ADVANCE AUSTRALIA FAIR
Southport’s most prominent shopping centre opened in 1990 amid much hoopla and continues to be the epicentre of our city’s CBD
AUSTRALIA Fair is today the heart of Southport and the suburb’s most prominent shopping centre.
With a cinema and dining precinct, it is one of the Gold Coast’s busiest retail meccas, along with Pacific Fair and Robina Town Centre.
But it wasn’t always the case.
It was first proposed at the dawn of the 1980s and replaced the South Coast Co-operative Dairy’s art deco building on the western side of Scarborough St.
Originally known as Scarborough Fair, it opened in 1983 and was anchored by Franklins supermarket.
Then-State Commerce and Industry Minister Bill Gunn said “there’s a fair amount of faith in the state” as he officially opened the centre.
There was originally 40 speciality shops, including Treasureway and a toy shop.
Just a year later Mayor Denis O’Connell approved the $30 million stage two, which included a walkway over Scarborough St to the eastern side where the extension was to be built.
Its shops included Kmart, Coles, 60 specialty shops, offices, a restaurant and sevenstorey carpark for nearly 1000 cars.
Gold Coast Chamber of Commerce president Jim Bergin at the time said the city had too many shopping centres and warned an oversaturated market would see Southport become “overshopped”.
But within a few years the crowds were again growing and a $300 million expansion was announced.
In 1989 construction began on a major redevelopment which doubled the size of the complex and saw it extended to Nerang St and the newly completed Southport Mall.
Its opening day was announced as April 10, 1990 and in the days before the new section was unveiled, the Gold
Coast Bulletin was given a sneak peak at the revamped shopping centre.
“The opening of the $300 million Australia Fair retail complex is undoubtedly the most sensational advance in Southport’s 116-year history,” the Bulletin said at the time
“Its unique decor includes a host of various European and Chinese artwork, furniture and antiques.
“It offers a spacious, pleasing and pleasant environment with panoramic views of the Broadwater that will attract tourists as well as local shoppers, business people and workers.”
At the opening the centre put on a display of Australian memorabilia, including the 1929 Melbourne Cup, several conviction notices from the mid-19th century, medals to celebrate Queen Victoria’s jubilees and bank notes.
There was also about$2 million of artwork around the centre, much of which remained for more than a decade.
Clowns and comedic acrobatic troupe Splat also performed.
One popular item which was on display was a clock built in England in 1901. It was discovered in an old farm shed and restored to take pride of place in Australia Fair.
It remained on display in the centre for many years.
At the time Australia Fair was the only shopping centre in the country with three supermarkets at once – Woolworths, Coles and Franklins.
The new shopping centre proved a hit but it came at a cost.
The ageing Sundale Shopping Centre, which was nearby, experienced a major decline in business and closed within a year.
By 1993 a six-cinema complex and “leisure court” were added to Australia Fair.
Thanks to several years of upgrades, the centre’s interior today bears little resemblance to the Australia Fair of 1990 but if you look closely, there are still reminders of those exciting early days.