Forest Hill Chase is a major regional shopping centre located in Forest Hill, a suburb of Melbourne, Australia. It has approximately 200 shops across three levels and parking space for over 3400 cars. The Chase has three supermarkets (Coles, Woolworths, Aldi), two discount department stores (Target & Harris Scarfe), a Hoyts cinema complex and some smaller anchor stores. Overseas investor JY Group and the locally-operated Haben Property Fund have shared joint 50/50 ownership of Forest Hill Chase since 2022.
The centre officially opened on 30 June 1964 with 70 shops in an open-air mall layout, and has since undergone significant redevelopments opened in July 1976 and December 1990. It was originally known as the Forest Hills Shopping Centre after the Forest Hills stadium in New York City, and became Forest Hill Chase in 1989.
Forest Hill Chase is among the oldest self-contained shopping centres in Victoria, and is historically significant in the context of post-war Australian retailing. Notably, the centre introduced the country's first Safeway supermarket and was well-renowned in its early years for incorporating the latest in retail trends, drawing strong influence from the American outdoor mall model.
Originally built as part of a defunct planned neighbourhood called Stonestown, the centre's early commercial success played a foundational role in the later billionaire fortunes of two of its key developers, George Herscu and Maurice Alter. Both of these men, who were young Holocaust survivors, would later individually establish several principal retail developments across the world including the Forest Fair Mall in Ohio.
In 1956, Polish-born property developer Paul Fayman acquired a large orchard and poultry farm at Canterbury Road, Forest Hill. The former owner, Freddy Loomes, was payed £59,800 (roughly equivalent to $1.5m in 2025).[1] This came two years after Ken Myer had acquired 86 acres at nearby East Burwood with plans to develop an American-style shopping centre with off-street parking– a concept then new to Victoria.[2][3]
In June 1957, it was officially announced that Fayman and associates would establish a rival £6 million centre with 70 shops, two service stations, office space, a hotel, 200 homes, a medical centre and free parking for 1,400 cars at his Forest Hill landholding.
The centre was originally to be named Stonestown after a prominent galleria developer Raymond Borg had visited while surveying malls in San Francisco.[4] Due to the proximity of the two proposed centres, Myer dropped plans for their East Burwood site and instead focused on establishing a centre for Melbourne's south-eastern suburbs. This later eventuated as the Chadstone Shopping Centre, opened in October 1960.[5]
Finance for the project at Forest Hill was mainly provided by the Reid Murray group, which held a controlling interest in the development through their subsidiary Paynes Properties. Reid-Murray also owned the Paynes Bon Marche department store chain, which was set to open a large anchor store within the centre.[6]
Financial and legal expertise for the development was provided by Forest Hill Heights Pty Ltd, a private company representing Paul Fayman and a consortia of prominent Jewish lawyers, industrialists and financiers. A third main partner in the initial development was Rockmans Limited, which planned to open a store at Forest Hill.[7]
Supervising architect Leslie M. Perrott Junior and his firm were contracted to design the centre and a masterplan was finalised by mid-1959. Their design utilised an open-air strip mall layout, which was heavily influenced by the American outdoor mall model.[8] It comprised two open, landscaped courtyards surrounded by rows of shops. The three anchor stores facing Canterbury Road contained Carborundum powder in their facades and sparkled in the sun.[9]
A survey projected the proposed centre would employ 1000 people and serve an 8-kilometre catchment area of 220,000 people per week.[10] It was to be built alongside a 200-lot housing estate called Forest Hill Heights.[11][12][13] Contracter FJ Kerr & Bros established its roads including Barter Crescent, Paul Road (named after developer Paul Fayman) and a 1.3-kilometre extension of Mahoneys Road, connecting Burwood and Canterbury Roads.[14][15]
Original development team and architect inspect model of proposed centre at launch party, 1959
An announcement party and press conference were held on 26 May 1959 at the Hotel Australia. In attendance were the architect, developers, financiers and journalists from local newspapers. Tenders for construction of the centre were called and preliminary site works had commenced by November.[16] Contracter McDougall-Ireland were awarded the tender and built two large department stores for occupation by the Paynes Bon Marche and Rockmans department stores. An arcade of 10 smaller shops were also established in the central north-to-south arcade.[4][17]
The developers sought to establish a £100,000 hotel opposite the proposed shopping centre, and the Board of Works granted provisional approval. Plans had been prepared by architects Leslie M Perrott & Partners, who notably designed the Southern Cross Hotel and Hotel Australia. Carlton & United Breweries were to operate its bars and applied for a liquor license. But this was move was strongly opposed by local government who stressed road safety issues and the welfare of the students at the adjacent Nunawading High School. A traffic survey was conducted that showed 10,000 cars were passing the proposed development site daily as at May 1959, and that traffic would double if the hotel was established.[18]
Official announcement, 1959
After 89 ratepayers and local associations sent written objections to Council, it was agreed by a vote of 9 to 1 that Council should intervene and a public hearing was convened at the Licensing Court.[19] In June 1960, amid protracted legal disputes and the establishment of a protest society, the developers announced that they would instead build a supermarket on the site originally meant for the hotel.[20][21][22]
In the second half of 1960, the Australian stock market crashed. The shopping centre's opening was subsequently rescheduled for January 1961, but this was optimistic given the circumstances facing the developers. The plan for a hotel had failed due to community outcry, loan funds were becoming increasingly scarce amid a liquidity crisis, and money was owed to contractors. Worst of all, one of the principal financial backers of the project, the Reid-Murray Group, was placed into receivership amid what journalists described as the largest bankruptcy in local history.[7]
The half-built centre at Forest Hill sat deserted for about 18 months, and meanwhile the Chadstone centre opened in October 1960. Paul Fayman called Stonestown a "ghost town" in his sole biographical interview from 1969. Once the stock market had recovered, in 1963, the developers began seeking additional financiers to get the ball rolling again.[23]
View of anchor stores, 1964
As Paul Fayman recalled, he was showing shop builders Maurice Alter and George Herscu around the deserted centre when Herscu suddenly blurted out: “Why just buy the shops? I want to buy the whole centre”.[24] Alter and Herscu subsequently acquired a joint controlling interest in the development, buying out virtually all of the shop sites while Fayman and his associates retained around a 25% stake. The Fayman-Alter-Herscu partnership would later consolidate their companies as the Masaga Group, which soon morphed into a prominent ASX-listed realestate firm called Hanover Holdings. One journalist suggested that the success of the centre at Forest Hill laid the foundation of Herscu and Alter’s multi-billion dollar fortune.[25]
Australia's first Safeway supermarket, 1964
With the backing of Herscu and Alter, Fayman’s team managed to convince supermarket chain owner Bill Pratt and his executives to inspect the unfinished Forest Hill centre. Alter and Fayman greeted them at the site and proposed that the Pratts Supermarket chain should lease the centre's unfinished 25,000 square-foot department store and convert it into a large supermarket.[26] Recalling the condition of the site, Pratts executive Trevor Herd stated that there were "derelict buildings with cows grazing" and "lots of mud."[27]
Pratt and company were eager to open a supermarket at Forest Hill, but the promising deal came with a catch: Pratts could occupy the site if they arranged for McEwans Hardware to lease a large adjacent store. This turned out to be relatively easy as the Pratts Group had previous dealings with McEwans management. Once this was finalised, the developers secured the Moores department store chain to be the third anchor tenant.[28]Australian Safeway Limited, the Australian division of America's famous Safeway chain of supermarkets, partnered with Pratts to open the first "Safeway" branded supermarket in the country at Forest Hill. This had 12 checkout points and a staff of more than 50 assistants, making it the second largest grocery store in Australia.[29][30]
After years of delays, an opening was finally announced for June 1964. Several events had been staged at the centre in the month leading up to its opening, including an archery demonstration and a Motorkhana exhibition in the car park.[31][32]
A free-standing sign was installed in the front carpark which displayed the phrase "Happy Hunting" and featured an animated neon artwork of an Aboriginal person throwing a Boomerang. [2] At the preview before the official opening, Bill Pratt supposedly overheard Sir Edgar Coles say to some of his executives: "I have been sending people overseas to find out what is the latest in retailing, now I can send them out here".[26]
Nunawading Mayor and Graham Kennedy
The centre was officially opened by Mayor of Nunawading Owen Goldsborough on Tuesday 30 June 1964. Popular entertainer Graham Kennedy, then at the peak of his fame with In Melbourne Tonight, made an appearance at the opening ceremony. Some 11 thousand keen shoppers from all across Victoria were there. Television cameras were present but no footage of the event has surfaced.[33]
When shops opened for business at 9:30am, it appeared as though the opening would be a flop as there weren't many people present. One store manager said there were only about eight people lining up at his store when he opened for business. But by 10am, the crowd had increased to thousands. Doors were closed in some stores and shoppers were allowed in at 20 a time. Police were kept busy controlling shoppers traffic.[34] A large bundle of balloons were released to mark the official opening.[35]
Coles store opening day, 1965
The advertising manager of Safeway-Pratts, John Flood, claimed that 11,000 people had passed through the Forest Hill store during the first day. He said that Graham Kennedy, who toured the centre for over an hour, was responsible for bringing a lot of people to the opening event. "When I walked around with Graham, sales staff had to force shoppers back to make a path for him" he said.[34]
According to store manager Graham Pledge, the Moores department store served around 8,000 customers and had to order additional staff and registers from their city stores to handle the unprecedented demand.[36] The McEwans hardware store, managed by Les Vagg, was stocked with £45,000 worth of hardware and homewares, serving 5000 customers on the first day.[34][37]
In July 1964, it was announced that Coles would build a 930m² variety store at Forest Hills, completing the second stage of the centre's development.[38] This eventually opened in early 1965, and was originally managed by Ken Overend.[39] During the second half of 1964, new stores were opening at Forest Hills weekly including popular tenants Bradmans (4th December), Dobsons (21st December), Palmer & Son (3rd December), Hannams, the State Savings and ANZ Banks, Sussans,[Note 1] Edments, Hartleys and the Toy Emporium.[40]
A local periodical reported in September 1964 that "Hundreds of men are busy at work laying thousands of bricks, placing huge steel roof trusses and laying hundreds of miles of wiring an piping in their race to prepare many additional shops which are due to open in late October."[41]
In April 1965, a multi-level climbing structure in the shape of a rocket was installed in the centre's eastern garden court. It was extremely popular with several generations of children, remaining there until it was removed to make way for redevelopment of the centre in June 1987. It was subsequently restored by parents of the Syndal South Primary School and erected in the playground of the school where it is still in use today. A plaque commemorating its history has been placed on it.[42][43]
In December 1967, centre management revealed $4m had been invested into the expansion of Forest Hills. The firm of local architect Thord Lorich had was contracted to design a double-storey restaurant, a sports centre with a pool, a radio broadcasting booth, additional shops and a picture theatre, adding approximately 12,000m² of retail space.[44][45][46]
The expansion program was fast-tracked in response to the announcement that several rival centres were soon to be opened in surrounding suburbs – including the Old Orchard Shopping Centre at Blackburn (1967) and the Australia's first Kmart department store at Burwood (1969). These threatened the integrity of Forest Hill's core catchment size and warranted the centre's swift expansion.[47]
A contemporary double-storey restaurant was commissioned at the south-east corner of Canterbury and Mahoneys Roads in December 1967. It was originally leased by Frank Dennis's Dennis Restaurants, which operated the fully-licensed Crystal Forest diner on the site for 13 years.[48] Its dining floor had a capacity of 100 and the large function space upstairs could hold about 300.[49][50]
It was then converted into a Cantonese live seafood restaurant called Dragons Court in 1980, and later operated as Phase 2, which served a wider range of asian cuisine. The building was reconfigured to allow two separate tenancies not long after it suffered a fire in 2003. These are currently occupied by KamBo (ground floor) and Kbox (first floor).[51]
In 1967 was announced that an auditorium, designed to TV studio specifications, would be constructed on Mahoneys Road, and would run daily matinees for shoppers, special audiences and schools. It became the first purpose-built picture theatre in Nunawading, boasting over 360 seats, a snack bar, coffee lounge and two adjoining shops.[52]
Designed by local architect Thord Lorich with assistance from engineers at the nearby ATV-0 studios, its construction utilises a utilitarian brick veneer occasional with terrazzo, ceramic and granolithic finishes. Custom roller doors were incorporated into the second storey facade to allow for the camera/equipment installation directly into the L-shaped mezzanine, which contained the projection area, an ovoid-shaped orchestra balcony and dressing rooms. The projection cabin, which housed twin colour film projectors and a slide projector, was situated behind a timber-panelled gallery overlooking the auditorium.[53]
The opening night took place on Friday 31 May 1968, with an entertainment programme including dances and a screening of Otto Preminger's Hurry Sundown with music by local musician Victor Conner at the organ.[54] ATV-0 beamed a test colour television transmission from their nearby studios at Hawthorn Road to the cinema in March 1970, five years before colour broadcasts were formally introduced to Australia.[55] Another notable screening was of the post-apocalypticdrama film Beyond Reason, which Giorgio Mangiamele produced locally. This premiered in May 1970 at both the Forest Hills Theatre and the Sandringham Drive-In.[56]
Aerial photograph from 1970 with overlaid text showing places of interest
The theatre's original operators, a company called Sherwood Productions, went through legal troubles and subsequently terminated their lease early. The cinema re-opened in January 1970 with Dendy as the operator, who made minor alterations including a reduction of seating from 362 to 337 and some equipment upgrades. Village began operating it from 1978 until Palace took over in 1980.[53][57] The building ceased screening movies after its closure in September 1989, shortly before Hoyts opened across the road in the new Forest Hill Chase redevelopment. It had its last full house as a cinema on the 20th May 1988 when it screened Crocodile Dundee II – which sold so many tickets that patrons were overflowing into the projection booth.[58]
Helicopter view, 1968
In January 1967, former Mayor of Prahran Emlyn Jones secured the lease of a 325 m² store within the soon-to-be built Forest Hills Theatre, and applied to the Licensing Commission to open a licensed grocer called Forest Hill Cellars. It was to sell an array of Australian and imported wines. Jones eventually obtained a liquor license in mid-1968, and spent the resulting months meticulously fitting out and decorating the space in preparation for its scheduled opening in August. A reporter from the Nunawading Gazette described it as the "biggest, most imaginative, fully equiped cellar in the area".[59] It was later taken over by the Mac's San Remo chain before closing around July 1989.[60][61]
Canadian steak and seafood chain The Keg were going to open a branch in the former cinema building in 1990, but this never eventuated.[62] The building was instead converted into a night club venue called "The Bunker" which shut down in 1993 due to an uprise in antisocial behaviour.[63][64] Centre management worked with council officers and local police to re-open it as "Club 3131", a community-based blue light disco. This later shut down, and the building sat vacant for a number of years before it was eventually converted into a ballet studio and later a community theatre. These have since closed, and refurbishment works are underway as of June 2025.[65]
Sports centre & office building (79 Mahoneys Road)
As included in the original 1959 development plan, a multi-storey building comprising a sports centre, office suites, and two small shops was constructed at 69-79 Mahoneys Road.[66] Designed in the post-war International Style by Thord Lorich & Associates, who took inspiration from the Princes Gate Towers, the complex opened in 1969 and became one of the tallest commercial buildings in the City of Nunawading (now Whitehorse). The building was engineered to be extended vertically in future, and retains its period features including polished terrazzo flooring, brown brick veneer, brass balustrades, textured ceilings, decorative timber wall panelling and the original Johns & Waygood elevator.[67]
The sports centre occupied multiple levels and had a tiled plunge pool, sauna baths, a child minding centre, a coffee lounge and a trampoline area. The first tenant was the Brendan Edwards fitness chain, which offered a $4-per-week membership and became an instant success amongst locals who praised its then-modern facilities.[68] Local sportsman John Driver (1934–2024) took over the lease in late 1977 and it became the John Driver Sports & Fitness Centre. Despite having around 4000 members, this closed about ten years later in August 1987. The site sat empty for a few years until 1992, when the Lifestyle Fitness chain moved in and renovated.[69][70][71]
An independent company called Metro Health & Fitness began leasing the site in 2001 and ran the Forest Hill Swim School. Metro went bankrupt in 2005, and much of the original tenancy remains unoccupied (as at 2025).[72] In 2011, the top level of the old gymnasium, which had originally served as a child minding centre, was cut off from the rest of the building and fitted out to accommodate the Whitehorse Community Resource Centre.[73] The original ground floor tenancies have since been combined are currently occupied by Fresenius Medical Care, a healthcare company which provides kidney dialysis services.[74]
Architect's impression of completed 1976 redevelopment
In April 1974, the centre's owners announced plans to extend the Forest Hill Centre by 24,0000m2.[75] A finalised redevelopment scheme was released in June 1975, which was to cost $10m (roughly equivalent to $115m in 2025). A free-standing, split-level indoor shopping centre was to be built on the original rear car park and would have air conditioning, escalators, additional shops, a large fresh food market, community spaces and a new radio booth. The project was advertised as the "largest shopping/market complex in the Eastern suburbs" and was projected to serve a catchment area of 370,000 customers.[76] The redevelopment officially opened on 20 July 1976.[77]
Redeveloped centre, c. 1980
The original Safeway store moved from its tenancy near Canterbury Road to a newer, larger store in the lower level opposite the food market stalls. A Woolworths supermarket and the largest McEwans hardware store outside of the city occupied the upper level. The first part of the scheme had actually been completed in 1975, when the original open-air parking lot at Canterbury Road was replaced by a multi-deck car park, increasing the centre's parking capacity to 2,000. The project was designed in the Late Modernism style by the firm of architect Ray Barnard-Brown, who also designed the Dandenong Hub Arcade (1974), the Vermont South Shopping Centre (1974) and Centrepoint Mall (1978).[78]
In 1981, centre management engaged Meldrum Burrows & Partners to conduct a feasibility study concerning a proposed remodelling and expansion of Forest Hill. Their study highlighted that Forest Hill was primarily populated by small convenience stores and lower-order comparison goods retailers, lacking both a department store and a large discount store capable of offering a diverse range of merchandise. This absence of variety put Forest Hill at a competitive disadvantage against rival shopping centres, which were evolving to meet consumer demands for one-stop shopping experiences.[79]
Furthermore, the outdoor centre's facilities were found lacking in several key areas. It provided insufficient amenities for shoppers, including inadequate weather protection in numerous locations, a lack of air conditioning in various shops and common areas, and limited space for display and promotional activities.[79][80] A proposed $100 million redevelopment would see replacement of the original outdoor centre with a multi-level, indoor mall with 210 tenancies, a 450-seat gourmet food court with an indoor charity fountain and glass elevator, a fresh food market, and parking for about 3000 cars.[81] Architects Buchan, Laird and Bawden, who were chosen to design the redevelopment, took inspiration from the St. Louis Galleria in Missouri.[82]
The two atriums feature large skylights, constructed with polycarbonate and reticulated steel, with a barrel vault shape. The food court originally had a late-19th century French spelter statue of a winged figure holding a clock that stood 2.4 metres high.[83] The City Of Nunawading approved the project in July 1986 and works commenced in August with the demolition of six houses on Flora Grove to free up space for a reconstruction of the car park and roadworks to develop Pacific Way; an access and bypass route to service the redevelopment.[84]
The old, outdoor shops were demolished in August 1987 except for a row of three stores next to the Mahoneys Road pedestrian entrance, which remain there today. The split-level indoor "Marketplace" addition, completed in 1976, was also retained but majorly reconfigured to accommodate new tenancies including a multi-level Harris Scarfe store.[85]T he first stage of the expanded centre opened on 12 September 1989, and 113 shops were operating by July 1990.[86] The second stage of the redevelopment was officially completed by December 1990.[77] Fifty-nine shops from the old section were relocated to the new centre. The Hoyts 10 cinema complex opened on the third level on 26 December 1989 with 10 screens and 2,500 seats.[87][88]
The Nunawading Council Community Resource Centre opened on Level 3 around 1993. It came after several years of debate between the local Council and Pacific Shopping Centres about where the council's community space allocation should be placed.[71] It housed community groups such as the Maternal and Child Health Services, Adult Day Activity and Support Service, Lao Women's Association of Victoria, Nunawading Community Chest, Nunawading Older Persons' Action Group, The Communities Council On Ethnic Issues, U3A Nunawading, Youth Adult Bureau, the Iranian Society of Victoria, and the Lions Club of Victoria.[89] A council information centre was also established and offered a "non-threatening" environment where citizens could pick up council brochures and printed information on a range of council and community services or can have their questions answered.[90][91]
In November 1993, Australia's first dedicated, public virtual reality centre opened at Shop 263 (next to present-day TK Maxx tenancy) on the centre's second level. Operated by the Cyberspace corporation, it debuted with Exorex, a robot seek and destroy experience.[92] Forest Hill Chase and Hoyts were among the many objectors to a highly publicised 1995 proposal by Reading Cinemas to establish a $25 million 25-screen complex in the nearby suburb of Burwood, which ultimately failed to materialise.[93][94] A bar lounge and tavern with 90 gaming machines (later reduced to 50) called Vegas at The Chase opened on the centre's third level in early March 1995.[95][96] The opening was delayed due to several legal disputes and trouble obtaining a liquor license.[97] The space had been reserved since the redevelopment opened.[98] Around 1997, Harris Scarfe was downsized from its two level form to occupying only Level 1, to allow a new Big W store to open in the now vacant space on Level 2.[99] An AMF (now Zone) bowling alley with 28 lanes and children's play centre Run Riot opened on Level 3 around the year 2000.[100]
In the biggest redevelopment of the centre since 1989/1990, levels one and two were completely refurbished in 2007. Kmart Tyre & Auto Service was relocated to a new free standing site in Pacific Way, which was completed in March 2007. The interior malls on level one and two were refurbished with new floor tiling laid, removal of the traditional gold and marble balustrades with modern steel balustrades installed, and the removal of the stairwells at the south of the centre near Big W. The level two toilets were fully refurbished, completed in June 2007.
The Mahoneys Road entrance was upgraded, with the existing glass canopy replaced and upgraded with a terrace installed on Level 3 for use by the Chase Hotel, which was completed by June 2007. The Alliance for Gambling Reform later made calls for the hotel to close down its pokies after it was revealed that almost $16 million was gambled in a year.[101]
Renovated Hoyts Cinema in 2010
The centre's Kmart permanently closed on 31 January 2007 and was subsequently converted to Target, which opened in September 2007. The food court was also refurbished and extended around this time. A dance studio began operating out of the former Forest Hill Cinema building on Mahoneys Road in 2012 but would soon close.[102] The executive offices building received a minor upgrade around the time the Whitehorse Community Resource Centre moved to Suite 10 at Level 1 in 2011/2012. The original glass doors were replaced with an automatic sliding door, fire services were upgraded, and the lobby was lightly refurbished.
The centre's third level was expanded and refurbished during the second half of 2010, complementing the earlier refurbishment of the other levels of the centre and introducing a number of new tenants. Around this time, Pancake Parlour was closed and replaced by TGI Fridays. The refurbishment of Level 3, including mall reconfiguration, expansion and renovation, new escalators between levels two and three, and a new centre entry to a new car park, was completed in December 2010.[citation needed]
Modernised second Level in 2016
The construction of an additional deck of car parking located west of Hoyts above the existing Target/Coles multi-deck car park, including 317 spaces, opened on 15 December 2010. An updated 'Entertainment and Dining' precinct with a refurbished Hoyts cinema, three new restaurants as well as new minor anchor retailers JB Hi-Fi, Rebel and gymnasium Fit n Fast was established. The Hoyts Multiplex was closed in July 2010 for a much needed refurbishment. Four of the cinemas were handed back to the centre and converted into retail space as part of the upgrade and redevelopment of Level 3.[103] The current seating capacities are 161 in cinemas 1, 2, 5 and 6 and 173 in cinemas 3 and 4.[104]
In 2012, Harris Scarfe returned to the centre and spent more than $2 million redeveloping the store in the area previously occupied by Myer. The centre also expanded its fresh food market on level one, which included a new Aldi supermarket on top of the Canterbury Road multi deck car park, which caused a small increase in undercover parking. A new refurbished bus zone was also built as a result. (A temporary bus zone was constructed adjacent to Kmart Tyre & Auto during construction). In 2013, the glass lift in the food court, which travels from the basement car park through to level 3 was replaced, as the existing lift was too small, causing heavy congestion as it became the only fully accessible way to move between levels 2 and 3 after a past level 3 redevelopment. The expanded lift is now operating and carries up to 26 people. New facade and centre entrance treatments were also installed along the Canterbury Road car park frontage and around the Level 2 Best & Less centre entry.[105]
In late 2017, works began to revamp the third floor and partially renovate the second floor. The east wing of the Level 2 mall, which formerly housed Dimmeys and a few other retailers, was closed down for several months and completely renovated and re-configured. Dimmeys moved to a smaller location near the Level 1 food court (which later closed down permanently) with JB Hi-Fi and Rebel moving from their former Level 3 tenancies. The escalators linking Level 2 and Level 3 were also removed to allow for more retail space.
In 2018, Big W closed down, with a new TK Maxx store occupying part of the available space, with its entrance opposite the newly re-located JB Hi-Fi and Rebel stores. A new Medical Centre and Child Care Centre will occupy the remainder of the space of the former Big W. In 2019, Level 3 was renovated, with the space left behind by JB Hi-Fi and Rebel being converted into more dining retailers, with the whole level getting a refurbishment and being branded as "The Loft". Zone Bowling (formerly AMF) and Timezone were also renovated to combine the two tenancies together with a new look. A new glass lift was also installed near the escalator located outside Woolworths with access to all levels.
In 2024, Haben contracted NH Architects, WRAP Consulting Engineering, Resolve Partners (project managers) and the Otto Construction Group to formulate a major scheme to refurbish Forest Hill Chase over the following 18 months.[106] The first refreshed space, located directly opposite the Coles supermarket, was completed in late 2024 and features modern floor tiles, enhanced ceiling features, upgraded lighting, and new seating & furniture pods. The nearby bathrooms were also upgraded.[107] Amid rumours of expensive rent, increased shoplifting and low customer traffic, the JB Hi-Fi electronics store permanently closed in early 2025 and transferred its staff to the nearby Nunawading Homemaker HQ.[108][109] Repainting of the centre's external facade began in December 2024, and works have commenced on upgrading the Level 1 entrance at Mahoneys Road.
20 July 1969 - A small fire broke out beneath the rear fire stairway of the Forest Hills Theatre, causing the venue to fill with smoke. It began in a pile of empty cardboard cartons and waste paper from nearby shops but was swiftly extinguished. Luckily the incident occurred outside of opening hours, as the rear stairway and exits would not have been usable to evacuating attendees. Provisions were put in place to prevent a reoccurrence.[110]Outside ANZ Bank after hold-up, 197115 June 1971 - Masked bandits and a bank teller fought a battle during a robbery at the ANZ bank on Mahoneys Road, which was Victoria's biggest bank hold-up at the time. The teller fired twice to stop them as they shot their way in with a sawed-off shotgun. The robbers blasted the teller's counter and then forced him to drop his revolver. Then they forced the teller and the bank manager against the wall. The bandits, wearing hessian masks, scooped up $84,700 in notes from a table near the main vault at the back of the bank. A third man who stood outside armed with a pistol fired two shots through a side window as the other two robbers grabbed the money. At least seven shots were fired in the two-minute battle, but nobody was hurt. The bank's security camera was not activated during the hold-up. They ran from the bank, firing as they left, and sped off in a stolen Holden sedan. Five employees, including two young women, were in the bank when the thieves crashed in at about 6:15 pm after smashing the front glass door with a fire hydrant cover.[111] Police subsequently commissioned a special squad to tackle armed hold-ups.[112][113]
5 January 1979 - The National Bank was held up by a 25-year-old man with an imitation pistol, who stole $9,000. He had no criminal history and told police prosecutors he carried out the robbery because of financial hardship.[114][115]
12 May 1986 - Several employees at the Safeway supermarket noticed a strong smell of gas and immediately notified the store manager, who notified the fire brigade. The store was evacuated as fireman wearing breathing apparatus tried to locate the gas leak. Firemen totalling 31 men attended the scene. The leaking substance was discovered to be Freon II gas from a refrigeration unit, probably from the air conditioning system. Although everyone who entered the building wore breathing gear, three fireman and a female shopper were treated at Box Hill Hospital for headaches, dizziness, and nausea, while two others were treated at the scene. A store employee later reported to the hospital with similar symptoms.[116][117]
12 September 1989 - Stage 1 of the redeveloped centre opened without a certificate of occupancy or a certificate indicating compliance with the Victorian Building Regulations. The Metropolitan Fire Brigade took Pacific Shopping Centres to the Supreme Court, citing that the centre should be deemed a safety risk and closed to the public.[118]
1992 - Peter David McEvoy and his gang conspired to steal about $110,000 from an ATM at the centre. Police knew about the gang and were secretly following some members as part of Operation Mac. Detectives believed McEvoy was planning the robberies while he was on trial in the County Court - where he was charged and acquitted of the killing of two policemen. During the trial, McEvoy tried to organise a meeting with Tommy Roy Stevens, an Armaguard security officer who provided McEvoy with information on payroll and bank drop-offs. Stevens said he was to be paid 20 per cent of all robbery hauls in which he provided information. Detectives were concerned the job was to be carried out on Easter Thursday when the shopping centre would be busy. Police had followed McEvoy and other members of the gang to the centre at least three times. Once, about 70 police, including members of the Special Operations Group, surrounded the shopping centre. They planned to arrest McEvoy and his team nearby, and detectives were ready for a shoot-out.[119]
January 1993 - Violence broke out between up to 30 people on the centre's second level. Police District Chief Superintendent Ron Braybrook said the incident, which "could be described as a riot", began after a group of youths started arguing.[120] Due to the growing problem of youth violence, police presence was boosted with the introduction of an information caravan – the first of its kind to be fully owned and operated by police in the district.[121]
16 May 1998 - Two men ambushed two Armaguard security officers on the third floor at 12:20pm. A guard carrying a bag of cash was ordered by the thieves drop the bag but was shot in the hand and stomach before doing so. They grabbed the bag and ran off through the centre, startling shoppers. The other guard, who had taken cover, fired a shot but missed. Police said the men stole between $10,000 - $50,000. One of the ski masks and a gun was later found in a bush on Mahoneys Road.[122][123]
28 November 1998 - A man illegally entered the office of a shopkeeper and stole a briefcase containing cash.[124]
30 August 2000 - Staff were attending to an ATM around 9am at the National Australia Bank in Mahoneys Road when a man knocked on the door and said he was there to do an audit. When staff asked for identification the man produced a handgun, but staff members closed the door on his arm. The man managed to break free and fled the scene. There were no injuries.[125]
Early 2003 - A fire significantly damaged the Phase 2 restaurant and karaoke bar at the corner of Mahoneys and Canterbury Roads. The building was subsequently repaired and reconfigured in 2004 to allow a separate tenancy on either of the two levels.[126]
1 September 2011 - At around 10pm a male offender armed with a knife entered the Hungry Jacks restaurant and stole cash from a register.[127]
4 May 2018 - A male offender allegedly produced a firearm and threatened a bus as it left the shopping centre around 6:40pm.[128]
30 November 2024 - Masked thieves driving a white Nissan Patrol GQ with stolen license plates drove around bollards and reverse-rammed through the glass doors at the centre's Level 1 entrance near Coles just before 5am. It then drove from one end of the indoor strip to the other, building up speed to destroy a gold-for-cash kiosk in the centre of the aisle. With the kiosk destroyed, the men were seen struggling to load a safe (which later turned out to be empty) into the back of the SUV. The men eventually loading the safe, and clipped the side of another glass door on their way out. Seven businesses were damaged including Boost Juice, Flight Centre, a $2 shop, and a currency exchange. Three stores were so badly damaged they were unable to open later in the day. The entire ordeal was captured on CCTV (see footage on Youtube).[129]
27 December 2024 - A 16-year-old from the Maroondah area was found with stab wounds at the Forest Hill Chase carpark at about 6.50pm, following reports of an altercation between a group of males. He was conveyed to hospital in a critical condition, spending over a month there.[130] On the 14th of January, detectives charged a 16-year-old boy from the Monash area with attempted murder, intentionally cause serious injury, affray, assault with a weapon, assault in company, possess drug of dependence and failing to comply with a direction to provide passwords.[131]
5 January 2025 - Two young adults were eating burgers inside their car outside Hungry Jacks when a black Mercedes pulled up next to them. Detective Sergeant Gerry Muileman said a man then exited the Mercedes before approaching the victims' window, demanding them to "get out of the car". The offender attempted to open the car doors before pulling out a knife and slashing the tyre of the car. Shortly after, a white Volkswagen Golf pulled into a carpark next to victims, before another man got out of the car. He was armed with glass-breaking tool and smashed the driver's side window and unlocked the door, before grabbing the car keys. However, as police made their way to the scene, the offenders were spooked, with the man returning the keys to the victim. "I was terrified but I was just trying to not be harmed. I was willing to give him my car, I just didn't want to get stabbed," the victim said.[132]
^"£6,000,000 Forest Hill Drive-In: First Section Ready In March Next Year". Eastern Times. 28 May 1959. pp. 1 & 10 – via State Library Victoria.
^"Brick work, price required, labor only, block of 10 shops, including Besser Blocks. Apply on site, Forest Hill Shopping Centre, Cantebury Road, Forest Hills. McDougall-Ireland Pty. Ltd". The Age. 29 July 1960. p. 18.
^"Council fights hotel plan for Forest Hills". Eastern Times. 28 May 1959. p. 16.
^"Hotel views to be invited". Eastern Times. December 1959. p. 2.
^"Suzy's Study Break". The Age. 30 May 1968. p. 7.
^"Concerning people and events in TV, Radio and Recordings". The Age. 5 March 1970. p. 39.
^"It's Simply Beyond Reason". The Age. 30 April 1970. p. 22.
^Certificate of Commissioner for Corporate Affairs Relating to the Registration of a Business Name, No. 489762H. Corporate Affairs Office of Victoria. 29 November 1980.
^Kennedy, Ray (24 December 1988). "Complex shadow hangs over Forest Hill Cinema". The Age. p. 5.
^"[Full page article] Forest Hill Cellars". Nunawading Gazette. 21 August 1968. p. 17.
^"Hotels and other licenses, notice of an application for transfer of a packaged liqour license. Name of applicant, Mac's Liquor Pty. Ltd". The Age. 10 July 1989. p. 20.
^"History". Advocate Medical Centre. Retrieved 1 May 2025.
^"We're Having A Great Time at The Keg, Opening Soon in Nunawading". The Age. 7 April 1990. p. 22.
^Tippet, Garry (14 February 1993). "Gangs - or just mateship?". The Age. p. 3.
^Planning Scheme Amendment, Volume 6, Social Effects Statement. Maxine Cooper and Associates Pty. Ltd. August 1993. p. 15.
^Application for the Approval of the Commission of Plans and Specifications for the Erection or Alteration of a Public Building, 2-storey reinforced conceret and brick building, Forest Hill Heights Pty Ltd, Lots 101 & 102, Mahoneys Road, Forest Hill [Signed by George Herscu]. Public Health Commission. 29 November 1967.
^Sports Centre Public Library Lot 101 and 102 Mahoneys Road; Forest Hill Sporting. Nunawading: PROV Public Building Files VPRS 7882. 1968.
^Edwards, Brendan (18 August 1977). "Brendan Edwards Sports Centre, Fitness Begins Here". The Age. p. 34.
^Conley, Jennifer (14 August 1987). "Sypker to check fitness centre". The Age. p. 6.
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