Queen Victoria Market facts for kids
The Queen Victoria Market, often called Vic Market or Queen Vic, is a famous spot in the heart of Melbourne, Australia. It covers a huge area, about 7 hectares (that's like 17 football fields!), making it the biggest open-air market in the Southern Hemisphere.
This market started being built in the 1860s and officially opened in 1878. It's the last big market left in Melbourne's city center from the old Victorian era. The market is so important that it's listed on special heritage registers, and about 10 million people visit it every year!
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History of the Market
How the Market Began
Melbourne's first official fruit and vegetable market was the Western Market, started in 1841. As Melbourne grew, another market, the Eastern Market, opened and became very popular.
The land where the Queen Victoria Market now stands was once an old cemetery. This cemetery closed in 1854. Many of Melbourne's first settlers, including the city's founder John Batman, were buried there. Even though the cemetery closed, some burials continued until 1917. It's thought that about 10,000 people were buried on the site, but we don't know the exact number because the records were lost in a fire.
After the cemetery closed, smaller markets popped up nearby in the late 1850s to serve Melbourne's fast-growing population. One part of the market, now called the Deli Hall and Meat and Fish Hall, was first planned for fruits and vegetables in 1857. But its closeness to the cemetery made it unpopular. So, it was used for livestock until 1867, when a large brick building (now the Meat and Fish Hall) was built.
Opening and Growing Bigger
In 1877, construction started on the market's A-F sheds. The Queen Victoria Market officially opened in 1878. It quickly grew, selling lots of fruits and vegetables, which led to more sheds being built. Once finished, the market covered two city blocks! Shops were added along Elizabeth Street in 1880, and the famous front of the Meat and Fish Hall was built in 1884.
Some of the market sheds were built over parts of the old cemetery where Jewish, Aboriginal, and Quaker people were buried. Between 1920 and 1922, 914 bodies were carefully moved and re-buried in other cemeteries, like the Fawkner Cemetery. More sheds and brick stores were built in the 1920s and 1930s. These stores were for people who sold goods in large amounts. However, due to problems, this wholesale market was moved to Footscray in 1969. Today, only a row of stores along Franklin Street remains from that time.
Saving the Market
In the 1960s and 1970s, there were plans to tear down the Queen Victoria Market to build a car park or a new business complex. But people loved the market and protested loudly to save it! This public outcry worked, and the market was protected by the National Trust. This means its buildings and site are now recognized as important historical places.
The Market Today
The Queen Victoria Market is still here today, looking much like it did in the 1800s. It's a huge attraction for visitors to Melbourne, adding to the city's culture and history. The market is open every day except Mondays and Wednesdays. In the summer, there's a special night market on Wednesday evenings with food, drinks, live music, and lots of different stalls.
You can find all sorts of things at the market: fresh fruits and vegetables, meat, chicken, seafood, fancy deli foods, and special treats. There's also a big section that doesn't sell food, where you can buy clothes, shoes, jewelry, and handmade crafts.
The market has had some updates over the years. In 2003, solar panels were added, which produce enough energy to power the whole market and even have some left over! City leaders have also talked about making the market even better, perhaps by adding more special food stalls. There's even a plan to try and get the market recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, which would be a huge honor!
Market Buildings
Many of the market's original buildings are still standing, letting visitors see what a 19th-century market looked like. The Meat Hall, built in 1869, is the oldest building and still looks much the same. The front of the Elizabeth Street building, built in 1884, is also mostly original. The shops along Elizabeth and Victoria Streets, built between 1882 and 1891, are important and beautiful buildings. They give visitors a chance to shop in a street that feels like it's from the 1800s.
Images for kids
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Melbourne founder John Batman was among the early colonists buried on the current site of the market.
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Elizabeth Street shops and cafes
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Dairy Produce Hall, Franklin Street
