Northland Shopping Centre

37°44′18″S 145°1′47″E / 37.73833°S 145.02972°E / -37.73833; 145.02972Opening date4 October 1966; 57 years ago (4 October 1966)DeveloperMyer EmporiumManagementVicinity GroupOwner50% Vicinity Group & 50% GPT GroupNo. of stores and services330No. of anchor tenants9Total retail floor area97,922 m² (1,054,020 sq ft)^[1]No. of floors3Parking4800+ spots^[2]Websitenorthlandsc.com.au

Northland Shopping Centre is a major shopping centre in Preston, approximately 11 km north of the Melbourne Central Business District in Victoria. It is the largest predominantly single-level shopping centre in Melbourne. It has more than 330 stores on one floor, with the top floor containing just the Hoyts cinemas, Pancake Parlour and indoor golf venue X-Golf (both mini golf and golf simulators).

The centre is anchored by a Myer department store (4 levels), Target and Kmart department stores, Coles, Woolworths and Aldi supermarkets, as well as mini majors Best & Less, JB Hi-Fi, Rebel Sport, TK Maxx and Chemist Warehouse, and international retailers H&M, Uniqlo and Sephora. The small top floor is centred around the Hoyts cinemas, also containing a Pancake Parlour and indoor golf venue X-Golf (both mini golf and golf simulators).

History

Opening on Tuesday, 4 October 1966,^[3] Northland Shopping Centre was one of the first self-contained shopping centres in Melbourne. The shopping centre was built and owned by the Myer Emporium. The original shopping centre consisted of 3 malls radiating north, east and west from a centre stage area. It housed 73 tenants and 6 professional suites. Some of the original retailers included Myer, Coles New World Supermarket, Buckley and Nunn Department Store, McEwans, Woolworths Variety Store and Coles Variety Store. A feature of the shopping centre was the Northland Market located at the south-west end of the shopping centre.

In July 1983, the Myer Emporium sold the shopping centre to the Gandel Group of Companies. It is currently owned 50:50 by GPT and Vicinity Group.

Legionnaires Scare

In early 2006 Northland shopping centre was one of 7 buildings suspected of harbouring legionnaires disease after an outbreak which killed one and infected 7 others in the area. Subsequent investigation by the Coroner - Dr Jane Hendtlass (Case No 729/06) confirmed that alleged buildings nearby did not contain the disease.^[4][5][6][7]

Gallery

• 
  Panorama of the main entrance from Murray Road, 2009
• 
  Secondary entrance from Murray Road, 2009
• 
  The cinemas on the second floor, 2009
• 
  The main food court, 2009
• 
  Outside Woolworths, then called Safeway, 2009
• 
  Kmart and surrounding stores, 2009
• 
  The Playtime Arcade, near the cinema, 2009. X-Golf is now in this location
• 
  The main entrance from Murray Road, 2009
• 
  Exterior of entertainment precinct, August 2023 with extensions such as a playground and bar opened in June 2023

References