Chadstone Shopping Centre
Chadstone Shopping Centre is a major super-regional retail, dining, entertainment and leisure complex in Melbourne, Australia.
Last updated November 4, 2026
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Overview
Chadstone Shopping Centre, commonly called “Chaddy,” is a large super-regional shopping and entertainment complex in Malvern East, in Melbourne’s south-eastern suburbs. It is one of Australia’s most prominent shopping destinations and has been described as the country’s largest shopping centre and, after major expansions, the largest in the Southern Hemisphere. The centre combines department stores, supermarkets, specialty retail, international luxury brands, food and beverage venues, cinemas, family entertainment, offices, hotel accommodation and transport infrastructure. The project originated in the late 1950s, when Myer Emporium pursued the suburban shopping-centre model it had studied in the United States. Ken Myer was an important advocate of decentralised retail development, reflecting Melbourne’s postwar suburban growth and increasing dependence on private cars. Myer acquired an initial 12-hectare portion of land from the Convent of the Good Shepherd in March 1958. Construction began in February 1959, with design work involving the American practice Welton Becket and Associates and Australian architects Tompkins and Shaw. The initial development cost £6 million. Chadstone opened on 3 October 1960, officially opened by Victorian Premier Henry Bolte. Its original form was an open-air mall of approximately 32,999 square metres, anchored by a three-level Myer department store and a Dickins New World supermarket. Seventy-three stores occupied the first centre, which also offered services unusual for a retail complex of the period, including an auditorium, medical and dental facilities, a post office, veterinary services and child-minding. The development helped shift Australian shopping culture away from central-city department stores and traditional strip retail toward the enclosed or semi-enclosed suburban mall. The centre evolved through successive expansions and ownership changes. Myer added a fourth floor in 1963, and an underground bowling alley opened beneath the department store in 1964. In 1983, Myer Emporium sold Chadstone to the Gandel Group for $37 million, and Gandel subsequently became the principal developer and manager. The open-air mall was roofed in 1984, while later 1980s works added a new Coles supermarket, Target, an eight-screen Hoyts cinema and an entertainment precinct. The 1990s brought the Galleria food court, offices, Kmart, multistorey parking and major department-store redevelopment involving Myer and David Jones. A further wave of investment in the late 2000s expanded the centre to approximately 175,600 square metres and about 530 stores. The West Mall was rebuilt, new mainstream and luxury retail areas were introduced, and Chadstone strengthened its position as a destination for international fashion and premium brands. Large-scale works approved in the 2010s created a new northern extension, a glass-roofed atrium, new food precincts, a relocated Target, a modern Hoyts complex, an office tower, a bus interchange and additional parking. The expanded precinct opened in stages from 2015, with the principal “New Chadstone” opening in October 2016. Legoland Discovery Centre opened in 2017, and the M Gallery by Sofitel hotel opened in 2019. The centre’s business model is based on destination retail: it attracts customers from across metropolitan Melbourne and international visitors by combining broad everyday shopping with luxury fashion, dining, entertainment and hospitality. Its tenant mix has included Australian department stores and supermarkets alongside global fashion, beauty, technology and lifestyle brands. Large parking facilities, road access and bus connections remain central to its operating model, although transport capacity and traffic impacts have been recurring planning issues. Further redevelopment plans announced in 2019 and approved in 2020 focused on parking, offices, dining, entertainment, fresh food and luxury retail, with construction beginning in 2021. The centre remains an active, continually redeveloped retail property rather than a conventional product brand.
History
Chadstone Shopping Centre was developed during the postwar expansion of Melbourne’s suburbs. The land had formed part of extensive paddocks associated with the Convent of the Good Shepherd, where cattle had grazed. Myer Emporium purchased an initial 12 hectares in March 1958. The development reflected Ken Myer’s interest in American shopping-centre planning and the idea that suburban consumers would increasingly shop at decentralised, car-oriented regional centres. The American architectural firm Welton Becket and Associates was appointed as design architect in 1958, with Tompkins and Shaw Architects handling production architecture. Construction started in February 1959. Chadstone opened on 3 October 1960 under the ownership of Myer Emporium, with Victorian Premier Henry Bolte performing the opening. It was Melbourne’s first self-contained regional shopping centre and was the largest Australian shopping centre of its time. The initial open-air complex contained about 32,999 square metres of mall space, a three-level Myer store, a Dickins New World supermarket and 73 stores. Its “one stop and shop” concept extended beyond retail through medical, dental, postal, veterinary, childcare and public-auditorium services. The early centre was expanded soon after opening. Myer gained an additional floor in 1963, and Chadstone Bowl opened beneath the department store in 1964. During the 1980s, the centre moved toward the enclosed mall model. Dickins New World became Coles New World in 1982. In March 1983, Myer Emporium sold the complex to the Gandel Group for $37 million. The mall was roofed with translucent fibreglass in 1984, a response to Melbourne’s climate. A new Coles supermarket and northeast wing followed in 1985, together with Target and an eight-screen Hoyts cinema. Bi-Lo was added in 1989 as the fresh-food area expanded. The 1990s brought further diversification. The Galleria Mall, including what was described as Australia’s first food court, opened in 1990, followed by office space in 1991. Colonial First State Retail Property Trust acquired a 50 percent interest from Gandel Group in 1994. Kmart opened in the Chadstone Corner precinct in 1995, and the first of several multistorey car parks was built that year. A Loop Mall opened in 1996. In 1997, the original Myer store was demolished as part of a $150 million redevelopment. A new three-level Myer opened in November 1998, followed by a three-level David Jones in November 1999. Hoyts expanded to 17 screens at the end of the decade. The 2000s strengthened Chadstone’s role as an entertainment destination. A precinct containing Timezone, bowling and food outlets opened in 2000, and Borders arrived in 2001. Chadstone temporarily lost the title of Australia’s largest shopping centre to Westfield Knox after that centre’s expansion in 2002. A $100 million redevelopment was planned in 2003. Works from 2007 to 2008 created Chadstone Place, with Woolworths, Aldi, First Choice Liquor, Petbarn, health clubs, a crèche and a four-storey office tower. Another major programme reconstructed the West Mall and redesigned access roads. A new two-level mall opened in August 2009, followed by a luxury wing in November. The works increased total floor area to approximately 175,600 square metres and the number of stores to about 530, restoring Chadstone’s claim to be Australia’s largest shopping centre and extending its reputation as a luxury and international-retail destination. Planning for a still larger redevelopment proceeded during the early 2010s. Proposals included expanded retail space, a central bus interchange, additional parking, dining and entertainment, a hotel and office buildings. Planning conditions and construction hours led to proceedings before the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal. Final approvals for a $580 million programme were granted in 2014, and demolition and construction began that year. The works included relocating Target, rebuilding the entertainment area and replacing or expanding cinema, dining and retail facilities. The long-running AMF Bowling operation closed in October 2014 amid disagreement about how the redevelopment affected its lease. Target’s new lower-ground-floor store opened in September 2015. The principal northern expansion, branded “The New Chadstone,” opened in October 2016. It added a large glass-roofed atrium, more than 60 stores, international fashion anchors, two food precincts, a new Hoyts cinema, an office tower, a bus interchange and additional parking. Legoland Discovery Centre opened in April 2017 as a major family-entertainment attraction. Muji opened its first Australian store at Chadstone in 2013 and later moved to a larger location in 2019. The M Gallery by Sofitel hotel opened in November 2019. In December 2019, a further $685 million redevelopment was unveiled and approved in July 2020. The programme included additional multistorey parking, a new commercial office building, enlarged dining, entertainment and leisure areas, improvements to the fresh-food precinct and further luxury-retail expansion. Construction began in February 2021, initially adding parking levels above the David Jones car park. The continuing programme illustrates Chadstone’s development from a pioneering suburban mall into a large mixed-use destination whose identity depends on repeated reinvestment, a broad tenant mix and regional visitor appeal.
- 2021
Latest redevelopment construction starts
[1]Works began on a later programme including additional parking, rooftop solar infrastructure and further mixed-use improvements.
- 2019
M Gallery hotel opens
[1]The 250-room M Gallery by Sofitel hotel officially opened in November.
- 2017
Legoland Discovery Centre opens
[1]The indoor Lego-themed family attraction opened beside the Hoyts cinema.
- 2016
The New Chadstone opens
[1]The northern expansion opened with new retail, dining, cinema, office, transport and parking facilities.
- 2009
West Mall and luxury wing complete
[1]The redevelopment delivered new mainstream and luxury retail areas and restored Chadstone’s status as Australia’s largest shopping centre.
- 2008
Chadstone Place opens
[1]A new precinct added supermarkets, specialty retail, health clubs, childcare and office space.
- 1999
David Jones opens
[1]A three-level David Jones department store opened as part of the late-1990s expansion.
- 1998
New Myer store opens
[1]A new three-level Myer department store opened after demolition of the original southern anchor.
- 1984
Open-air mall is roofed
[1]The original mall was covered with translucent fibreglass as part of the first major post-sale redevelopment.
- 1983
Gandel Group becomes owner
[1]Myer Emporium sold Chadstone to the Gandel Group.
Products and positioning
A destination-oriented super-regional shopping centre combining mass retail, department stores, luxury fashion, dining, entertainment, leisure, hospitality and commercial services.
Shopping centre · 1960
Retail shopping precinct
The core offering is a large, multi-level retail environment bringing together department stores, fashion, luxury, beauty, homewares, technology, services and specialty shops. The tenant mix is designed to serve both everyday suburban shopping and destination visits from across Melbourne and beyond.
Food and beverage · 1990
Dining and food precincts
Chadstone includes food-court, casual-dining and restaurant areas, including Food Central and The Dining Terrace. These areas broaden the centre’s role from a shopping facility to an all-day dining and social destination.
Entertainment · 1986
Hoyts cinema complex
Cinema has been part of Chadstone’s entertainment offer since the opening of an eight-screen Hoyts complex in 1986. The cinema was later expanded and replaced by a modern complex incorporated into the 2010s redevelopment.
Family entertainment · 2017
Legoland Discovery Centre
Legoland Discovery Centre is an indoor Lego-themed attraction offering family-oriented rides, play areas and experiences. Its Chadstone venue was presented as the first Merlin Entertainments Lego-themed attraction in the Southern Hemisphere.
Hospitality · 2019
M Gallery by Sofitel
The M Gallery by Sofitel hotel adds overnight accommodation to the mixed-use precinct, supporting Chadstone’s positioning as a destination for visitors as well as a local shopping centre.
Brand decisions
2019
Plan another mixed-use redevelopmentStrategyBackground
The owners identified further demand for parking, offices, dining, leisure, fresh food and luxury retail.
Action taken
A new redevelopment programme was announced and subsequently approved in 2020.
Aftermath
Construction commenced in February 2021, beginning with additional parking and rooftop solar infrastructure.
Planned redevelopment cost. $685 million (Plan announced December 2019)
2014
Proceed with the major northern expansionStrategyBackground
Owners sought to add retail, dining, entertainment, office, transport and parking capacity while reinforcing Chadstone’s regional and international appeal.
Action taken
Following planning and tribunal processes, construction began on the approved redevelopment after early demolition works.
Aftermath
The project produced the New Chadstone expansion, which opened in stages from 2015 and principally in 2016.
Redevelopment cost. $580 million (2014 approved redevelopment)
2009
Create a luxury and international-retail destinationGeneration changeBackground
Chadstone sought to strengthen its position against other large Melbourne shopping centres and attract higher-spending destination visitors.
Action taken
The West Mall was rebuilt and a luxury wing was introduced with international fashion, jewellery and watch brands.
Aftermath
The redevelopment expanded the centre to about 175,600 square metres and restored its claim to be Australia’s largest shopping centre.
1984
Enclose the original mallStrategyBackground
The original open-air design was considered poorly suited to Melbourne’s weather and to the centre’s next stage of development.
Action taken
The mall was roofed with translucent fibreglass, beginning the transformation into a more conventional enclosed shopping centre.
Aftermath
The change supported year-round trading and enabled later expansion of the centre’s internal retail network.
Recent events
- 2021
Further Chadstone redevelopment begins[1]
Other
Construction began on a later redevelopment programme focused initially on additional parking, including rooftop solar-shaded spaces and electricity generation.
- 2016
New Chadstone expansion opens[1]
Product launch · Other
The principal stage of a major expansion opened with a glass-roofed atrium, new international retailers, food precincts, a cinema complex, offices, a bus interchange and additional parking.
- 2014
Large-scale Chadstone redevelopment receives final approval[1]
Other · Regulation
Approvals were granted for a major redevelopment involving new retail, entertainment, dining, office, transport and parking facilities.
- 2014
AMF Bowling closes after five decades[1]
Other
The centre’s long-running bowling alley closed during redevelopment. The closure generated controversy because the operator said it had not been aware of the redevelopment plans and had remaining lease time.
- 2009
West Mall and luxury precinct redevelopment opens[1]
Product launch · Other
A major redevelopment added a two-level mall, approximately 50 stores and a luxury wing featuring international fashion and jewellery brands.
- 1983
Chadstone opens its first major redevelopment after ownership transfer[1]
M&A · Other
Myer Emporium sold Chadstone Shopping Centre to the Gandel Group for $37 million; Gandel then managed and developed the complex.
Sources2 sources
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