Westfield Bondi Junction - History

History

Anchor Tenants

• Coles
• David Jones
• Greater Union
• Harvey Norman
• Myer
• Target
• Woolworths

Westfield Bondi Junction is built on land that was originally occupied by three separate retail establishments. The oldest of these was a Grace Bros. store, opened in 1933 and continued to be occupied until the recent redevelopment. The land was also occupied by the Carousel Centre which had opened in the 1970s and Bondi Junction Plaza. In 1994 Westfield bought a controlling stake in Bondi Junction Plaza from AMP and renamed it Westfield Bondi Junction Plaza. In 2000, Westfield purchased the Carousel Centre and the remaining stake in Bondi Junction Plaza.

The redevelopment took six years for approval to be gained due to the sight being located on the border of Waverley and Woollahra local government areas. In 1997 the Minister for Urban Affairs and Planning, Craig Knowles, approved the initial concept for a redeveloped shopping centre. Following the purchase of the Carousel Centre in 2000, a new expanded scheme was submitted for approval. In 2001 the New South Wales Minister for Planning, Frank Sartor approved the development despite the two councils objections. The scale of the development was the main reason for the delayed approval process. This included four levels of parking and two levels of shops underground reaching 25 metres below as well as three levels of shops and four levels of parking above ground. In addition a 70 metre tunnel and a 12 metre wide double storey pedestrian bridge above ground. The redevelopment incorporates 458 retailers and was completed in August 2004.

Westfield Bondi Junction has been blamed for the downturn in trade in surrounding shopping hubs. The nearby Oxford Street, in Paddington is one example. Retail trade in that location dropped 30% in the four months after the opening of the shopping centre with other locations in Double Bay and Woollahra experiencing similar downturn in trade.