Westfield Doncaster

Westfield Doncaster is a large shopping centre and transport hub located at the intersection of Doncaster Road and Williamsons Road in Doncaster Hill, approximately 12 kilometres east of central Melbourne. Formerly known as Doncaster Shoppingtown, it was the first shopping centre developed by the Westfield Group in Victoria and has become one of the largest retail complexes in Australia. The centre is an important commercial component of Manningham City Council’s long-term plans for Doncaster Hill, which seek to concentrate housing, employment and civic activity in the area. The centre occupies a site that was historically associated with orchards and a small shop operated by the Serpell family, early European settlers in the district. The property later became known as White’s Corner Store before being acquired by Westfield in the late 1960s. Westfield Doncaster opened on 30 September 1969. Its original complex included a four-storey Myer department store, two levels of retail space, an eight-storey office tower and a Coles New World supermarket. The opening established Westfield’s presence in the Victorian market. Expansion has occurred through several significant redevelopment phases. A 1979 extension added single-storey retail rows and introduced Kmart, Coles and Village Twin Cinemas. A larger redevelopment completed in 1992 expanded the southern portion of the centre, added another level of shops, introduced Franklins and created a fresh-food court above the supermarket and discount department store areas. Further work followed in 1995. The most transformative redevelopment began with planning approval in 2004, preliminary works in late 2006 and major construction from January 2007. Completed on 16 October 2008, the project approximately doubled the number of shops to around 400. It renovated Myer, Coles and Woolworths; added or introduced Big W, Target, David Jones, Borders, JB Hi-Fi and Dick Smith; expanded Village Cinemas to nine screens; added rooftop restaurants and a new food court known as The Drum; and created a larger bus interchange. A six-level parking structure added more than 1,500 spaces, with electronic indicators for available bays. The redevelopment also produced a prominent red wave-wall public artwork at the corner of the two main roads and upgraded building entrances, façades and parking access. Westfield Doncaster has also experimented with customer services. Westfield Butler provided shopping and event-planning assistance for customers who could not easily shop in person, while Westfield Gizmo offered technology installation, maintenance and upgrade services. Both services were subsequently discontinued. The centre continues to function as a regional retail destination with department stores, supermarkets, specialty retailers, cinemas, restaurants, rooftop dining and bus connections. In 2016, Westfield submitted a proposed expansion masterplan valued at approximately A$500 million. The proposal envisaged around 43,000 square metres of additional retail space, 18,000 square metres of office space, nearly 2,800 additional parking spaces, a 14-storey gateway tower and a reconfigured transport and vehicle-access arrangement. The Victorian Government approved the plan in May 2019, although the reference material does not establish the full completion status of every proposed element. The centre’s tenant mix has continued to change. Target closed permanently in March 2021, and Kmart returned to the complex later that year. In November 2020, during Victoria’s second COVID-19 lockdown, a new rooftop food and dining precinct called Doncaster Dining opened after a reported A$30 million refurbishment. The precinct added 12 new outlets and remade two existing spaces, including restaurants such as TGI Fridays, Dohtonbori, Lanzhou Noodle House and Little Bangkok Thai. Today, Westfield Doncaster remains a prominent retail, dining and bus-interchange facility serving Melbourne’s eastern suburbs.

The Westfield Doncaster site was originally associated with orchards and a small shop operated by the Serpell family, early European settlers in the Doncaster district. In the 1930s the shop became known as White’s Corner Store after a change of operator. Westfield acquired the property in the late 1960s and developed it as the company’s first Victorian shopping centre. Westfield Doncaster opened on 30 September 1969 as Doncaster Shoppingtown. The original development consisted of a four-storey Myer department store, two levels of shops, an eight-storey office tower and a Coles New World supermarket. Its opening marked an important step in Westfield’s expansion beyond its established markets and gave Doncaster Hill a substantial commercial anchor. The first major expansion occurred in 1979, when the centre was extended southward with two single-storey rows of shops. Kmart, Coles and Village Twin Cinemas were among the facilities associated with this phase. A second major redevelopment was completed in 1992. It added a second level of shops to the southern area, introduced Franklins and created a fresh-food court above the Coles and Kmart areas. The centre was redeveloped again in 1995. The most extensive transformation began after planning approval in May 2004. Preliminary works were carried out between September and December 2006, followed by principal construction from 15 January 2007. The project involved extensive internal and external changes, including the refurbishment of Myer, Coles and Woolworths and the arrival of Big W, Target and David Jones. Borders, JB Hi-Fi and Dick Smith were also part of the expanded retail mix, although some of these businesses later left the centre or ceased operating. The old Village Twin Cinemas on Williamsons Road were demolished and replaced by a larger cinema facility above a multilevel car park. The centre’s former library was also demolished and relocated, ultimately remaining at the municipal offices. The redevelopment added a new food court called The Drum, rooftop restaurants, a nine-screen Village Cinemas complex, a gym, more than 1,500 parking spaces and a substantially upgraded bus interchange. A temporary interchange opened in February 2008 while access and transport works were under way. The centre also received upgraded entrances, renovated façades, a new red wave-wall artwork and a parking guidance system. The completed project reopened on 16 October 2008 and brought the retail count to roughly 400 stores. During and after the redevelopment, Westfield introduced Westfield Butler and Westfield Gizmo as specialist customer services. Butler assisted customers with shopping and event-related tasks, while Gizmo provided paid technology support, including installation and maintenance. Both services were later discontinued. In July 2016, Westfield submitted a proposed A$500 million masterplan to expand the centre by almost one-third. The proposal included around 43,000 square metres of new retail floor area, 18,000 square metres of office space, 2,793 additional car spaces, a 14-storey gateway tower on a two-storey podium, a reconfigured bus interchange and a relocated main vehicle entrance. The Victorian Government approved the proposal on 20 May 2019. The planning announcement projected substantial construction and ongoing employment benefits, but the available reference does not confirm the final delivery of all proposed components. The centre’s retail composition continued to evolve. Target shut permanently on 20 March 2021, while Kmart returned in mid-2021. In November 2020, during Victoria’s second COVID-19 lockdown, Westfield Doncaster opened Doncaster Dining, a rooftop food precinct created through a reported A$30 million refurbishment. It added 12 new outlets and remodelled two existing premises. The precinct included TGI Fridays, Dohtonbori, Lanzhou Noodle House and Little Bangkok Thai. Westfield Doncaster remains a major retail and transport node in Melbourne’s eastern suburbs. Its bus interchange serves multiple routes, while the SmartBus 907 uses stops beside the centre on Doncaster Road rather than entering the interchange. Proposals for a Doncaster railway line and tram extensions have been discussed for decades, but no rail connection to the centre is identified as having been built in the reference material.

• 2021

  Kmart returns

  [1]Westfield Doncasteren.wikipedia.org

  Following Target’s permanent closure in March, Kmart returns to the centre later in the year.

• 2020

  Doncaster Dining opens

  [1]Westfield Doncasteren.wikipedia.org

  The rooftop Doncaster Dining precinct opens in November with new and refurbished food outlets.

• 2019

  Expansion plan approved

  [1]Westfield Doncasteren.wikipedia.org

  The Victorian Government approves the proposed expansion on 20 May.

• 2016

  Expansion masterplan submitted

  [1]Westfield Doncasteren.wikipedia.org

  Westfield submits a large expansion proposal covering retail, offices, parking, transport and a gateway tower.

• 2008

  Expanded centre completed

  [1]Westfield Doncasteren.wikipedia.org

  The major redevelopment is completed on 16 October, adding retail, dining, cinema, parking and transport facilities.

• 2007

  Main redevelopment construction begins

  [1]Westfield Doncasteren.wikipedia.org

  Major construction begins on 15 January following preliminary works in late 2006.

• 2004

  Planning approval for major transformation

  [1]Westfield Doncasteren.wikipedia.org

  Planning approval is obtained for the redevelopment that would substantially enlarge and modernise the centre.

• 1995

  Further redevelopment

  [1]Westfield Doncasteren.wikipedia.org

  The centre undergoes another redevelopment phase.

• 1992

  Second major redevelopment

  [1]Westfield Doncasteren.wikipedia.org

  The southern section gains another retail level, Franklins and a fresh-food court.

• 1979

  Southern extension

  [1]Westfield Doncasteren.wikipedia.org

  The centre expands southward with new retail rows and facilities including Kmart, Coles and Village Twin Cinemas.

• 1969

  Centre opens

  [1]Westfield Doncasteren.wikipedia.org

  Westfield Doncaster opens on 30 September as Westfield’s first shopping-centre development in Victoria.

A large-format regional shopping and dining destination combining department stores, supermarkets, specialty retail, entertainment, restaurants, elevated city-facing dining areas and a major bus interchange for Melbourne’s eastern suburbs.

• Shopping centre · 1969

  Retail shopping centre

  The core offering is a large regional shopping complex with approximately 123,126 square metres of gross leasable area according to the reference material. It brings together department stores, supermarkets, discount department stores, fashion, electronics, homewares, beauty, services and specialty retailers in a single destination serving Melbourne’s eastern suburbs.

• Entertainment · 2008

  Village Cinemas

  Village Cinemas is the centre’s principal cinema and leisure anchor. The redevelopment expanded the former twin-screen facility into a nine-screen complex positioned above the new multilevel parking structure, integrating entertainment with the centre’s broader retail and dining offer.

• Dining precinct · 2020

  Doncaster Dining

  Doncaster Dining is a rooftop food and restaurant precinct opened in November 2020. It was created by refurbishing part of the centre’s second floor and an adjoining car-park area, adding 12 new outlets and remodelling two existing premises. Listed tenants included TGI Fridays, Dohtonbori, Lanzhou Noodle House and Little Bangkok Thai.

• Transport facility · 2008

  Bus interchange

  The centre includes a major bus interchange serving multiple routes in the Doncaster and Manningham area. The interchange was upgraded as part of the 2007–2008 redevelopment, while SmartBus route 907 uses stops on Doncaster Road beside the centre rather than entering the interchange.

• 2021

  Replace Target with returning KmartOther

  Background

  Target permanently closed its Westfield Doncaster store on 20 March 2021.

  Action taken

  Kmart returned to the centre in mid-2021, replacing the former Target presence.

  Aftermath

  The change altered the discount-department-store composition of the centre.

  Source

• 2020

  Open the Doncaster Dining precinctProduct launch

  Background

  The centre sought to expand its food and hospitality offer while retail operations were affected by Victoria’s COVID-19 restrictions.

  Action taken

  A rooftop area and adjacent car-park section were refurbished to create a new dining precinct with 12 new outlets and two remodelled premises.

  Aftermath

  Doncaster Dining opened in November 2020 with a mix of casual dining and international food operators.

  Refurbishment cost. A$30 million reported refurbishment (2020)

  Source

• 2016

  Submit a major expansion masterplanStrategy

  Background

  Westfield proposed enlarging the centre to strengthen its regional position and respond to competition from other Melbourne shopping centres.

  Action taken

  The proposed plan added retail and office floor space, thousands of parking spaces, a gateway tower and changes to the bus interchange and vehicle access.

  Aftermath

  The proposal received Victorian Government approval on 20 May 2019. The available reference does not establish whether every proposed element was completed.

  Proposed development value. A$500 million proposed masterplan (2016 proposal)

  Source

1. 1Westfield Doncasteren.wikipedia.org
2. 2Westfield Doncaster official websitewestfield.com.au