Australia Fair Shopping Centre

;1983: Australia Fair West, originally known as Scarborough Fair, was built and anchored by Franklins. It was constructed on the former site of administrative and bottling buildings for the South Coast Co-Operative Dairy Association, which was designed by architects T.R. Hall and L.B. Phillips in 1936 on the corner of Scarborough and Young Streets.{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article180733631 |title=MINISTER OPENS NEW FACTORY |newspaper=The Telegraph |location=Queensland, Australia |date=5 November 1936 |accessdate=10 May 2016 |page=7 (SECOND EDITION) |via=National Library of Australia |archive-date=9 August 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220809052702/https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/180733631 |url-status=live }} The dairy buildings were demolished in 1972.{{cite web|title=Possibly the owner of the demolition company with his family at South Coast Co-operative Dairy Association Ltd, Scarborough Street, Southport, Queensland, June, 1972|url=https://digitalbank.goldcoast.qld.gov.au/vital/access/manager/Repository/vital:17703?query=south+coast+dairy+|website=Gold Coast City Libraries|accessdate=10 May 2016|archive-date=17 September 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160917200724/https://digitalbank.goldcoast.qld.gov.au/vital/access/manager/Repository/vital:17703?query=south+coast+dairy+|url-status=live}} Australia Fair West contained Franklins, Treasureway, and 40 specialty shops with off-road parking.{{Citation needed|date=March 2024}}

1984

Scarborough Fair was built incorporating a Coles Supermarket and Kmart Store.{{Citation needed|date=March 2024}}

;1989: The Scarborough Fair Shopping Centre doubled its size and extended through to the pedestrianised Nerang Street Mall. Work on the Australia Fair Shopping Centre was centred around the old Scarborough Fair Retail Centre, with retail anchors including Kmart, Coles, Woolworths, and Franklins.{{Citation needed|date=March 2024}}

1990: Australia Fair opened on April 10, 1990, after a project that took more than a year and $300 million to complete. Upon completion, Australia Fair Shopping Centre boasted the largest concentration of specialty stores and was the only shopping centre in Australia to feature three supermarket chains: Woolworths, Coles, and Franklins.{{Citation needed|date=March 2024}}

1991: The 52,000 square metre shopping development is the first of its kind in Australia and one of the largest in Queensland.{{Citation needed|date=March 2024}}

1993: An extension introduced the centre to a six-cinema complex and also created a Leisure Court Retail precinct.{{Citation needed|date=March 2024}}

;1995: The Fashion Boulevard, Broadwater Food Court and Fresh Food Marketplace were refurbished and renamed to establish these precincts. The owner acquired the ex-State School site next to Australia Fair West for expansion purposes.{{Citation needed|date=March 2024}}

1997–1998: Extensions were completed, cinemas expanded from 6 to 10 and reconfiguration of the Cinema Leisure Court Retail/Entertainment precinct.{{Citation needed|date=March 2024}}

;1998–1999:Colonial First State acquired joint-venture ownership of Australia Fair with MEPC. The sale deal also included the former state school redevelopment site on Garden Street. 'Australia Fair set for $16m upgrade'... Owners announced a $16 million refurbishment and upgrade. A significant aspect of the refurbishment involves upgrading the Fig Tree Food Court, remodeling tenancies, adding a weatherproof structure, and replacing an escalator.{{Citation needed|date=March 2024}}

2001: Gordon Fu purchases Australia Fair from Colonial First State.{{Citation needed|date=March 2024}}

;2002–2004: $2.7 million spent on an upgrade to flooring, directional signage and Amenities/facilities upgrade which enhances the centre's appearance and image for Southport.{{Citation needed|date=March 2024}}

• Event Cinemas
• Coles
• Woolworths
• Kmart
• JB Hi-Fi

The centre has undercover and rooftop parking for 2,500 cars, located off Marine Parade.{{Citation needed|date=March 2024}}

The Southport light rail station is located on the corner of Nerang Street and Scarborough Street and provides tram connections to the Gold Coast University Hospital and south towards Surfers Paradise and Broadbeach. Southport Bus Station, one of the main bus stations in the city provides regular and high frequency services to Helensvale Station, Robina, Sea World/Main Beach and Biggera Waters.{{Citation needed|date=March 2024}}

2025: On March 10, at approximately 8:30am, fire engine crews arrived at the site in Southport after receiving multiple reports of smoke and fire. Smoke was then discovered coming from a switchboard at the front of the centre at Marine Pde. The centre was evacuated immediately. This event was preceded by Tropical Cyclone Alfred, which hit Southern Queensland and Northern New South Wales, however, the cause of the fire is yet to be announced.{{Citation needed|date=March 2024}}

{{reflist}}

• [http://www.australiafair.com.au/ Australia Fair Shopping Centre - Website]

{{Shopping centres in Queensland}}

Category:Southport, Queensland

Category:Shopping centres on the Gold Coast, Queensland

Category:Shopping malls established in 1983

Category:1983 establishments in Australia