What Happened to the Warringah Mall Clock? | Lost Manly

This is the story of the Warringah Mall clock, one of the most remembered landmarks in Northern Beaches history.

The Warringah Mall Clock – and the Mall Many of Us Grew Up With

The other day I shared a few photos of the old clock being installed at Warringah Mall, and the response was incredible. One question kept coming up again and again:

What happened to the clock?

Unfortunately, the clock no longer survives at the Mall.

Many long-time Northern Beaches locals remember it well, but no one seems to know exactly when it disappeared — or where it ended up. It’s one of those small but meaningful pieces of local history that seems to have quietly slipped away.

Most believe it was removed during one of the major redevelopments in the late 1970s or 1980s, when the outdoor pedestrian mall and its original signage were redesigned. There are no confirmed public records showing it was preserved, suggesting it may have been scrapped — or removed without documentation.

But, as anyone who knows me will understand, I couldn’t leave it there.

So I went digging.

And what I found was a surprise.

According to the Northern Beaches Council Recollect archive, the clock is actually held within the Local Studies collection, preserved as part of the area’s history.

Well… let’s hope that’s true. It might be worth confirming with a librarian — just to be sure.

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Before the Mall – The Clock’s Earlier Life

What many people don’t realise is that the clock’s story begins long before Warringah Mall existed.

During World War II, (in June 1942), the clock tower on top of the Sydney GPO building was dismantled because authorities feared it could act as a navigation point for enemy aircraft. 

In its place, a large freestanding clock was installed in Martin Place so the public could still keep time in the city.

When the war ended and the GPO clock tower was reinstated, the Martin Place clock was no longer needed.

 

When the Mall Changed Everything – 1963

When Warringah Mall opened on 4 April 1963, it completely reshaped shopping on the Northern Beaches.

Before this, Manly had been the main shopping hub, and it took years for the shift inland to Brookvale to fully take hold.

Shopping hours were very different then:

• No Sunday trading

• No Thursday late-night shopping

• Shops closed at lunchtime on Saturdays

As a result, Saturday mornings at the Mall were absolutely heaving, with families rushing to finish their shopping before closing time.

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From Brookvale Farm to Regional Shopping Centre

The land beneath the Mall was once part of William Frederick Parker’s Brookvale farm

Four boys pose by an old wooden fence while behind them lies the flat agricultural land that is now covered by Warringah Mall. Left to right, Roy, Fred, Les and Alan Maclean. Sitting near entrance of present Warringah Mall off Old Pittwater Road. Sourced: NBC

From 1957, L. J. Hooker began assembling parcels of land, eventually creating a site large enough for a regional shopping centre.

The idea was controversial.

Some councillors feared it would damage surrounding areas — even turning Brookvale into a “ghost town.”

The first application was rejected in November 1959.

But revised plans were approved shortly after, and development moved ahead.

By 1961, the Hammerson Group had taken over the site, expanding it further to allow for future growth.

Opening Day – 1963

Warringah Mall officially opened on 4 April 1963 with around 50 retailers, including:

• David Jones, a two-storey department store that included a supermarket on the ground floor (later expanded to three storeys)
• Grace Bros Homemakers Store, selling furniture and white goods
• Nock & Kirby hardware
• Woolworths supermarket
• Franklins supermarket
• specialty retailers such as Mansours Manchester

Opening Day the calm before the storm...

Opening Day 1963 Walkers Meats Butcher

 

The centre quickly became not just a place to shop, but a place where the community gathered.

It quickly became more than just a shopping centre.

It became a community hub.

When the city no longer needed the temporary clock, it was later relocated to Warringah Mall (now Westfield Warringah Mall).

Arrival at Warringah Mall

In the late 1960s, Warringah Mall management purchased the clock, restored it, and installed it in a garden area within the centre.

(Note the shorts and bare feet; that's how we rolled, not a lot of health and safety regulations, nor cotton wrapping).

 

 

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Installing the Clock at Warringah Mall.

(Note the Safari Suit style shorts and long socks (and probably sandals). Men's high fashion of the day...1960-70s.)

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It quickly became a familiar meeting place — as it was right outside the Golden Eagle Cake shop and outdoor seating. 

The surrounding signpost in these photos helps date the era beautifully, pointing to:

• Commonwealth Bank

• Television Sales Office

• Bus Stop

• Post Office

• Taxi Rank

• Mini Maid Child Minding Centre

These were all early features of the Mall during the 1960s and early 1970s.

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The Magic of the Early Years

The early Mall was full of life, energy, and freedom.

At the heart of it all was the Rotunda, where regular entertainment was held.

The central courtyard, known as the Rotunda, regularly featured performances by well-known entertainers, 

while outside the Grace Bros Homemakers building, travelling circuses sometimes set up on the grass, with pony rides for children. 

Some of us even worked there during school holidays.

Some of us even worked there as kids during school holidays and long weekends — part of growing up around Warringah Mall in Brookvale in those early days. The pony rides were run by John and Jan, and at night the ponies were tethered in a paddock behind the Mall near the Grace Bros car park.

For the early starters, one of the first jobs of the day was walking the ponies through the quiet, empty car park to the front of the Mall — though every now and then, we’d take the chance to ride them bareback, just because we could.

By the end of the day, when the crowds had thinned and the car park had fallen silent again, we’d make the return journey — walking, or sometimes riding, back across to the fields where they spent the night. It was a simple rhythm, part of a time when there was a little more freedom, and a lot less worry, growing up on the Northern Beaches.

Nearby, next to the pony rides and trampolines, was something else many locals will remember — the entrance to the tunnels that ran beneath Warringah Mall. There was also a main entrance across Condamine Street towards Pittwater Road, but the one near the trampolines was more like a large manhole opening, with a fixed ladder leading down into the darkness below.

For an eight or ten year old, it was equal parts excitement and fear — the kind of place you probably shouldn’t have been, but went anyway. And like so many memories of those days, it’s something that seems almost impossible now.

Julie Moy (supplied photo) riding Flash, and Karen Ure standing beside Tubby, c1975. This was where the ponies set up shop and us kids worked there during weekends and school holidays in the mid 70s, and made lifelong friendships with a few too.

The ponies were tethered overnight behind the Mall and walked — or sometimes ridden bareback — across the car park each morning and evening.

Different times.

Different rules.

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Tunnels, Trampolines and a Bit of Fear

Next to the pony rides and trampolines was something many locals will remember:

the tunnels beneath the Mall.

There was an entrance near the trampolines — more like a manhole with a ladder leading down.

As kids, we explored them… even though they were pretty terrifying.

There was always that thought:

What if they flooded?

And that ever-present resin smell of Brookvale lingering in the background.

Aerial shot of the Mall where you can see the front entrance to the tunnels at the foot of the golf course at the intersection of Condamine Street and Pittwater Road. On the mall side of Condamine street, the small area of trees was where the ponies, trampolines,Putt Putt and Pizza Hut were. The Woolworths carpark was still just a dirt field where the travelling circuses would erect their tent and hold their animals. Woolies Parcel pick was out the front and several small businesses and services, such as dry-cleaners ran along the covered path towards the Old Pittwater Road entrance. Hoyts Cinemas was still years away from being built. 

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Circuses, Elephants and Putt Putt

Right next to the ponies, circuses like Burton’s and Sole Brothers would set up.

Once the show started, we’d sometimes sneak under the canvas to watch.

In 1972, Sole Brothers Circus elephants were photographed at Warringah Mall, a moment many locals still remember.

There was even a kid's train with a driver, that rode around the mall carpark as well as on the roof near the Old Pittwater Road entrance as can be seen in this photo. That outdoor area above Franklins was also the place where a BMX obstacle course was set up when BMX Bikes were the latest craze. I think it can be seen in the BMX Bandits movie, in Nicole Kidman's first movie role.

The Mall has changed many times since those early years, but memories of ponies, elephants, Putt Putt, tunnels, the clock, and those cookies are still part of growing up on the Northern Beaches.

The Mall wasn’t just somewhere to shop.

It was where you lived your childhood.

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The 1973 Woolworths Fire

On 20 November 1973, tragedy struck when a fire destroyed the Woolworths store, claiming the lives of two employees.

When it opened the store featured a cafeteria and restaurant on the top floor, which could also be hired for functions, and an outside staircase used for fashion shows, including popular spring fashion parades.

Following the fire, the centre underwent its first major redevelopment, including construction of the new Grace Bros (now Myer).

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Donuts, Fashion Shows and the Dolphin Fountain

Who could forget the donut machine — dropping perfect rings into hot oil, the smell of cinnamon and sugar filling the air.

Photos source David Folkes 1980s Warringah Mall series.

A Mall Full of Memories

For many of us who grew up around Brookvale and the Northern Beaches, Warringah Mall was more than just a shopping centre. It was where you got your first 'grown up' haircut, your prom dress, your ears pierced, met your first boyfriend from another local school...

It's where you 'hung out' on Thursday nights, met friends at the clock, the Rotunda, or the Mezzanine escalators, rode the ponies, played Putt Putt, watched the circus. It was growing up on the Northern Beaches.

And who could forget the smell of freshly baked cookies drifting out from David Jones, mixing with the coastal air and that distinct resin smell that always seemed to hang around Brookvale in those days.

The Dolphin Fountain

In 1988, the Mall gained one of its most recognisable features — the Dolphin Fountain, designed by sculptor Victor Cusack.

It was commissioned by Warringah Council as a Bicentennial legacy for the people of Warringah and was unveiled on 23 November 1988 by Councillor Julie Sutton, who had helped bring the project to life.

The unveiling featured performances by Tommy Tycho’s band, Julie Anthony, and Barry Crocker. The central Rotunda where the entertainment performed.

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Later Changes

In 1994, Warringah Mall was purchased by AMP Capital.

A major redevelopment followed in 1997, adding a large northern wing, a southern wing with a food court and entertainment precinct, an expanded cinema complex, and a new library. During this redevelopment the historic clock was moved to the central courtyard.

Ongoing Change

• 2003–2012: Westfield involvement and rebranding
  

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In March 2003, the Westfield Group purchased a 25% stake in AMP Capital’s interest, increasing it to 50% in 2012, when the centre was rebranded Westfield Warringah Mall.

The Mall’s 50th anniversary in 2013 was marked with a special Manly Daily supplement published on 2 May 2013.

• • 2015–2016: $310 million redevelopment

  Through each change, pieces of the original Mall quietly disappeared.

  Including… the clock.

 

The $310 Million Redevelopment

The most recent transformation began in 2015, when the Mall underwent a $310 million redevelopment.

Stage 1 included a five-level multi-storey car park and a new fresh food precinct near the Woolworths end.

Stage 2, completed in November 2016, included refurbishment of the Myer department store and a two-level retail arcade linking Myer with the Woolworths section.

During this redevelopment the Dolphin Fountain was moved slightly north, where it remains the main feature of the central courtyard today.

Preserving the Past

Many of the historic photographs shared through Lost Manly begin as damaged or faded originals that have been carefully restored over time.

Working with images like the Warringah Mall clock has become an important part of preserving Northern Beaches history, and I now offer a photo restoration and creative re-imagining service through the Lost Manly website.

If you have an old family photograph that’s creased, torn or fading with age, I’d be very happy to take a look and see what might be possible.

👉 Learn more about Lost Manly photo restoration

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With many thanks to the Northern Beaches Council Recollect archive, David Folkes’ Warringah Mall collection, the Dictionary of Sydney, and others who have helped preserve these stories.