Tucked away in Macquarie Park in Northern Sydney, Macquarie Centre is one of those places that quietly becomes a permanent fixture in your weekly routine. It is not just another shopping centre — it is a genuine community hub, a place where you might head in for a coffee and walk out three hours later having ticked off your grocery shopping, caught up on the latest cinema release, browsed through half a dozen fashion stores, and watched a hockey match on one of Sydney’s most iconic ice rinks.
With more than 350 stores and services spread across four levels, a 4.3-star rating on Google backed by over 16,000 reviews, and the kind of retail mix that caters to every budget and taste, Macquarie Centre punches well above its weight. Whether you live locally in Macquarie Park, Ryde or North Ryde, commute through the area via the Sydney Metro, or are visiting from further afield, this place rewards every visit.
Macquarie Centre at a Glance
| Detail | Information |
| Address | Herring Road & Waterloo Rd, Macquarie Park NSW 2113 |
| Phone | +61 2 9887 0800 |
| Stores & Services | 350+ |
| Parking Spaces | 4,900 (3 hours free) |
| Floors | 4 levels |
| Management | Dexus / The GPT Group |
| Google Rating | 4.3 stars (16,791+ reviews) |
| Transport | Sydney Metro – Macquarie University Station; buses at the door |
Macquarie Centre Opening Hours
Macquarie Centre keeps welcoming hours across the week, with extended trading on Thursday evenings for those mid-week shopping missions. Saturday morning shoppers can get in early from 9:00 am, and Sunday trading allows for a relaxed start at 10:00 am.
| Day | Opening Hours |
| Monday | 9:30 am – 6:00 pm |
| Tuesday | 9:30 am – 6:00 pm |
| Wednesday | 9:30 am – 6:00 pm |
| Thursday | 9:30 am – 9:00 pm |
| Friday | 9:30 am – 6:00 pm |
| Saturday | 9:00 am – 6:00 pm |
| Sunday | 10:00 am – 6:00 pm |
Note: Individual retailers, dining venues, the cinema complex, and the ice rink may operate on their own hours. It is always worth checking directly with specific stores for holiday trading periods.
Getting There: Location & Transport
Macquarie Centre sits at the corner of Herring Road and Waterloo Road in Macquarie Park NSW 2113 — directly opposite the main campus of Macquarie University. This location has made it a natural meeting point for students, academics, local residents, and commuters from across Northern Sydney and beyond.
By Sydney Metro
The centre is brilliantly served by the Sydney Metro North West Line. Macquarie University Station is practically at the front door, making Macquarie Centre one of the most public-transport-accessible suburban shopping destinations in all of Sydney. No need to fight for a park or sit in traffic — you can be at Wynyard or Central in around 20 minutes, then hop off at Macquarie University Station and walk straight in.
By Bus
Bus stops line Herring Road at the centre’s main entrance, connecting Macquarie Park to the CBD, North Shore suburbs, Northern Sydney, and Greater Western Sydney. Multiple bus routes operated by State Transit, CDC NSW, and Transit Systems serve the precinct, making it genuinely one of the easiest shopping centres to reach without a car in Sydney.
By Car & Parking
For those who prefer to drive, Macquarie Centre offers one of Sydney’s largest shopping centre car parks with 4,900 spaces across multiple levels. Better still, three hours of free parking is included, giving you plenty of time to get through your shopping list without watching the clock. Multiple street access points from both Herring Road and Waterloo Road make entry and exit straightforward, though peak weekend periods can be busy near the entry ramps — arriving just before opening on Saturday is a genuine insider tip.
Shopping at Macquarie Centre
With more than 350 stores and services, Macquarie Centre covers an extraordinary range of retail needs — and it does so across four well-designed levels that flow naturally through the building. The centre’s layout follows an ‘incline mall’ design built around a distinctive spiral staircase and sundial water fountain, giving it a character you simply do not find in cookie-cutter suburban malls.
Fashion & Apparel
Fashion lovers are spoiled for choice here. The mix of global fast-fashion giants and premium Australian labels makes it easy to shop across multiple budgets in a single visit. You will find international heavyweights like H&M, Zara, and UNIQLO sitting alongside established Australian designers including Zimmermann, Scanlan Theodore, Gorman, and Sass & Bide. Whether you are refreshing your wardrobe for a new season or hunting down something special for an occasion, the fashion offering here is among the strongest of any suburban centre in Sydney.
Beauty & Health
Beauty retailers are well represented at Macquarie Centre. Sephora brings its full global range of skincare, makeup, and fragrance to the centre, complemented by a mix of pharmacy options and specialty health and wellness outlets. If you are looking for a proper pamper, endota spa offers professional treatments within the centre — one of those unexpectedly luxurious touches that elevate the overall experience.
Major Department Stores & Supermarkets
Myer anchors the centre as its major department store, offering the full range from homewares and bedding to fashion, electronics, and cosmetics. For weekly groceries, shoppers can choose from Woolworths, Coles, and Aldi — all under one roof. The fact that you can grab your fresh produce, do a clothing shop, pick up a birthday gift, and see a film all in the same visit is precisely what makes Macquarie Centre so time-efficient for busy Northern Sydney families.
Electronics & Tech
Tech and electronics needs are well catered for across several specialist retailers. Whether it is a new phone, laptop accessories, or home entertainment gear, the centre has solid coverage in this category that appeals strongly to the university student demographic and surrounding professional community.
Home & Lifestyle
Home goods, furniture, kitchenware, and lifestyle retailers round out an already strong retail mix. The centre draws a loyal base of locals who appreciate the convenience of handling home, fashion, and grocery shopping without needing to visit multiple locations across Northern Sydney.
Dining at Macquarie Centre: Food for Every Mood
The dining scene at Macquarie Centre is one of its genuine strengths. This is not your average food court — though the food court itself is large, well-maintained, and stacked with variety. The overall dining offer spans everything from a quick coffee between shops to a proper sit-down lunch or dinner.
The Food Court
The food court brings together an impressive breadth of cuisines, reflecting the diversity of Northern Sydney’s population. Japanese, Korean, Chinese, Thai, Indian, Vietnamese, Middle Eastern, and Western options sit alongside local favourites and fresh juice bars. The seating is plentiful and generally easy to find even during the lunchtime rush, which is not something you can say about many Sydney shopping centre food courts.
Cafes & Coffee
Coffee culture is alive and well at Macquarie Centre. Multiple dedicated cafes are positioned throughout the building, and the standard of coffee genuinely holds up to the broader Sydney cafe scene. Whether you need a flat white to start the morning or an afternoon pick-me-up between shops, you will not be searching for long. The proximity to Macquarie University means there is a steady clientele of discerning coffee drinkers and the cafes have risen to meet that standard.
Sit-Down Restaurants
Beyond the food court, Macquarie Centre offers a selection of sit-down dining venues suited to a more relaxed meal. These are particularly popular with families looking to make a day of it, or with the after-cinema crowd wanting to debrief over a meal. The dining areas are generally spacious and comfortable, with the kind of ambient energy that comes from a centre that knows it is catering to a community, not just passing foot traffic.
Entertainment: More Than Just Shopping
What truly separates Macquarie Centre from most other Sydney suburban shopping centres is the calibre of its entertainment offering. This is a full day out — and has been for decades.
Macquarie Ice Rink
The ice rink is genuinely iconic. Macquarie Centre is home to one of only two full-size ice rinks in Sydney, and it is the only shopping centre in the city to feature an Olympic-standard rink measuring 60 metres by 30 metres with seating for approximately 2,000 spectators. It is home to the Sydney Bears and Sydney Ice Dogs ice hockey teams, which adds a unique sporting dimension to the centre. The rink hosts recreational skating sessions open to the public, ice dancing, speed skating, and competitive hockey matches. For families with children, the ice rink alone makes a visit to Macquarie Centre worth the trip.
Event Cinemas
A 16-screen Event Cinemas complex occupies the upper levels of the centre, providing one of Northern Sydney’s primary cinema destinations. The multiplex screens new releases across its range of formats, making it a natural evening destination. The combination of cinema, dining, and easy Metro access means the centre functions just as comfortably as a night-out destination as it does a daytime shopping trip.
Strike Bowling
Strike Bowling brings another entertainment dimension to the mix, popular with groups and families looking for something active and social beyond shopping and dining. Combining bowling with a relaxed bar and dining environment, it is the sort of activity that can turn a quick shopping trip into a properly fun group outing.
Kids & Family Spaces
Macquarie Centre has invested in family-friendly spaces throughout the building. Play areas and children’s activity zones are dotted through the centre, giving parents a moment to breathe while the kids burn off some energy. Pram-friendly layouts, ample baby change facilities, and the open, airy design of the building make it one of the more comfortable centres in Sydney for families with young children.
Centre Services & Facilities
Beyond its retail and entertainment credentials, Macquarie Centre takes the practical side of a shopping visit seriously. The following services and facilities make life easier for every visitor:
- Clean, accessible public toilets located throughout all four levels
- Touchscreen information kiosks with interactive centre maps — extremely useful on your first visit given the size of the building
- Ample seating areas dispersed across the centre, ideal for a break during a long shop
- Wheelchair-accessible design throughout with lifts between all levels
- Wi-Fi connectivity available throughout the centre
- Gift cards accepted at participating retailers
- Valet parking available for an elevated arrival experience
- ATMs and banking services within the centre
- Dry cleaning, tailoring, and personal services
- Pathology and medical services available on-site
Insider Tips for Visiting Macquarie Centre
If you are heading to Macquarie Centre for the first time, or if you want to get the most out of a visit, these practical tips will serve you well:
- Arrive via Metro if possible — Macquarie University Station drops you right at the entrance and saves the car park queue on busy weekends
- Thursday evenings are extended to 9:00 pm — a great time for a relaxed after-work shop and dinner
- Use the touchscreen information boards inside the centre to orient yourself before you start — the building is large and the spiral layout can disorient first-timers
- The spiral staircase and sundial water fountain at the centre of the building is an excellent meeting point
- If you are driving, the car park fills quickly on Saturday mornings — arriving before 10:00 am makes things noticeably easier
- Check the Event Cinemas app in advance for session times if you are planning a cinema visit — particularly on school holidays when sessions book out
- The ice rink runs public sessions on a schedule — check directly with Macquarie Ice Rink for public skating times if that is part of your plan
- For families, the food court is a reliable and affordable option — the variety of cuisines suits even the pickiest young eaters
What Makes Macquarie Centre Different
Sydney has no shortage of shopping centres. From Westfield Sydney in the CBD to larger suburban centres across the city, the competition is genuinely stiff. So why does Macquarie Centre maintain such a loyal following and a consistently high rating?
The honest answer is that it combines breadth, convenience, and genuine community character in a way that feels earned rather than manufactured. The centre opened back in November 1981 and has grown with the suburb and the university that sits across the road from it. That history gives Macquarie Centre a sense of place that newer developments struggle to replicate.
The ice rink is perhaps the single most telling detail. It is not a gimmick or an afterthought — it has been part of the centre since its earliest years, it hosts competitive professional teams, and it has introduced generations of Northern Sydney families to ice skating. That kind of community investment does not happen in centres that are just chasing foot traffic figures.
The Metro connection is the modern equivalent. Rather than being designed purely for car-dependent visitors, Macquarie Centre has leaned into its position on the Metro North West Line to become one of Sydney’s most genuinely public-transport-friendly shopping destinations. That matters increasingly in a city where traffic and parking are constant concerns.
Add the diversity of the food offer, the quality of the fashion mix, the practical convenience of having three major supermarkets in the one building, and the entertainment options that keep families occupied well beyond a standard shopping trip, and Macquarie Centre makes a compelling case for being the most complete suburban shopping centre in Northern Sydney.
The Verdict: Worth Every Visit
Macquarie Centre earns its reputation not through marketing, but through genuine substance. It is the kind of place that works for almost everyone — the local family that needs groceries and a haircut, the student grabbing lunch between lectures, the couple making a day of shopping and a movie, or the visitor to Sydney wanting a taste of how the Northern suburbs live and shop.
The combination of Metro access, free parking, a genuinely diverse retail and dining offer, and one-of-a-kind entertainment anchors like the Olympic ice rink and 16-screen cinema makes Macquarie Centre hard to beat. It is not trying to be the flashiest centre in Sydney — it is simply one of the most complete, most accessible, and most reliably enjoyable.
If you have not visited recently, now is a good time to head back. And if you are coming for the first time, find the spiral staircase, grab a coffee, and take your time — there is a lot more here than you might expect.
Address: Herring Road & Waterloo Road, Macquarie Park NSW 2113 | Phone: +61 2 9887 0800
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Macquarie Centre located?
Macquarie Centre is located at the corner of Herring Road and Waterloo Road in Macquarie Park, NSW 2113. It sits directly opposite the main campus of Macquarie University in the Northern Sydney region.
How do I get to Macquarie Centre by public transport?
The easiest option is the Sydney Metro North West & Bankstown Line to Macquarie University Station, which is right next to the centre’s entrance. Multiple bus routes also serve the Herring Road bus stop directly in front of the main entrance, connecting to the CBD, North Shore, and surrounding suburbs.
Is parking free at Macquarie Centre?
Macquarie Centre offers three hours of free parking across its 4,900-space multi-level car park. Valet parking is also available for an additional fee. The car park has multiple entry points from both Herring Road and Waterloo Road.
What are the opening hours at Macquarie Centre?
Standard trading hours are Monday to Wednesday and Friday from 9:30 am to 6:00 pm, Saturday from 9:00 am to 6:00 pm, and Sunday from 10:00 am to 6:00 pm. Thursday is extended to 9:00 pm. Individual stores, the cinema, and the ice rink may have their own operating hours.
Does Macquarie Centre have a cinema?
Yes. The centre has a 16-screen Event Cinemas complex located on the upper levels, screening new releases across a variety of formats. It is one of the largest cinema complexes in Northern Sydney.
Is there an ice rink at Macquarie Centre?
Macquarie Centre is home to the Macquarie Ice Rink, one of only two full-size Olympic-standard ice rinks in Sydney, measuring 60 metres by 30 metres with seating for around 2,000 people. The rink hosts public skating sessions, ice hockey (home to the Sydney Bears and Sydney Ice Dogs), ice dancing, and speed skating events.
How many stores does Macquarie Centre have?
Macquarie Centre has more than 350 stores and services across four levels. This includes fashion, beauty, electronics, homewares, three major supermarkets (Woolworths, Coles, and Aldi), Myer department store, dining outlets, and a range of personal services.
Is Macquarie Centre good for families?
Absolutely. The centre is exceptionally family-friendly with dedicated children’s play areas, pram-accessible layout, clean and convenient baby change facilities, the ice rink (a perennial favourite with kids), Strike Bowling, a large food court with diverse options, and ample seating throughout.
What restaurants and cafes are at Macquarie Centre?
Macquarie Centre has a large food court offering cuisines from across Asia and beyond, sit-down restaurants, multiple cafes for quality coffee, and a fresh food market area. The dining offer caters to everyone from a quick solo lunch to a family dinner outing.
What is the Google rating of Macquarie Centre?
Macquarie Centre holds a 4.3-star rating on Google with over 16,791 reviews, reflecting consistently strong visitor satisfaction across shopping, dining, entertainment, and facilities.
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At OzKiwilife, Debashrita Majhi contributes fresh perspectives on lifestyle, technology, entertainment, and online culture. His writing style combines clarity, creativity, and real-world insights to connect with readers from different backgrounds. He is passionate about digital media, content marketing, and building valuable online resources that help people stay informed in a fast-changing world.
