Forest Hill Chase

Location	Forest Hill, Victoria, Australia
Opening date	30 June 1964; 60 years ago (1964-06-30)
Previous names	Forest Hills S. C. Forest Hill S. C.
Developer	Paul Fayman
Management	Haben (since 2022)
Owner	Paul Fayman (1956–1977) Maurice Alter (1977-2004) Novion (2004-2015) Blackstone (2015-2022) JY Group & Haben (2022-Present)
Architect	Leslie M. Perrott Thord Lorich Buchan, Laird & Bawden
No. of stores and services	204
No. of anchor tenants	7 major 10 minor
Total retail floor area	64,935 m2 (698,950 sq ft)
No. of floors	3
Parking	~3400
Website	www.foresthillchase.com.au

Forest Hill Chase is a major regional shopping centre located in Forest Hill, a suburb of Melbourne, Australia. The original centre was officially opened by Mayor of Nunawading Owen Goldsborough on 30 June 1964. Major redevelopments were completed in July 1976 and December 1990. Currently, Forest Hill Chase contains around 200 stores and over 3500 free car parking spaces.

It has three supermarkets, two discount department stores, a cinema complex and some smaller anchor stores. The JY Group and Haben Property Fund have shared joint 50/50 ownership of Forest Hill Chase since 2022.

Numerous events have been held at Forest Hill over the years including fashion parades, workshops, band and solo performances, exhibits, seminars, food and wine tastings, children's shows, cooking demonstrations, school holiday fairs and activities, giveaways and contests.^[1][2][3] In the early years, TV stars from the neighbouring ATV-0 studios would often make appearances at these events.^[4][5]

Property developer Paul Fayman acquired the 27½-acre site from poultry farmer and war veteran Fredrick Arthur "Freddy" Loomes (27 July 1917 – 2 September 1988) for £59,800 in 1956, about two years after Ken Myer had acquired 86 acres in nearby East Burwood with plans to develop a modern, car-orientated shopping centre - a concept new to Victoria.^[6] In July of 1957, Fayman announced that his company would build a rival centre with about 70 shops, two service stations, office space and parking for 1,400 cars at Forest Hill. In response, Myer chose to sell the land at East Burwood and focused instead on establishing a centre for Melbourne's south-eastern suburbs. This eventuated as the Chadstone Shopping Centre, which opened in October of 1960.^[7][8]

The original Forest Hill complex was a joint venture between Jewish businessmen Paul Fayman, Stanley Korman, Raymond Borg and John Emmanuel. Their companies had a focus on bringing American retail and entertainment concepts to Australia. Perhaps the most notable example of this was their infamous 1960 proposal to build an Australian version of Disneyland at Laverton, which Walt Disney threatened to have shut down if it was built.^[9] Ray Borg, who was sent the United States to study drive-in shopping trends, said that:

"Regional drive-in shopping centres will undoubtably play a major part in Australian shopping habits and the tremendous success of Chadstone is only the beginning of a new retail era". ^[10]

The developers registered the Forest Hill Heights company in March 1958 to oversee development of the shopping centre and an adjoining 200-lot housing estate called Forest Hill Heights.^[11] It was the first residential subdivision in the area to be connected to reticulated sewerage at a cost of around £75,000, coinciding with the extension of the Gardiners Creek Main Sewer to Springvale Road.^[12] The contract for all road construction was given to F. J. Kerr & Bros – who built Barter Crescent, Paul Road (named after Paul Fayman), Flora Grove and a 1.3-kilometre extension of Mahoneys Road, connecting Burwood and Canterbury Roads.^[12] A connection to water was established in 1960 and a minor tributary of the Forest Hill Drain was piped for the development.^[13][14]

Leading commercial architects Leslie M. Perrott & Partners and landscape architect Alistair Knox designed the £6 million shopping centre and a masterplan was prepared in mid-1959.^[15][16] Tenders for construction were called in May 1959 and preliminary works had commenced by November. The original timber, tin-roofed cottages which stood on the site were burnt down as part of a CFA training exercise. The centre was estimated to serve an 8-kilometre catchment area of 220,000 people every week and was originally going to be called Stonestown after a galleria of the same name in Los Angeles.^[8][17][18] Its name was changed to 'Forest Hills' a few months before construction commenced, likely because Stonestown was too similar to the name of rival centre Chadstone, which was under construction at the time.^[19]

The Board of Works had given the Forest Hill Heights company approval to build a £100,000 hotel on the site and Carlton & United Breweries had applied for a liquor license, but this was opposed by the City of Nunawading by a majority of 9 votes to 1, backed by 89 objection letters which stressed issues such as road safety and the welfare of the students at the adjacent Nunawading High School. The proposal was further denounced by the establishment of the Forest Hill Hotel Protest Society. In June 1960, John Emmanuel announced that Forest Hill Heights would instead build a supermarket on the site originally reserved for the hotel.^[20][21][22]

A group of ten smaller shops in the centre walkway and the three anchor larger, anchor stores were built by construction contracter McDouggal-Ireland in 1960 but remained empty for about 2–3 years due to financial turbulence and the aforementioned planning disputes.^[23] Most of the original shop sites were sold as “own your own” units, meaning store owners could purchase an allotment and build their own store instead of leasing one from centre management. Of the 70 or so original stores, only about 10–13 were built by order of centre management and leased/sold, the others were built by their owners.^[6]

"I bought the land where the Forest Hill Shopping Centre is when it was open paddocks. We had a rough start; [Stanley] Korman went broke, it became a ghost town. But now it is booming" - Paul Fayman in an interview for The Herald, 29 October 1969

Forest Hill's original outdoor layout consisted of two "garden courts" surrounded by rows of shops. Its open-air design was similar to the Bell Street Mall in Heidelberg West, which opened c. 1955–56 as Victoria's first conventional drive-in shopping centre.^[24] The triad of anchor stores facing Canterbury Road contained Carborundum powder in their facades and would sparkle in the sun. A free-standing sign in the original front carpark bared the slogan "Happy Hunting" and featured an animated neon artwork depicting an Aboriginal man tossing a Boomerang. It opened as the largest drive-in shopping centre in the City of Nunawading, but not the first, that title belongs to either the Kerrimur Shopping Centre in Box Hill North or the Benettswood Shopping Centre in Burwood – which both opened in the first half of the 1950s but barely classify as "car-orientated".^[13]

The Forest Hills Shopping Centre was officially opened by the then-Mayor of Nunawading Owen Goldsborough on 30th June 1964 and shoppers came from all over Melbourne.^[25] The centre had branches of the Moores department store and McEwans hardware store chains.^[26] Moores had 8,000 customers on that first day. TV personality Graham Kennedy attended the opening of Australia's first Safeway (now Woolworths) supermarket, which had 12 checkout points and a staff of more than 50 assistants.^[27][28] The name 'Forest Hills', likely referencing an American shopping centre or place, caused controversy as it didn't accurately reflect the local suburb of Forest Hill. Following public outcry and confusion, the name was changed to 'Forest Hill Shopping Centre' around 1970 to honour the suburb's identity.^[7]

In July 1964, it was announced that Coles would build a 930m² variety store, completing the second stage of development. Other tenants of the second stage would include Lindsay & Mackenzie (discount store), Hannams (home & appliances), F. J. Palmer & Son (menswear), a branch of the State Savings Bank, Sussan (women's fashion), Edments & Hartleys (sporting goods) and the Toy Emporium. These opened in 1965.^[29]

In April 1965 a multi-level, children's climbing structure in the shape of a rocket was installed in the eastern garden forecourt. 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.^[30][31] The structure was an example of Googie architecture.^[32]

In early 1966, the Forest Hill Heights company commissioned Norway-born architect Thord Lorich to design additional shops, a restaurant, a sports centre, a theatre and professional offices. These were to be built on the opposite (east) side of Mahoneys Road, and added approximately 12,000m² of retail space to the centre's existing 15,800m².^[33][34] A strip of about 29 brick veneer shops including a bank were the first to be completed and opened in early 1967.^[35]

Frank Dennis and his company Dennis Restaurants opened the fully-licensed Crystal Forest restaurant at the south-east corner of Canterbury and Mahoneys Roads in December 1967.^[36] It's dining floor had a capacity of 100 and the large function space upstairs could hold about three times that.^[37] Dances were held three nights a week in the early years.^[38] It became a Cantonese live seafood restaurant called "Dragons Court" in 1980, which featured in a 1983 episode of Prisoner. It later operated as "Phase 2", which served a range of asian cuisine and was run by Louis & Suzan Kwan, Alan Tam and Antonieta Pereira.^[39] 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).

A double-storey building comprising a sports centre, a showroom, a book shop and executive offices was constructed at 69-79 Mahoneys Road between 1968–69. The building, which last received upgrades in 2011, retains its original tiled terrazzo flooring, popcorn ceilings, brown brick veneer, polished brass balustrades and timber wall panelling.^[40] The Whitehorse Community Resource Centre occupies about half of its first level and the second level contains partitioned office suites. The space originally reserved for a book shop and showroom was later combined and is currently occupied by Fresenius Medical Care; a healthcare company which provides kidney dialysis services.^[41]

The sports centre tenancy occupied multiple levels and had a pool, spa, crèche, coffee lounge and a trampoline area.^[42] It was initially leased to the Brendan Edwards fitness chain but was taken over by John Driver in the late 1970s. Despite having around 4000 members, it closed in August 1987 due to financial difficulties and empty until it was eventually leased to the Lifestyle Fitness chain in 1992 and promptly received ventilation upgrades and a refreshed interior.^[43][44][45] An independent company called Metro Health & Fitness began leasing the site in 2001 but increasing maintenance bills left them bankrupt in 2005.^[46][47] The mosaic-tiled pool was not drained properly when the tenant vacated and it remained full for almost a decade, causing accelerated erosion of the basement and ground level. The gym's top level was cut off from the rest of the complex and fitted out to accommodate the Whitehorse Community Resource Centre in 2011, and the lower levels have remained sealed off despite numerous attempts by centre management to lease them.

In 1967 it 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.^[48] Designed by architect Thord Lorich with assistance from ATV-0 engineers, it became the first purpose-built picture theatre in the Nunawading area, boasting 362 seats, a restaurant, a snack bar and a coffee lounge. Custom roller doors were implemented into the second storey facade to allow for camera/equipment installation directly into the L-shaped mezzanine – which contained the projection cabin, a plant room, an ovoid-shaped orchestra balcony and dressing rooms. The projection cabin, which housed twin colour 35mm film projectors and a slide projector, was situated behind a gallery overlooking the auditorium. The building's construction utilises a metal deck roof held up by timber-framed light tan brick with terrazzo, ceramic and granolithic finishes. The stage was furnished by A. J. Tully & Co. Kingsley Industries were the structural, HVAC and electrical engineers for the project.^[49]

The opening night took place on Friday the 31st of May, 1968, with a lengthy entertainment programme including a screening of Otto Preminger’s “Hurry Sundown” with music by Victor Conner at the organ.^[50] Another notable screening was of the post-apocalyptic drama film Beyond Reason, which was filmed locally and premiered at Forest Hill in May 1970.^[51] 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.^[52] The theatre's original operators, Sherwood Productions, experienced legal troubles and subsequently terminated their lease early. Independent cinema chain Dendy took over the complex in 1970 and made minor alterations, including a reduction of seating from 362 to 337. Village began operating it from 1978 until Palace began leasing it in 1980.^[53][54]

The cinema closed in September 1989, shortly before Hoyts opened across the road in the new Forest Hill Chase redevelopment. It had its last full house on 20 May 1988 when it screened Crocodile Dundee II, which sold so many tickets that people were overflowing into the projection booth.^[55] Canadian steak and seafood chain The Keg was going to open a branch in the former cinema building though this never eventuated.^[56] The building was later converted into a night club venue called "The Bunker" which shut down in 1993 due to an uprise in antisocial behaviour.^[57][58] Centre management worked with council officers and local police to re-open it as "Club 3131", a community-based blue light disco.^[59]

In June 1975, centre management released plans to redevelop the rear car park and replace it with a modern, two-level indoor shopping centre with air conditioning. It was to be the "largest shopping/market complex in the Eastern suburbs" and would feature additional shops and a large fresh food market interconnected by escalators. The $10 million upgrade was projected to serve a catchment area of 370,000 customers and added over 24000 m² of retail space. A new logo was adapted, which would remain in use for about 12 years.^[60][61] Safeway moved from its tenancy near Canterbury Road to the redevelopment's lower level opposite the food market stalls. A Woolworths and the largest McEwans store outside of the city occupied the upper level. The redevelopment was officially opened to customers on the 20th July 1976.^[61] The front car park was also upgraded, increasing parking capacity to 2,000. The project's architect remains unclear, however, the final design shares similarities with works by local architects Buchan, Laird and Bawden – who designed the 1989/90 redevelopment.^[62]

In 1981, Pacific Shopping Centres engaged design consultants Meldrum Burrows & Partners to conduct a feasibility study concerning a proposed remodelling and expansion of Forest Hill. The report indicated that while the centre had originally incorporated advanced concepts in shopping centre design, it had become increasingly outdated by contemporary standards. The 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.^[63]

Furthermore, the 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. Additionally, pedestrian circulation was inefficient, complicating the ability to achieve a well-balanced mix of tenants. The overall outdated appearance of the centre detracted from its visual appeal and hindered tenants' ability to showcase their products effectively. Without significant renovations to address these issues, the centre risked further decline in its market position.^[64][63]

Commercial architects Buchan, Laird and Bawden designed the redevelopment and Podgor Constructions were the builders.^[65][66] 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 for the redevelopment.^[67][68] The old, outdoor strip section was demolished in August 1987 except for a row of three shops next to the Mahoneys Road entrance, which remain there today. The Stage 2 building, completed in 1976, was also retained and reconfigured.

The first stage of the expanded centre opened on 12 September 1989. By July 1990, 113 shops were operating.^[69] The second stage was completed in December 1990.^[61] Fifty-nine shops from the old section were relocated to the new centre. The redevelopment costed upwards of $100 million and had approximately 210 tenancies, a 450-seat gourmet food court with an indoor charity fountain, a fresh food market, and parking for about 3000 cars.^[70] Supposedly, it's design took inspiration from the St. Louis Galleria in Missouri.^[66] The two atriums feature skylights of polycarbonate and reticulated steel construction with a barrel vault design. 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.^[71] The Hoyts 10 Forest Hill cinema complex opened on the third level of the newly redeveloped Forest Hill Chase on 26 December 1989. The multiplex had 10 screens and 2,500 seats.^[72][73]

Ratio Consultants identified in their 1993 report that the recently redeveloped centre contained significant deficiencies which impaired its ability to compete with other regional/sub-regional centres. A poor internal layout, store-type and urban design deficiencies, and disorganised parking were highlighted as attributing factors. The centre presented an isolated and harsh "face" to Canterbury Road with poor pedestrian access. There was a lack of visual integration between Forest Hill Chase and shops on the east side of Mahoneys Road, and an absence of a sufficient identity which serves as an address/focal point for the centre. To address these issues, an amendment to the Nunawading Planning Scheme was formulated and the precinct was designated as the Forest Hill Activity Centre.^[74][67]

"The highly competitive nature of regional level retailing in the eastern suburbs of Melbourne leaves centres little choice: they must either modernise and provide services and facilities most relevant to meet emerging needs, or they are destined to fall behind and become less and less relevant to their own core catchment areas." ^[74]

A redevelopment, which would have increased the retail floorspace (GLFA) from 43,050m² to 63,900m² and the total floorspace (GLA) from 57,930m² to 83,630m², was proposed by Pacific Shopping Centres but ultimately never eventuated.^[74] The Nunawading Council Community Resource Centre opened on Level 3 around 1993. It came after several years of debate between the Council and Pacific Shopping Centres about where the council's community space allocation should be placed.^[45] 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.^[75] A council information centre was also established an 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.^[76]

In November 1993, Australia's first dedicated Virtual Reality centre opened at Shop 263 on the centre's second level. Operated by the Cyberspace corporation, it debuted with Exorex, a robot seek and destroy experience.^[77] 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.^[78][79] 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.^[80][81] The opening was delayed due to several legal disputes and trouble obtaining a liquor license.^[82] The space had been reserved since the redevelopment opened.^[83] Around 1997, Harris Scarfe was downsized from its two level form to occupying only Level 1,^[84] to allow a new Big W store to open in the now vacant space on Level 2. An AMF (now Zone) bowling alley with 28 lanes and children's play centre Run Riot opened on Level 3 around the year 2000.^[85]

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 from next to the centre entrance to the former Kmart, 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 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 called for The Chase Hotel to close down its pokies after it was revealed that almost $16 million was gambled in a year.^[86] 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 refurbished and extended, completed in September 2007. A dance studio began operating out of the former Forest Hill Cinema building on Mahoneys Road in 2012 but closed in 2014.^[87]

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 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. The redeveloped level officially re-opened on 15 December 2010 with some retailers opening earlier or later in the following months. Pancake Parlour closed and was replaced by TGI Fridays.^[88] 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. 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.^[89] The current seating capacities are 161 in cinemas 1, 2, 5 and 6 and 173 in cinemas 3 and 4.^[90]

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.

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 travelator located outside Woolworths with access to all levels.

The open space near Coles was refreshed in late 2024 with new modern floor tiles, enhanced ceiling features, upgraded architecturally incorporated lighting, and new seating & furniture pods. The nearby bathrooms were also upgraded. Repainting of the centre's external facade began in December 2024 and works have started to renovate the fresh food market for the first time in 13 years.

• 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.^[49]
• 15 June 1971 - Masked bandits and a bank teller fought a "running gun 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.^[91] Police subsequently commissioned a special squad to tackle armed hold-ups.^[92] A similar robbery described as a "carbon copy" of the one at Forest Hill occurred in 1974 at an ANZ bank in Prahran.^[93]
• 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 severe financial struggles.^[94][95]
• 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.^[96][97]
• 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 the Pacific Group to the Supreme Court, citing that the centre should be deemed a safety risk and closed to the public.^[98]
• 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 of them 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.^[99]

• January 1993 - Violence broke out between up to 30 people on the centre's second level. Police District Chief Superindenant Ron Braybrook said the incident, which could be described as a riot, began after a group of youths started arguing.^[100] 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.^[101]
• 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.^[102][103]
• 28 November 1998 - A man illegally entered the office of a shopkeeper and stole a briefcase.^[104]
• 30 August 2000 - Staff were attending to an ATM about 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.^[105]
• Early 2003 - A fire significantly damaged the "Phase 2" restaurant and karaoke bar situated at the corner of Mahoneys and Canterbury Roads. The building was subsequently reframed, repaired and reconfigured in 2004 to allow a separate tenancy on either level.^[37]
• 1 September 2011 - At around 10pm a male offender armed with a knife entered the Hungry Jacks restaurant and stole cash from a register.^[106]
• 4 May 2018 - A male offender allegedly produced a firearm and threatened a bus as it left the shopping centre about 6:40pm.^[107]
• 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 succeed at 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.^[108]
• 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.^[109] 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.^[110]
• 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.^[111]

• Official website
• Forest Hill Chase on Facebook

37°50′07″S 145°09′45″E / 37.8354°S 145.1625°E / -37.8354; 145.1625