Macquarie Centre

Macquarie Centre is a large shopping area in the neighborhood of Macquarie Park in the Northern Sydney part of Sydney. It is located right across from the main campus of Macquarie University. This place is popular for people who like to shop and spend time with family and friends. There are many stores and services, making it a busy and lively spot for the community.

History

20th Century

1960s: purchase of land

In 1968, Grace Bros bought land in North Ryde to build a shopping centre. Another store, David Jones, wanted to build a different centre, but their plans were not approved. Grace Bros kept working on their plans.

In 1969, Grace Bros bought more land, and the State Government approved their plans.

1980s: opening

Macquarie Centre opened in November 1981. It had an Olympic-sized ice rink, stores like Grace Bros (later called Myer in 2004), Big W, Target, Woolworths, and many smaller shops. It was one of the first centres in Sydney with a special design for shoppers.

21st Century

In 2000, new areas were added, including stores like Borders and Dick Smith Powerhouse. The cinema grew and was renamed Event Cinemas in 2009.

In 2010, Fitness First opened, and JB Hi-Fi moved to a new spot.

AMP Wholesale Shopping Centre Fund No. 2 became the full owner in 2012. In October 2021, Cbus and UniSuper each bought a share.

2010s – 2020s: Recent development

Starting in 2012, a big redevelopment began. Stage 1 opened in 2014 with Coles, Aldi, and a fresh food market. Stage 2 added a new wing with a full David Jones store, many new shops (including Sydney's first H&M, Zara, Uniqlo, and Sephora), and more parking.

Because of these changes, Macquarie Centre became the largest shopping centre in Sydney's suburbs.

Future

Plans for a big redevelopment with new apartment towers were approved. These plans include new homes, community spaces like a library, and more parking. A new plaza between Macquarie University station and the centre is also planned. The development will happen in stages over several years.

In 2019, there were plans to close the ice rink, but after many people spoke up, the decision was changed, and the rink stayed open.

Tenants

Macquarie Centre has a large space for shops and stores. Some of the biggest stores there are David Jones, Myer, Big W, Kmart, Aldi, Coles, Woolworths, Cotton On, H&M, Uniqlo, Zara, JB Hi-Fi, Rebel, Fitness First, Timezone, Strike Bowling Bar, Macquarie Ice Rink, and Event Cinemas.

Transport

The Macquarie Centre is near Macquarie University station. Trains on the Metro North West & Bankstown Line travel from Tallawong to Sydenham from here.

You can also take buses from the Macquarie Centre to Sydney CBD, North Shore, Northern Sydney, and Greater Western Sydney. These buses are run by State Transit Authority of NSW, CDC NSW, and Transit Systems. Most buses stop on Herring Road at the front of the shopping centre. The centre also has big parking lots for 4,900 cars.

In popular culture

The 1984 movie Stanley: Every Home Should Have One was partly filmed at Macquarie Centre.