Camberwell Fresh Food Market
Fresh-food marketplace in Camberwell, Victoria, Australia
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Camberwell Fresh Food Market is a public marketplace located in the suburb of Camberwell in Melbourne, Australia.
| Camberwell Fresh Food Market | |
|---|---|
Outside the main entrance of the Market in 2018. | |
 Interactive map of the Camberwell Fresh Food Market area | |
| General information | |
| Status | Open |
| Type | Public food market |
| Location | Camberwell, Victoria, Australia |
| Coordinates | 37.8311°S 145.0577°E |
| Construction started | 1928 |
| Completed | 25 March 1929[1] |
| Renovated | 2002,[1] 2023[2] |
History
The Market opened in 1929 on the site of a former horse carriage factory owned by future City of Camberwell councillor Harry Rooks and his business partner Harry Scott. Fittingly, it was Rooks who officially opened the market while a councillor.[3][4] It attracted complaints from local residents about traffic congestion soon after it opened.[5]
In 1953 it was sold by Camberwell Council to a private company, Ireland's Camberwell Market.[6] Soon after it was sold, Ireland's increased rents by 25% and proposed demolishing the market to build a new two-storey shopping mall with 110 shops, supermarket and carpark.[7][8]
Its popularity continued well into the 1960s until the first supermarket opened nearby. This drew trade away from the market which began to fall into a state of disrepair. By 1982 it was not well-patronised and considered to be old-fashioned and run down, to the point that Camberwell Council considered plans to demolish the market and redevelop the site.[4]
1992 fire
At around 5:30pm on 20 April 1992, a large fire was sparked by a fault with refrigeration equipment. It burned down most of the market and destroyed shops and their stock, including a well-known cockatoo called 'Eric' who was reported to be over 50 years of age.[4]
The extensive damage made the market unusable and forced businesses to trade from temporary premises until September 1992.[3] All premises were re-leased following repairs at an increased rent.[9]
Refurbishments
The building was refurbished by in 2002 with additional and upgraded facilities.[3]
In 2022 and 2023, further works by Boroondara Council added a new central dining area, public toilets and outdoor seating. This also included changes to opening hours, with some traders now opening on Sundays when the entire market was previously closed[10][2]
Description
The Market is open on Mondays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays between 7am and 5pm. Some traders also open on Sundays between 10am and 3pm.[11]
There are over 20 individual stalls. These mainly comprise fresh food shops including butchers, a greengrocer and a florist. The northern section includes some cooked food outlets with indoor and outdoor seating.[12]