Woolworths, McCrae Street, Dandenong, Late 1970s/Early 1980s.

Woolworths association with Dandenong started on 8th February 1940, When they opened their original store in Lonsdale street to the jubilance of the local community. With the advent of Supermarket sized stores, Woolworths built this store opposite the Market on the corner of McCrae and Clow streets in the late 1960s.

Originally opened with a Cafe/Diner, which was still operating in the early 1970s, (unsure of when it was removed), sadly by closure the Cafe/Diner had almost been lost even to memory. Mr A.R. fondly remembers it being on the left hand side of the pictured store.

With the acquisition of Safeway by Woolworths, the old Safeway store, up on the corner of Foster and McCrae streets, was demolished. A new Safeway store was incorporated into the new Capital Centre in 1989 on the same site. The Capital Centre was transformed into the Dandenong Plaza with the extension to Myers in 1995. Around 1990 the pictured Woolworths store was demolished, and remains a Council owned carpark.

On November 2nd 1974 Myers opened their new store in Dandenong, ushering in a new age of retail investment in Dandenong and moving the focus from Lonsdale Street. Myers was joined to the Capital Centre on the opposite side of Walker street in 1995, creating the Dandenong Plaza. In the 1980s the small area in front of the Myers carpark was developed into the Dandenong Mall, which was then demolished with the Plaza development.

The original Londsdale street location of Woolworths closed in the mid 1980's and was divided into two shops. The Neighbouring Coles store lasted into the early 1990's before it too saw closure. Chemist Warehouse now occupies this site, with some original flooring and roofing still visible, the rear entry ramp passing what was the Coles Cafe still remains in use by Chemist Warehouse.

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