{{Short description|Shopping and entertainment centre in Melbourne, Australia}} {{for|the NFP arts organisation in Adelaide|JamFactory}} {{Use dmy dates|date=November 2019}} {{Use Australian English|date=August 2019}} right|thumb|250px|Jam Factory, Chapel Street thumb|right|250px|Jam Factory interior

'''The Jam Factory''' was a shopping and entertainment centre, located in Chapel Street, South Yarra, a suburb of Melbourne, Australia. The Jam Factory is owned by Newmark Capital. It is also the headquarters of Village Roadshow.

==History== The Jam Factory was originally established as the ''Victorian Brewery'' in 1858, having a value of 150 pounds. The brewery shut down in 1876, with the building and land then being purchased the same year by Robert Wright and Robert Payne, who began the ''Victoria Preserving Company''.<ref name=History>{{cite web|url=http://www.thejamfactory.com.au/www/226/1001127/displayarticle/1001385.html|title=History|website=Jam Factory|accessdate=1 October 2009}}</ref>

By 1880, it was named the ''Red Cross preserving company''. During the fruit season it employed 230 people, and was the largest employer in Prahran.<ref name=History/> William Peacock bought the premises and turned it into the 'OK' Jam Co in 1895 and resold it to Henry Jones IXL. Jam production continued in the building for this firm until 1970.<ref name=WAtoday>{{cite web|url=http://www.watoday.com.au/national/jam-factory-set-for-700m-revamp-20080624-2w6d.html|title=Jam Factory set for $700m revamp|website=WAtoday|author=Pallisco, Marc|date=24 June 2008|accessdate=1 October 2009}}</ref>

At a cost of $20 million the site was redeveloped and opened on 9 October 1979 as a shopping centre<ref name=WAtoday/> named The Jam Factory, offering modern fashion, gift stores and cafes, among others. Georges had a store. In 1995 it was redeveloped again.<ref name=WAtoday/> Village Cinemas took the upstairs space. Georges moved out and many tenants changed.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20230204070327/https://www.afr.com/politics/the-jam-factory-tarted-up-for-trendies-19950803-k6jmr The Jam Factory tarted up for trendies] ''Australian Financial Review'' 3 August 1995</ref>

The shopping centre also housed the first Australian Borders shop opening in 1998. It has since closed, along with the rest of the bankrupt chain, in 2011, when its regional parent company, REDgroup Retail, went into administration. The Jam Factory was also chosen by Brazin to be the first site to reintroduce Virgin Megastores in Australia opening in 2002. It was closed by Sanity in 2010 with the Virgin space then occupied by the country's first Urban by Target store.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2002/04/15/1018333481104.html|title=Virgin plays to youth in rebirth of music Megastores|first=Annie|last=Lawson|work=The Age|date=16 April 2002|accessdate=13 February 2013}}</ref><ref name=SMH030911>{{cite web|url=http://www.smh.com.au/business/urban-cool-in-target-sights-20110902-1jq6b.html|title=Urban cool in Target sights|first=Marc|last=Pallisco|work=Sydney Morning Herald|date=3 September 2011|accessdate=13 February 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.realestatesource.com.au/wesfarmers-to-unveil-new-concept-store-urban-at-target-in-melbourne.html|title=Wesfarmers to unveil new concept store, Urban at Target, in Melbourne|first=Marc|last=Pallisco|work=RealEstateSource.com.au|date=22 June 2011|accessdate=13 February 2013}}</ref>

Before these major tenants closed their Jam Factory outlets, its owner, Challenger, announced in June 2008 a $700 million redevelopment that did not proceed. It would have seen the historic factory building demolished and replaced with a new style shopping centre (54,000 square metres of shops, more than double the present size), apartment towers built on the car park closest to Virgin Megastore/Urban by Target, 8,000 square metres of office space, and a 100-room hotel. Challenger then attempted to sell the entire site in May 2009 for about $110 million without success.<ref name=WAtoday/><ref name=SMH030911/> In 2015, the Jam Factory was purchased by Newmark Capital.<ref name="GurnerQualitasRevamp">[https://web.archive.org/web/20210329120636/https://www.afr.com/property/commercial/gurner-qualitas-to-breathe-life-into-jam-factory-20210329-p57ew5 Gurner, Qualitas to breathe life into Jam Factory] ''Australian Financial Review'' 29 March 2021</ref>

In early 2024, Newmark Capital sold its remaining stake in the Jam Factory to a joint venture between Gurner Group and Qualitas, who became the sole owners and developers of the site. Led by Tim Gurner and Mark Fischer respectively, the partnership announced a $2.75 billion redevelopment plan, including luxury residences, two hotels, a wellness precinct, and a reimagined cinema and dining complex. Ahmed Fahour AO, former CEO of Australia Post, was appointed Group CEO of Gurner Group in late 2024 to oversee the expansion. In November 2024, Village Cinemas announced the closure of their Jam Factory cinema, and it, along with the Jam Factory closed the following month, following plans for a complete rebuild into a new cinema and dining complex, including apartments, a luxury hotel and a revamped movie theatre.<ref name="SayGoodbye1995">{{Cite web |title=Say Goodbye Like Its 1995 |url=https://villagecinemas.com.au/events/say-goodbye-like-its-1995}}</ref>

On 19 September 2025, a fire broke out at the under-construction site, with the blaze engulfing about a third of a three-storey brick building which was still standing on the Garden Street side of the historical site.<ref name="JamFactoryFire">{{cite news |title=Fire at the Jam Factory complex in South Yarra damages Melbourne construction site |url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-09-19/fire-at-the-jam-factory-movie-dining-complex-under-construction/105792298 |work=ABC News |date=19 September 2025 |accessdate=19 September 2025}}</ref> This took place during active demolition and is currently under investigation by Victoria Police and the Arson Squad.<ref name="GurnerQualitasRevamp" /><ref name="SayGoodbye1995" /><ref name="JamFactoryFire" /><ref name="FahourBTR">{{cite web |title=Gurner Group makes new CEO appointment |url=https://www.btrnews.au/gurner-group-makes-new-ceo-appointment/ |website=BTR News |date=12 December 2024 |access-date=20 September 2025}}</ref>

==References== {{reflist}}

==External links== * {{Official website|www.thejamfactory.com.au}} {{Shopping centres in Victoria}} {{coord|37|50|34|S|144|59|44|E|region:AU-VIC_type:landmark|display=title}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Jam Factory}} Category:Buildings and structures in the City of Stonnington Category:Defunct shopping malls Category:Heritage-listed buildings in Melbourne Category:Manufacturing plants in Melbourne Category:Shopping centres in Melbourne Category:Shopping malls established in 1979 Category:Shopping malls disestablished in 2024 Category:1979 establishments in Australia Category:Postmodern architecture in Australia Category:South Yarra