- 2 0 0 0 . ▁ ▁History ▁ ▁In ▁the ▁mid ▁ 1 9 6 0 s , ▁The ▁West field ▁Group ▁was ▁looking ▁to ▁expand ▁inter state ▁into ▁Queensland . ▁Co - found er ▁of ▁West field , ▁Frank ▁L owy ▁sent ▁his ▁brother ▁John ▁and ▁an ▁engineer ▁to ▁the ▁state ▁to ▁sc out ▁for ▁potential ▁sites ▁in ▁Br is b ane . ▁A ▁local ▁real ▁estate ▁agent , ▁Donald ▁Pet rie , ▁showed ▁them ▁the ▁current ▁site , ▁located ▁on ▁a ▁flo od ▁plain ▁with ▁a ▁cre ek ▁flow ing ▁through ▁it ▁in ▁a ▁growing ▁area ▁of ▁the ▁city . ▁ ▁Later , ▁the ▁West field ▁found ers ▁travel led ▁to ▁Br is b ane ▁to ▁inspect ▁the ▁site . ▁Re alis ing ▁the ▁commercial ▁potential ▁of ▁the ▁area , ▁the ▁company ▁purchased ▁the ▁property . ▁To ▁overcome ▁the ▁flo oding ▁issues , ▁West field ▁employed ▁exper ts ▁at ▁a ▁local ▁university ▁to ▁develop ▁a ▁plan . ▁The ▁solution ▁was ▁to ▁fill ▁and ▁raise ▁one ▁half ▁of ▁the ▁site ▁to ▁build ▁the ▁centre ▁and ▁construct ▁a ▁bridge ▁across ▁the ▁cre ek . ▁▁ ▁There ▁were ▁also ▁problems ▁finding ▁a ▁department ▁store ▁to ▁anchor ▁the ▁centre ▁and ▁filling ▁the ▁special ty ▁ret ail ▁spaces ▁at ▁the ▁centre . ▁As ▁To omb ul ▁was ▁close ▁to ▁the ▁Ch erm side ▁Sho pping ▁Centre , ▁which ▁was ▁anch ored ▁by ▁a ▁department ▁store , ▁other ▁department ▁stores ▁were ▁c aut ious ▁about ▁opening ▁so ▁close . ▁Another ▁problem ▁was ▁West field ▁was ▁an