Cr Margaret O’Neill, who opened Goulburn Marketplace in 1996, will officially cut the cake on Saturday, July 16, at 11am.

Everyone is invited to drop by 12-20 Verner St for a slice of the celebration!

A slice of history

ON Sunday, July 14 in 1996, more than 150 people braved a chilly dawn to attend the opening of Goulburn’s $10 million Marketplace shopping complex.

The new building housed a Woolworths supermarket and 10 speciality shops.

At 8.15am, the then Federal Minister for Transport and Regional Development, John Sharp, joined then Goulburn Mayor Margaret O’Neill for the official opening.

By 9am, the complex was full of shoppers, wrote Goulburn Post reporter Katie Bland.

Mr Sharp’s morning address said the event was one of the greatest in Goulburn’s recent history.

“This is a special event for Goulburn and today we have an opportunity to celebrate one of the most important occasions we have had in many years,” Mr Sharp said.

Cr O’Neill thanked Marketplace own Andrew Lederer for his contribution to Goulburn.

“Today we see how people are investing in Goulburn . . .”, Cr O’Neill said. “These are people we are proud to be associated with and I thank Woolworths for this great building and hope we will flourish from now on.”

Mr Lederer said the complex was the result of hard work and determination. “When it first started there was a lot of talk about pulling down the old wool store, but I think everyone can see now what it means, building a beautiful centre for the benefit of the people in the Goulburn area,” he said.

Guests included then member for Southern Highlands Peta Seaton, Woolworths executives, and Australian entrepreneur Dick Smith, who made a surprise visit from his Gunning property