Melbourne may be the first city in Australia to open an official Apple Store, beating out Sydney, which is also rumored to have an Apple presence on the way. Construction appears to have already begun for Appleis retail store in the cityis Chadstone Shopping Centre, according to ifoAppleStore.
The mall is one of the largest in the southern hemisphere and recently completed an AU$88 million renovation project. Chadstone Shopping Center is home to 450 shops and restaurants.
Word that Apple was planning its own retail locations in Australia surfaced in February 2007. At that time, the Melbourne location was rumored to be a multi-level glass structure with features similar to Appleis New York and San Francisco flagship stores.
If you happen to be visiting the mall, you can see Appleis "opening soon" sign next to the Nike Women store on the ground floor. There is no word yet on when Appleis Melbourne store will officially open.