To mark a decade since the Gold Reef Mall was reopened to traffic Stawell Times-News journalist Ben Kimber wrote a series of stories about the event.
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He spoke to Northern Grampians Shire Council, businesses and individuals who were all involved in the controversial transformation of the centre of town that still ranks as one of the most contentious issues in the town's history.
As part of the conclusion to the series of reports is this special online gallery with pictures of the Mall as we knew it more than 10 years ago, during the reversion to a Main Street and as we know it now.
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An aerial view of the Gold Reef Mall, as it was more than 10 years ago.
When opened on November 8, 1978 the Gold Reef Mall was the first mall for country Victoria and only the second of its type to be opened in Australia.
Despite all its unique features one of the major criticisms of the Gold Reef Mall was that it always appeared empty.
Business owners operate in almost unanimous agreement that the decision to reopen the Main Street to traffic has brought more people into the central business district.
The Memorial Fountain was one of the key features of the Gold Reef Mall.
Business owners believe opening the Main street to traffic turned what had become a dark and at times unsafe Mall into a vibrant meeting place.
The Mall as it was at the Western end prior to 2004.
The retention of a large part of the sidewalk allows for people to sit outside cafes and enjoy themselves as cars roll on by.
Park benches and plants were another big feature of the Gold Reef Mall.
Parallel parking is a feature of the Main Street, with four speed humps and a 20 km/h speed limit for vehicles travelling the bitumen.
Work began to transform the Mall into a traffic street in 2003. Northern Grampians Shire Council said it was only ever going to be the beginning of a process to revitalise the town's main shopping precinct.
The very early stage of the process to remove the pavement. But as you can see a lot of the sidewalk has to this day been retained.
Raised grassed areas were a feature that had to make way for the road traffic.
It took months to dig up the Mall and replace the surface with bitumen.
An aerial view of the centre of town just after the Mall was closed to the public and before it was transformed into a traffic road.
One of four pedestrian crossings that exist in the short length of the Main Street takes shape in 2003.
Pavement made way for gravel, but much of the sidewalk through the area redeveloped was retained.
An aerial view of the Main street as work to reopen the Main Street approached completion.
The Main street as it is today, open to traffic right the way through.
