Eastlands Shopping Centre

Eastlands Shopping Centre is a large retail and community shopping complex in Rosny Park, on the eastern side of the River Derwent within the greater Hobart area of Tasmania, Australia. It is described as Tasmania’s largest shopping centre and occupies an important position in the retail district serving Hobart’s eastern suburbs. The centre has a gross lettable area of approximately 33,000 square metres and combines large-format retail, supermarkets, specialty shops, food and beverage facilities, transport access and extensive parking. Eastlands was the first shopping centre of its type in Tasmania. Its development marked a shift from traditional town-centre retailing toward an integrated suburban shopping-centre model, bringing department-store-style retail, grocery shopping and smaller specialist stores into one managed destination. The centre has undergone major refurbishments over time, with documented works in 1971, 1978 and 1989. These changes helped it adapt its layout and tenant mix as retail patterns, customer expectations and the surrounding eastern-Hobart population evolved. The centre’s principal anchors include the discount department stores Big W and Kmart, together with the Coles and Woolworths supermarkets. Around these major tenants are approximately one hundred specialty stores, covering categories such as clothing, electronics, services, food, health and beauty, and everyday household needs. The centre also includes a multi-level car park, supporting access for customers arriving by car. Its location beside the Rosny Bus Mall gives it an additional role as a public-transport-linked shopping destination. A later redevelopment added a new mall facing Rosny Hill Road. This project included a renovated Kmart and seventeen specialty stores, improving the centre’s street presence and expanding its retail accommodation. Rather than operating as a single-product brand, Eastlands functions as a destination brand whose value is based on convenience, tenant variety, accessibility and the concentration of essential and discretionary retail in one location. Eastlands has also appeared in local incident reporting. In 2016, a woman was arrested after allegedly attempting to rob the centre’s JB Hi-Fi store while armed with a syringe. In 2021, a man at the centre’s Caltex petrol station doused customers with turpentine and attempted to set a woman on fire; he later received a suspended sentence after the court accepted that drug-induced psychosis had influenced his conduct. The same year, stormwater overflow caused minor flooding, with water entering the food court and passing through the roofs of some shops. These events were incidents associated with the site rather than stated changes to Eastlands’ retail strategy or ownership. Eastlands remains a significant shopping and transport-linked commercial destination for Tasmania’s greater Hobart region. Its publicly documented identity is centered on regional scale, a broad anchor-tenant mix, specialty retail, public transport connectivity and periodic refurbishment.

Eastlands Shopping Centre developed as a major suburban retail destination in Rosny Park, on the eastern side of the River Derwent and within the greater Hobart metropolitan area. Its establishment represented an important change in Tasmania’s retail landscape: it was the first shopping centre of its kind in the state, bringing together large anchor retailers, supermarkets and specialty stores in a purpose-built commercial environment. The centre’s location in Rosny Park placed it within an established shopping district serving Hobart’s eastern suburbs. Its position beside the Rosny Bus Mall supported access by public transport, while a substantial car-parking operation accommodated customers travelling from across the surrounding region. Over time, Eastlands became a broad-based shopping destination rather than a narrowly focused retail facility, combining essential grocery shopping with department-store merchandise, specialty retail, food and services. The documented refurbishment history includes projects in 1971, 1978 and 1989. These renovations indicate a process of ongoing adaptation rather than a single completed development phase. As retail formats changed, refurbishment allowed the centre to update its physical environment, circulation and accommodation for tenants. Eastlands’ role as a large regional centre was reinforced by its combination of two discount department stores, Big W and Kmart, and two major supermarkets, Coles and Woolworths. A later expansion or redevelopment created a new mall facing Rosny Hill Road. The project included a renovated Kmart and seventeen specialty stores, adding retail space and strengthening the centre’s connection with the road-facing side of the complex. Together with the existing specialty-store base of approximately one hundred businesses, the new mall contributed to Eastlands’ position as one of Tasmania’s most comprehensive shopping destinations. The centre has also been the setting for several reported incidents. In 2016, a woman was arrested following an alleged attempted robbery of the JB Hi-Fi store involving a syringe. In 2021, a man at the Caltex petrol station reportedly used turpentine against customers and attempted to set a woman on fire. The court later imposed a suspended two-year sentence after accepting that drug-induced psychosis had affected the defendant’s conduct. Also in 2021, stormwater gutters overflowed during severe weather, sending water into the food court and through the roofs of several shops; the resulting damage was described as minor. Eastlands’ documented history is therefore defined primarily by its pioneering role in Tasmanian shopping-centre development, successive refurbishments, expansion of its mall and tenant offer, and continuing function as a large retail and transport-linked hub for the Hobart region. Publicly available reference material does not establish a founding year, owner, parent company or named executives.

• 1989

  Third documented refurbishment

  [1]Eastlands Shopping Centreen.wikipedia.org

  The centre underwent another major refurbishment, continuing its adaptation to changing retail requirements.

• 1978

  Second documented refurbishment

  [1]Eastlands Shopping Centreen.wikipedia.org

  A further refurbishment updated the shopping-centre complex.

• 1971

  First documented refurbishment

  [1]Eastlands Shopping Centreen.wikipedia.org

  The centre underwent a documented refurbishment as part of its continuing physical development.

• Opened as Tasmania’s first shopping centre of its kind

  [1]Eastlands Shopping Centreen.wikipedia.org

  Eastlands was established as the first shopping centre of its type in Tasmania, introducing an integrated suburban retail format combining major stores and specialty shops.

• New Rosny Hill Road mall opened

  [1]Eastlands Shopping Centreen.wikipedia.org

  A new mall facing Rosny Hill Road opened with a renovated Kmart and seventeen specialty stores.

A large regional community shopping centre combining discount department stores, supermarkets, specialty retail, food services, transport access and parking for customers in Hobart’s eastern suburbs and the wider Tasmanian market.

• Retail property

  Shopping-centre retail destination

  Eastlands provides an integrated retail destination rather than a proprietary consumer product. Its offer brings together major department-store and supermarket anchors, approximately one hundred specialty stores, food and beverage outlets, customer services and parking. The combination is designed to support both routine shopping and broader comparison or discretionary shopping visits.

• Department stores and supermarkets

  Major anchor retail

  The centre’s anchor offer includes Big W and Kmart discount department stores, alongside Coles and Woolworths supermarkets. These stores provide high-volume general merchandise and grocery shopping, helping make Eastlands a convenient destination for regular household purchases as well as larger retail trips.

• Specialty stores

  Specialty retail

  Eastlands contains approximately one hundred specialty stores across everyday retail and service categories. The documented new mall added seventeen specialty stores, complementing the centre’s established tenant mix and broadening its range beyond the major anchor retailers.

• Shopping-centre services

  Customer access and facilities

  The centre’s supporting facilities include a multi-level car park and proximity to the Rosny Bus Mall. These features are central to Eastlands’ role as a regional destination, allowing customers to combine access by private vehicle and public transport with shopping, dining and service visits.

1. 1Eastlands Shopping Centreen.wikipedia.org
2. 2Eastlands Shopping Centre official websiteeastlandsshopping.com.au