MILLIONS of people have walked through the doors of Alexandra Hills Shopping Centre since it opened 40 years ago.
The centre - on the corner of Finucane Road and Cambridge Drive - was opened in the rapidly-growing satellite town of Alexandra Hills on November 19, 1979.
Among those in the crowd was Daryl Pattemore, whose father Reg owned original centre tenant Pattemore's Meats.
Then a young worker in the family business, Mr Pattemore remembered Ms Diller landing in a helicopter in the shopping centre carpark.
"(The opening of the shopping centre) was a milestone for the family business," he said.
"It used to be one big paddock out the front where Hungry Jack's and Red Rooster is now. It was all exposed aggregate back then too, so you could hear the trolleys rumbling through the whole centre.
"It's definitely changed a lot. We're now serving children of the people that used to come in back in the day."
When the centre opened, it housed tenants including food barn Jack the Slasher. The Alexandra Hills Post Office opened in the centre in 1982.
By 1983, Alexandra Hills was the second-largest region in the Redlands, behind Capalaba.
Now, the centre has two main stores - Woolworths and TK Maxx - as well as about 45 specialty shops and a small food court. It has parking for 600 cars as well as a post office, banks, dentist and chemist.
To celebrate its birthday, the shopping centre will give away a Volkswagen Polo. Until November 19, customers can spend 40 cents in the centre to go in the draw.
Mayor Karen Williams will draw 10 finalists who will each be given a key, one of which will open the car.
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