revolution), during the American Revolution
* American Southerners, as a form of self-identification; ...
,
Fitness First
Fitness First is an international fitness centre brand founded in 1993 in the United Kingdom. The company owned and operated its clubs around the world until financial pressures saw parts of the company sold off to various owners in different reg ...
,
Timezone,
Strike Bowling Bar
Strike Bowling Bar is an Australian-based company that owns and operates over 20 venues across Australia. Strike Bowling is currently Australia's largest privately owned bowling chain.
Strike Bowling bar along with the Australian division oS ...
,
Macquarie Ice Rink
The Macquarie Ice Rink is an ice sports and public skate centre, opened in 1981 and located within the Macquarie Shopping Centre in the northern Sydney suburb of Macquarie Park, New South Wales, Australia. It is the current home of the Sydney ...
and
Event Cinemas
Greater Union Organisation Pty Ltd, trading as Event Cinemas, Greater Union, GU Film House, Moonlight Cinema and Birch Carroll & Coyle (BCC Cinemas), is the largest movie exhibitor in Australia and New Zealand, with over 140 Multiplex (movie the ...
.
Incidents
* On 5 June 2007, a 40-year-old woman was stabbed and a man had self-inflicted knife wounds after a domestic incident at the centre carpark. The man was later arrested after he allegedly drove at a police officer and crashed into a parked car as he attempted to leave the scene.
* Between February and June 2017, 16 vehicles, including luxury cars, had an acid-like substance poured on them. The attack was believed to be racially motivated and a man has been charged.
* On 3 July 2017, a police officer was kicked in the face by a group of youths causing him to fall and hit his head. Police were called to the scene after 10pm after a group of youths assaulted two security guards nearby. The 16 year old youth was later charged.
* On 16 April 2018, a 13-year-old boy was bitten in the cheek during an attempted robbery at the centre at around 11:40am. He was walking with a friend when they were approached by two men, who threatened the boy and tried to steal his sneakers.
* On 17 May 2018, a brawl erupted in the ice rink which involved the chairman of
CBR Brave
The CBR Brave is a semi-professional ice hockey team based in Canberra, ACT. The team is a member of the Australian Ice Hockey League (AIHL). The team was founded in 2014 to replace the defunct Canberra Knights in the AIHL. Their home venue is ...
, who started arguing with players from
Sydney Bears
The Sydney Bears (formally ''Macquarie Bears'') is an Australia, Australian semi-professional ice hockey team from Sydney, New South Wales. Established in 1982, the Bears are the only remaining founding member of the Australian Ice Hockey League ...
. The chairman poured beer down on one of the players before a member of the crowd threw a bin at him, sparking an all-in shoving match between the fans.
References
External links
Macquarie Centre Official Website
{{Shopping centres in New South Wales
Shopping centres in Sydney
Shopping malls established in 1981
1981 establishments in Australia
City of Ryde