Summary

Rectangular cream card invitation, with rounded corners and gilt edging.

Issued by the Myer Emporium for the official opening of Chadstone Shopping Centre in Melbourne by Premier Henry Bolte, on October 3rd, 1960.

Physical Description

Rectangular piece of cream coloured card, with rounded corners and gilt printed around the edges. On the front is printed in gilt the `C' logo of Chadstone Shopping Centre, as well as extensive grey text giving details about the event.

Significance

This invitation is significant as it represents the earliest days of Chadstone Shopping Centre. It was Australia's first regional self contained shopping centre. It has been redeveloped constantly since then, and remains Australia's largest shopping centre.

After visiting the USA in the mid 1950s to look at the developments in shopping, businessman Ken Myer (son of Sidney Myer) return enthused with the concept of shopping centres established away from the traditional city centres and suburban strip shops. They were reliant on the growth of the suburbs and the explosion in car ownership, both trends which were also emerging in Australia. A Herald Newspaper article reported him as saying to the Myer board `I am convinced of the future development of retail business in areas other than the centre of capital cities. We should be turning our minds to the possibilities of regional shopping centres of the kind making their appearance in America.'

In 1958 Myer purchased part of the Convent of the Good Shepherd land near East Malvern. In less than two years, the 30 acres of pastures was converted to the largest centre of its type in Australia. Chadstone Shopping Centre was opened on 3 October 1960 by the Premier Henry Bolte, and was advertised as 'a new era in suburban shopping'. It included 72 shops, a three-level Myer department store, a supermarket, an upper and lower mall, radio station 3UZ, exhibition hall, medical centre and child minding facilities.

The success of Chadstone heralded a transformation of shopping in Australia from the traditional focus on the central city and local strip-shopping precinct to the now familiar mall type shopping centre. Chadstone's success led to a proliferation of similar developments throughout the 1960s and 1970s.

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