10 Biggest & Best Shopping Malls in Australia

Illustrated picture. Photo: Mixi

Thinking of Australia often conjures up images of the Great Barrier Reef or the Outback, but this South Pacific country is also home to some of the most impressive shopping centers in the world. Considering Australia regularly evokes pictures of the Great Barrier shoal, yet this South Pacific nation is likewise home to the absolute most amazing shopping malls on the planet.

The List of 10 Biggest and Best Shopping Malls in Australia Today

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Which are the Biggest and Best Shopping Malls in Australia Today?

1. Chadstone Shopping Centre

Photo: Báo úc

It’s known as Australia’s fashion capital, but to local residents, it’s simply ‘Chaddy’ and for the past 60 years this shopping centre has played a central role in Australian retail.

Chadstone Shopping Mall, on the outskirts of Melbourne, is Australia’s largest and most valuable shopping asset, attracting over 24 million people annually and boasting an annual turnover of over $2 billion.

This staggering visitation and value is no accident. Since it first opened its doors in 1960, Chadstone has continually been revised, re-invented and reimagined to retain its place as Australia’s largest shopping mall.

2. Westfield Fountain Gate

Photo: Rands Financial Services

The Westfield Fountain Gate is located in Melbourne, Australia. This is the second largest shopping center in the country with 1,913,340 square feet of space. It was opened in November of 1970 and underwent restoration in the 1980s that brought with it the global retailers Kmart and Coles. From 2011 to 2012, the space in this shopping center was expanded to include a 129,166-square foot Myers store and a 45,208-square foot Coles, as well as several other store expansions. It houses 464 stores and 6,493 parking spaces.

3. Westfield Sydney

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The Westfield Sydney is located in the city of Sydney in New South Wales. It covers an area of 1,807,380 square feet, making it the third largest shopping center in Australia. When it opened in 1972, it only had 52 stores. This shopping center underwent significant renovations in 1984, 1996, and 2000, when it was known as the Centrepoint Shopping Centre. In 2003, the Westfield Group purchased the property and renamed it Westfield Centrepoint. Between 2010 and 2012, Westfield Group invested around $930 million in renovations of 4 neighboring shopping centers: Westfield Centrepoint, Sydney Central Plaza, Imperial Arcade, and Skygarden. Part of the redevelopment efforts included merging these 4 centers to create the Westfield Sydney. Today, this shopping center houses 361 stores.

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4. Pacific Fair

Photo: Fabritecture

The Pacific Fair shopping center is located on the Gold Coast in Queensland. It is the fourth largest shopping center in Australia and has a total area of 1,670,000 square feet. When it opened in 1977, this shopping center had only 98 stores. In addition to being a shopping center, the Pacific Fair also serves as a hub for public transportation, including the bus line and G-link light rail. Over the years, this site has been under several renovations and expansions. The latest of these began in January of 2014 with a $670 million investment. It includes an outdoor entertainment area, a casual dining patio, 3 Gold Class cinemas, and a VMax theater. Today, this shopping center is home to just over 400 stores and around 6,500 parking spaces.

5. Highpoint Shopping Centre

Photo: Tiếng nói của của Hội Doanh Nhân Việt Nam Tại Úc

Another notable shopping destination is the Highpoint Shopping Centre which houses international fashion brands along with options of indulging in home d?cor, lifestyle and dining. A convenient access to the mall is ensured with a Smart Park technology for over seven thousand parking spaces! Yes, you heard it right! This mall proudly hosts over 500 stores with brands like David Jones, Zara, Target etc. ?What also is an attraction is the food market with fresh produce of vegetables and fruits. You can also head in for a movie or bring in your kids for a fun time in the entertainment zone. Managed by the GPT group, this mall also has some delicious options for food that you can enjoy with your family, be is fast food or fine dining.

6. Westfield Chermside

Photo: Chermside News

Westfield Chermside is one of the largest shopping malls in Australia with a gross leasable area of 1,553,780 sq ft. It was opened in 1957 and renovated many times. The shopping centre has more than 400 branded stores in two floors with 12 anchor tenants. There are so many major brands available in the mall such as the Apple Store, Event Cinemas, Kmart, Harris Scarfe, Coles, Myer, David Jones and more. The mall has a parking facility for 6,200 vehicles at a time.

7. Westfield Garden City

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Westfield Garden City, better known as Garden City, is one of Brisbane's major shopping centres, located in the suburb of Upper Mount Gravatt. The centre is operated by Westfield, and previously operated by AMP Limited before the takeover in 2003. The shopping centre currently has 470 specialty stores, cafes, restaurants and other services and food vendors.

Within the centre is a post office and a Brisbane City Council public library. Another notable feature of Garden City is the Town Square, which is an outdoor dining area featuring coffee shops, restaurants and an Event cinemas complex.

8. Westfield Knox

Photo: Herald Sun

Westfield Knox is one of the largest shopping malls in Australia with a gross leasable area of 1,534,000 sq ft. There are more than 350 branded stores available in the mall. The mall has a parking facility for more than 6,391 vehicles at a time. The shopping centre is located in Wantirna South, Victoria. There are so many popular brands available in the shopping centre such as the Reject Shop, Timezone, Fitness First, Toys R Us, Target, Kmart and more.

9. Macquarie Centre

Photo: City of Ryde

Macquarie Centre is a large shopping centre in the suburb of Macquarie Park on the North Shore of Sydney and is located opposite the main campus of Macquarie University.

Macquarie Centre officially opened on 17 November 1981 by then premier of New South Wales Neville Wran. The centre featured an Olympic sized ice rink, Grace Bros (rebranded to Myer in 2004), Big W, Target, Woolworths and 130 speciality stores. Macquarie Centre was the third centre in Sydney to facilitate an "incline mall" design (after Westfield Burwood and Westfield Hurstville) 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 in 2001 and operated until its closure in 2012.

Macquarie Ice Rink is home to Sydney Bears and Sydney Ice Dogs ice hockey teams. The ice rink is used for ice skating, ice dance, speed skating and ice hockey. Macquarie Centre is the only shopping centre in Sydney to provide a full size Olympic rink (60m x 30m) with seating for approximately 2000 people. Macquarie Ice Rink was used for the 1991 World short track speed skating 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 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 (second store in Australia), BaySwiss, Dick Smith Powerhouse, Freedom 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 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.

10. Westfield Parramatta

Photo: Parramatta Dentistry

Westfield Parramatta is the sixth largest shopping centres in Australia with a gross leasable area of 1,479,040 sq ft. It is one of the fastest growing shopping centres in New South Wales. There are more than 495 stores available in a mall with 11 anchor tenants. The mall has a parking facility for more than 4,200 vehicles at a time.

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