As you approach Westfield Geelong, look to your left and you can't miss it! You'll see a large, modern building with a sleek facade and prominent signage bearing the name "Westfield". The entrance is flanked by large glass windows offering a peek into the retail wonderland inside. It's a bustling hub with shoppers coming and going, and it’s just opposite the Market Square Shopping Complex across Malop Street.
Alright, ready for a fun fact? Here we go: Westfield Geelong, a true cornerstone of Geelong's CBD shopping scene, opened its grand doors in 1988. But it wasn’t always called Westfield Geelong! Originally, it was known as Westfield Bay City, following a major redevelopment in 2008, but it began its retail life as Bay City Plaza before being acquired by the Westfield Group in 2003.
Imagine this: you're standing on a historical treasure trove. Long before fashion boutiques and food courts, this site had Blakiston Street, Corio Street, and Macks Lane threading through it like arteries. The site also once buzzed with the hum of the Geelong Power Station and echoed with the clangs of trams at the local depot. Even Morris Jacobs' store was the talk of the town in the 1850s, which Myer finally took over in the '50s.
It's fascinating that the land was earmarked for an epic shopping centre as early as the 1980s. Although only a scaled-down version of the original grand plan was realized, the Westfield Geelong we see today is a testament to those urban renewal dreams. The Myer store, by the way, has survived all the transformations and remains a stalwart amidst the modern updates.
So, take a moment to appreciate how this vibrant, bustling shopping centre evolved from a smorgasbord of historical parcels to a contemporary retail giant. And if you're feeling peckish or ready for a retail treasure hunt, you know where the action is!
