McWhirters, Heritage shopping center in Fortitude Valley, Australia
McWhirters is an Art Deco shopping center occupying an entire block at the intersection of Brunswick Street Mall and Wickham Street. The structure spans multiple floors with various retail spaces inside.
The business started in 1898 as a small drapery shop and became one of Brisbane's largest department stores by the early 1900s. This expansion reflected the city's growth and retail success during that era.
The shopping center houses specialized stores offering Filipino, Indian, and Halal products, reflecting the multicultural makeup of Brisbane's population. This diversity is visible daily in the aisles and storefronts, where people from different communities find their traditional foods and goods.
The center contains more than 30 retailers spread across multiple floors with services from grocery shopping to jewelry repairs. Multiple levels mean you will need time to explore, especially if searching for specific shops.
The building retains its original pneumatic tube system from 1912 that transported money between floors during its department store days. This working system is a rare surviving example of early 20th-century retail technology and shows how stores operated back then.
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