Pacific Epping
Pacific Epping is a large shopping centre in Epping, Victoria, Australia. It opened in 1996 (soft opening in 1995) and was known as Epping Plaza until September 2013. Located at the corner of High Street and Cooper Street, it sits about 500 metres from Epping railway station and roughly 20 kilometres north of Melbourne’s city centre. The centre is owned by the Queensland Investment Corporation (QIC) and has about 213 stores over two floors, with around 74,000 square metres of space and parking for about 3,000 cars.
Key milestones
- 1995-1996: Soft opening with Target and Coles, full opening in October 1996.
- 1997: Reading Cinemas complex, Epping Plaza Hotel and indoor dining area opened.
- 2007: Major westward extension; stores grew to around 218.
- 2009: Fresh Food Hall expanded and renamed Hunter & Gatherer; surrounding areas refurbished.
- 2013: Urban Dining renovation removed indoor dining as a shortcut to Reading Cinemas; Stage 5 added 11 outdoor-style restaurants on Cooper Street; centre rebranded to Pacific Epping.
- 2018: Queensland Investment Corporation took management and half ownership.
- 2017-2018: Quest hotel project announced and completed, adding more dining options.
- 2019: A two-storey childcare centre and gym were built near JB‑Hi‑Fi and ALDI.
- 2021: Target closed and was replaced by Kmart.
- 2023-2024: Hunter & Gatherer precinct redeveloped; reopened in December 2024 with more than 20 shops and a newly rebuilt Woolworths.
Notable incidents
- 2006: A fire in cinema six led to evacuations and sprinkler water damage to nearby Harris Scarfe; suspected arson.
- 2008: A wall fell inside Big W’s garden centre; evacuated with no injuries.
- Around 2009: One of Australia’s early swine flu cases was detected at Epping Plaza, prompting temporary closures at the McDonald’s there.
- 2024: A gun was fired outside the centre, with two men injured and seeking treatment.
This page was last edited on 3 February 2026, at 12:14 (CET).