Victoria Park Market facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Victoria Park Market |
|
|---|---|
 |
|
| Former names | Auckland Municipal Destructor and Depot |
| General information | |
| Type | Urban Village and retail complex, former market and prior to this a waste depot and incinerator |
| Location | 210 Victoria Street West, Auckland, New Zealand |
| Construction started | 1905 |
| Completed | 1918; 107 years ago |
| Landlord | Various - Contact John Garvey - 09 426 5522 |
| Height | |
| Antenna spire | 38 metres (chimney) |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect | J. Barree Johnson & Co. |
| Civil engineer | Alfred Wrigg, W.G.T. Goodman, Turnbull & Jones Ltd., Walter E. Bush and Harry Wrigg |
| Other designers | Meldrum Bros. Ltd |
| Official name: Auckland Municipal Destructor and Depot (Former) | |
| Designated: | 30-Jun-2006 |
| Reference #: | 7664 |
Victoria Park Market is a cool place in Auckland, New Zealand. It has shops, places to eat, and even a gym! This area is built inside old buildings that used to be a rubbish dump and a place where rubbish was burned.
It's in an area called Freemans Bay. Its name comes from the nearby Victoria Park, which was created in 1905. The park was named after Queen Victoria, who had died a few years earlier.
Until 2016, Victoria Park Market was a place selling crafts, souvenirs, and clothes. It then got a big makeover costing $22 million. This work made the old, historic buildings safe from earthquakes. Some new buildings were also added.
Fun weekend 'Pop Up Markets' started again in June 2017 after the makeover was finished. There's also a cool 'Celebrity Walk of Fame' that opened in 1984. It has handprints or footprints of famous New Zealanders. These include Sir Edmund Hillary, Dame Kiri Te Kanawa, Billy T James, John Walker, and Rachel Hunter.
The Market's History
The land where Victoria Park Market stands used to be part of a hill and part of the beach in Freemans Bay. In the late 1870s, people started to fill in the bay. This created more land, and shops and homes were built there. The street just behind the market is on top of what used to be an old sea cliff.
How the Buildings Were Used
From 1905 to 1918, many brickwork buildings were built on the site. They were first used to deal with the city's rubbish. This included a tall chimney, which is 38 meters high!
In 1907, work began on a power station. This station was meant to use the heat from burning rubbish to make electricity. It was finished in 1908, but it couldn't make enough power for the city. So, it was closed down in 1913. A new power station, which used coal, was built instead.
More buildings were added between 1914 and 1918. These included a two-story stable for 94 horses. These horses pulled the city's rubbish carts. There were also offices for the city council.
From Rubbish to Retail
After 1952, the stables were no longer used for horses. The 'Destructor' (the rubbish burning part) stopped working in 1972. However, the complex was still used as a place to collect rubbish until 1981.
The Auckland City Council originally planned to knock down the buildings. But people in the public campaigned to save them. Because of this, the council changed its mind. The buildings were then turned into a market and shopping area. Changes were made in 1983 and 1990 to help with this. The complex is now a Category I Historic Place under the Historic Places Act 1993. This means it's very important to New Zealand's history.
Another big makeover was planned but was delayed. Finally, a NZ$20 million refurbishment started in 2012. It was finished by mid-2013.
The newly refurbished market was called an "urban village." It became a fancy shopping area in a historic setting. It now has lifestyle and beauty shops, cafes, delis, restaurants, and bars.
Images for kids
-
Victoria Park Market today
