Northgate Shopping Centre
A shopping centre in Glenorchy, Tasmania, serving the northern suburbs of Hobart.
Last updated August 26, 2026
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Overview
Northgate Shopping Centre is a suburban shopping centre in Glenorchy, Tasmania, approximately 10 kilometres northwest of Hobart. It occupies a prominent position on Main Road in Glenorchy's central business area and is designed as a predominantly single-level retail complex with a substantial covered car park beneath the main building. The centre was built on the former site of the Glenorchy Tannery, also known as Cook's Tannery, linking the modern retail development to an earlier industrial use of the locality. Northgate opened in November 1986 as a convenience-oriented centre anchored by a Coles supermarket and supported by 46 specialty stores. Its initial role was to provide everyday grocery, household and personal-service shopping for residents of Glenorchy and nearby northern Hobart suburbs. The centre was refurbished and expanded in October 1995, increasing its retail capacity and strengthening its position within Tasmania's shopping-centre network. During its history, Northgate has experienced several significant operational events. Power interruptions affected the centre in 2002, and a fire occurred in 2005. These incidents were disruptive but did not end the centre's operation. In the early 2000s, Target and Best & Less were added as major anchor retailers, complementing the supermarket-led offer and broadening the centre's appeal toward general merchandise, clothing and family shopping. At one point Northgate was part of Westfield's Australian portfolio, reflecting its status as an established regional retail property rather than only a small local convenience centre. Ownership later moved into the portfolio associated with Novion Property Group and Commonwealth Bank's asset-management business, commonly identified in descriptions of the centre as CFSGAM. In 2015, Novion merged into Vicinity Centres, which subsequently became the centre's owning and operating group. In 2016, Northgate completed a renovation of its main entrance and adopted Vicinity Centres' ribbon-based visual identity, aligning the property with the broader group's branding system. The centre's anchor mix changed again in the 2020s. Target permanently closed its Northgate store in early 2022, ending the department-store format's presence at the site. On 4 November 2022, Woolworths opened a supermarket in the former Target space. This conversion represented a strategic shift toward grocery and everyday-needs retail and added a second major supermarket proposition alongside the centre's established retail offer. The centre is described as Tasmania's third-largest shopping centre and, following the later changes, continues to operate as an active community-serving retail destination with supermarkets, specialty stores, services, dining and supporting parking facilities.
History
Northgate Shopping Centre was developed on the former Glenorchy Tannery site, also known as Cook's Tannery, in Glenorchy, Tasmania. The project converted an earlier industrial property on Main Road into a modern suburban retail destination for the northern Hobart area. The centre opened in November 1986 with a Coles supermarket and 46 specialty stores. Its original convenience-centre format was focused on regular grocery shopping and everyday services rather than on a large department-store experience. The property was refurbished and expanded in October 1995. This work helped Northgate maintain its competitiveness as the surrounding metropolitan area developed and as consumer expectations for shopping-centre facilities changed. The centre's format remained predominantly single level, with a large undercover car park located below the main building. Its location within Glenorchy's central business area gave it a readily accessible role in the local retail hierarchy. Northgate's operational history includes several disruptions. Power cuts affected the centre in 2002, while a fire occurred in 2005. Neither event prevented the centre from continuing as an active shopping property. During the early 2000s, Target and Best & Less joined the centre as major anchor retailers. Their arrival broadened Northgate's offer beyond groceries into department-store merchandise, clothing and family-oriented shopping. At different stages, the centre was also held within Westfield's Australian range of properties. By 2009, Northgate was owned through Novion Property Group and the associated asset-management interests identified in descriptions of the property as CFSGAM. A corporate merger in 2015 brought Novion into Vicinity Centres, transferring the centre into Vicinity's ownership and management portfolio. In 2016, Northgate received a renovated main entrance and adopted the ribbon symbol used by Vicinity Centres, presenting the property as part of a unified national shopping-centre network. The most important recent change was the replacement of Target. The department store closed permanently in early 2022. Rather than leaving the former anchor space unused, the centre introduced Woolworths, which opened there on 4 November 2022. The new supermarket strengthened the centre's grocery-led convenience proposition and changed the balance of its anchor offer. Northgate is identified as the third-largest shopping centre in Tasmania and remains an active retail complex serving Glenorchy, northern Hobart and surrounding communities. Available reference material does not establish detailed current tenant numbers beyond historical descriptions of approximately 65 specialty stores, nor does it provide current financial, executive or visitor-performance data.
- 2022
Target closes and Woolworths opens
[1]Target closed permanently in early 2022, and Woolworths opened in the former Target space on 4 November.
- 2016
Entrance renovation and rebranding
[1]Northgate introduced a renovated main entrance and Vicinity Centres' ribbon-based branding.
- 2015
Novion merges into Vicinity Centres
[1]The merger of Novion into Vicinity Centres brought Northgate into Vicinity's portfolio.
- 2009
Ownership associated with Novion
[1]By 2009, the centre was held through Novion Property Group and associated investment-management interests.
- 2005
Fire incident
[1]A fire affected the centre, becoming one of the notable incidents in its operating history.
- 2002
Power interruptions
[1]Power cuts disrupted the shopping centre during the year.
- 1995
Refurbishment and expansion
[1]The centre was refurbished and expanded in October, increasing its capacity and updating the property.
- 1986
Opening of Northgate Shopping Centre
[1]Northgate opened in November with Coles as its principal anchor and 46 specialty stores.
Products and positioning
A convenient, community-oriented suburban shopping centre serving Glenorchy and the northern Hobart metropolitan area, combining major supermarkets with general merchandise, fashion, services and specialty retail.
Supermarket · 1986
Coles
Coles was Northgate's original supermarket anchor when the centre opened in 1986. Its presence established the centre's everyday-shopping role and provided the core grocery offer around which the specialty stores were organized.
Supermarket · 2022
Woolworths
Woolworths opened at Northgate on 4 November 2022 in the space formerly occupied by Target. The store added a major grocery anchor and reinforced the centre's convenience and routine-needs positioning.
Department store
Target
Target was added as a major anchor in the early 2000s. Its department-store assortment broadened Northgate's offer into general merchandise, apparel and household shopping before the store closed permanently in early 2022.
Apparel retailer
Best & Less
Best & Less was introduced as a major anchor retailer during the early 2000s, adding value-oriented family apparel and related merchandise to Northgate's tenant mix.
Specialty retail and services · 1986
Specialty stores
Northgate's specialty-store component complements its major anchors with fashion, food, household, health, beauty and service businesses. Historical descriptions refer to approximately 65 specialty stores after later expansion, although a current tenant list is not established by the available sources.
Marketing campaigns
- 2016Vicinity ribbon rebrand and entrance renewal
Australia · Tasmania
Northgate renovated its principal entrance and adopted the ribbon visual identity used by Vicinity Centres, aligning the shopping centre's presentation with its owner-operator's wider property portfolio.
Outcome. The centre received an updated public-facing entrance and a consistent Vicinity-branded identity.
Brand decisions
2022
Replace Target with WoolworthsGeneration changeBackground
Target permanently closed its Northgate department store in early 2022, creating a large vacant anchor space.
Action taken
Woolworths opened a supermarket in the former Target premises on 4 November 2022.
Aftermath
The change shifted the anchor mix toward grocery and everyday-needs shopping while retaining a major tenant in the former department-store area.
2015
Transfer into the Vicinity Centres portfolioM&ABackground
Northgate was associated with Novion Property Group before Novion combined with Vicinity Centres.
Action taken
The Novion merger brought Northgate under Vicinity Centres' ownership and management structure.
Aftermath
Northgate became part of Vicinity's Australian shopping-centre portfolio.
1995
Expand and refurbish the centreStrategyBackground
The original 1986 convenience-centre format required an update as the property matured and the local retail market developed.
Action taken
Northgate was refurbished and expanded in October 1995.
Aftermath
The work supported the centre's continued role as a major suburban retail destination in Glenorchy.
Sources1 sources
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