the royal tour

As Melbourne’s Queen Victoria Market celebrates its 130th anniversary, we take one of its tours to unearth its history and discover the stalls

Lou Vairo, son of the
owner of Vic Market
Cake ShopWORDS ROBERTA MUIR
PHOTOGRAPHY FRANZ SCHEURER

Covering seven hectares just 1km from the city centre on the site of Melbourne’s first cemetery, the Queen Victoria Market has served the people of Melbourne since 1878. Originally both a retail and wholesale market, it was nearly lost in 1969 when the wholesale section was moved to Footscray and the State Government planned to develop the site. There was a public outcry, but it was the market’s verandah posts that saved the day, when the National Trust classified them as an example of 1920s craftsmanship and design.

Delicious olives and
Mediterranean dips
from Kathy’s Hellenic
DeliMost of the market’s buildings built in the late 1800s are now protected as historic buildings, including the shops along Victoria and Elizabeth Streets, some with raised arched doorways to allow delivery carts to be backed in. Many of these now house some of the market’s newest businesses such as Cocoro, a Japanese-inspired lounge and bar that offers flavoured coffees and teas (from gingerbread cappuccino to organic green tea lattés), snacks, sake tastings, boutique Japanese beers and delicate Japanese pottery.

With more than 800 traders, the market is one of the largest in the world and almost three-quarters of the 10 million visitors each year are from Melbourne, many doing their weekly shopping, while others come simply to experience the wonderful atmosphere at the largest open-air market in Australia.

Wayne Chitty from
Happy TunaThose who want to shop can choose from 80 fruit and vegetable stalls, 34 delicatessens, 24 butchers, 11 fishmongers, six poultry stalls, plus nearly 650 general merchandise traders. While visitors can join a guided tour every Tuesday, Thursday, Friday or Saturday, a great way to learn about the market is from the stallholders themselves, as well as sampling lots of goodies along the way.

The market’s style of trading has evolved over the years. In the oldest building, the Meat Hall built in 1869, meat was originally sold in 10-pound chunks and the first butcher to sell his meat already cut into chops was told it’d never catch on. Today, the Meat Hall is home to seafood, pork, beef, lamb, goat, rabbit, game, poultry, venison and a vast array of offal, which Don Jago, the third generation of his family to run Jago’s Quality Meats, says is enjoying a resurgence. Jago stresses his focus on premium produce with a sign above his counter proclaiming “We Don’t Yell To Sell”, a friendly dig at his neighbours who spruik their wares from the front of their stalls. One of the oldest, yet newest, businesses here is Happy Tuna owned by Wayne Chitty, whose grandfather started the stall selling rabbits in the 1920s, with Wayne making a strategic move into seafood in 1997.

Grab a snagger from
the Polish DeliThe Deli Hall, built in 1929, is a treasure trove of art deco design with original features such as marble counters. Melbourne’s evolving cultural diversity is most apparent here. In the early 20th century, most stall holders were of Anglo-Celtic descent, then came the post-World War II influx of eastern Europeans, introducing liverwurst, smoked eel, pickled cucumbers, rye bread and apple strudel. The ’50s and ’60s brought Italian, Greek and Turkish immigrants and their Mediterranean foods and, most recently, Vietnamese and other refugees from Asia, Africa and the Middle East have added their spicy flavours to the mix.

A visit to the market is
a feast for the sensesThe Mikulik sisters, Diana and Carolina, daughters of Austro/Czech/ Hungarian immigrants, virtually grew up in the hall’s Bratwurst Shop owned by their aunt, working there after school and on weekends. In 1990 when the stall was sold, they took over the Nut Trek stall opposite, whose range has evolved over the years to keep pace with the growing demand for health foods, so much so that in 1996 they opened a separate outlet, Tofu Trek, with arguably Australia’s widest selection of soy products and other Asian ingredients.

American Doughnut
KitchenBehind the Deli Hall are three sheds of fruit andvegetables. Although Chinese market gardeners have been supplying stallholders since the 19th century, it took Vietnamese refugees in the 1980s, such as Duyhchung Dinh, to establish the market’s first Asian produce stalls. Dinh’s stall at the entrance to the first fruit and vegetable shed has a wide reputation for quality and he and his staff are always willing to share recipes for the vast array of Asian herbs, greens and hard-to-find ingredients such as fresh lotus root.

Kon Giannoukas and daughter
Annastasia from Out of the
Blue SeafoodWith 32m2 devoted to organic produce, the market has Australia’s largest offering of organic fruits and vegetables under one roof. This is the place to buy rarely-seen, old-fashioned apples such as Cox’s Orange Pippin and Stewart (perfect for apple pie), to try strawberries that taste and smell the way they should, and to see tomatoes in an amazing array of sizes, shapes and colours.

Discover the flavour of organic
produce at Corinna’s Organic
Elements At the rear of the fresh produce halls is an old bus converted into the American Doughnut Kitchen – the antithesis of Krispy Kreme – selling handmade doughnuts with jam filling. Current owner Craig Christie continues the business his father started more than 60 years ago, and still keeps the recipe a closely guarded secret. You can watch the doughnuts being shaped and fried through the bus windows and a bag of cinnamon-sugar dusted doughnuts is an essential part of a visit to the market for many regulars.

A butcher prepares for work
at Jago’s MeatsUndoubtedly, the stallholders are the cornerstone of the market’s atmosphere, each peddling their wares with their own style and flair, helped along by buskers, a cooking school teaching everything from chocolate making to Singaporean hawker food, and the annual summer Night Market.

Queen Victoria Market is open Tuesday and Thursday (6am–2pm), Friday (6am–6pm), Saturday (6am–3pm) and Sunday (9am– 4pm). Corner Elizabeth & Victoria streets, tel: +61 (3) 9320 5822.

Great Australian Markets

• Sydney Fish Market on Blackwattle Bay is a working fish market offering Australia’s best array of fresh seafood, plus fruit and veg, a deli, bakery, bottle shop, fresh flowers and great fish ’n’ chips. 7am–4pm every day of the year except Christmas Day.

• Eumundi Market in the lush Noosa hinterland is a great array of local (often organic) produce as well as live music, hot food, arts, crafts and stalls with a health and wellbeing bent. Every Wednesday (8am–1.30pm) and Saturday (6.30am–2pm).

• Adelaide’s 135-year-old covered Central Market has stalls dedicated to meat, seafood, fruit and veg, deli, breads, wine, coffees and more. There’s a good range of organics and great hot meals, too. Tuesday (7am–5.30pm), Thursday (9am–5.30pm), Friday (7am–9pm), and Saturday (7am–3pm).

Photo: Tourism Tasmania• Darwin’s Mindil Beach Market is a highlight of the Top End’s “dry season” with food from Sri Lanka, Thailand, India, Malaysia, China, Indonesia and further afield plus arts, crafts and entertainment. Thursday and Sunday evenings April–October.

• Salamanca Market in Hobart’s historic waterfront precinct, is a colourful blend of fresh produce (think apples like you’ve never tasted before), hot food, clothing, music and wonderful wooden crafts. Saturdays (8.30am–3pm).