ACT Heritage Library Manuscript Collection

HMSS 0173 Monaro Shopping Mall Records

Scope and content notes

Monaro Shopping Mall was opened on 6 March 1963 by Prime Minister Robert Menzies. Designed to protect customers from the weather, the indoor mall was a new age concept introduced to Australia by the United States It was the first multilevel, fully enclosed, shopping mall in the southern hemisphere and the first fully air-conditioned shopping centre in Australia. Built on three floors, it measured 300,000 sq.ft. (almost a hectare) with car parking spaces for 2,000 cars. David Jones and Marcus Clark department stores and Coles New World supermarket were supplemented by 62 arcade speciality shops grouped around the central court. Of these original outlets, six were still at Canberra Centre in 2006.

1987-1989 - Monaro Mall began a $220 million dollar development order to heighten its competitive advantage. On the 31st October 1989 the Canberra Centre as it was now named, started trading and was officially opened on the 1st of November by ACT Chief Minister, Rosemary Follet.

In 1990 Queensland Investment Corporation purchased half of the property, creating impetus to further development.including  redeveloping the Bunda and Petrie Street entrance in 1993 and the Level 1 Fashion Mall in 1994. In 1997 the Lincraft Superstore was relocated and relaunched.

A major refurbishment and extension of the centre was completed in November 2002 including a new entrance façade. A current construction project will add another 90 new stores in 2006

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