Eastern Market, Melbourne
Encyclopedia
The Eastern Market was established in 1847 on the corner of Exhibition
and Bourke Streets
, Melbourne
, Australia
. The first incarnation of the market
was intended to be the city's principal fresh produce market, but it had been anticipated by the newly opened Queen Victoria Market
, which quickly took over this role. The Eastern Market lived on as a flower market and as a rendezvous for the city's workers, promenaders and curiosity seekers.
However, as Melbourne acquired more sophisticated amusements it was eclipsed in this role as well. Into its terminal decline in the 1950s, the Eastern Market retained a distinct flavour of sideshow raffishness; fortune tellers, test-your-strength machines, electric-shock therapists, tattoo artists, taxidermists and bric-a-brac dealers were among the last ghosts to desert it in the 20th century. The Market was demolished in 1962 and the Southern Cross Hotel was built on the site.
Exhibition Street, Melbourne
Exhibition Street is a major street in the central business district of Melbourne, Australia. The street is named after the World Heritage listed Royal Exhibition Building, which is located in the Carlton Gardens.- Geography :...
and Bourke Streets
Bourke Street, Melbourne
Bourke Street is one of Melbourne's best known streets. Historically been regarded as Melbourne's "second street", with the main street being Collins Street and "busier than Bourke Street" is a popular catchphrase. Bourke Street has traditionally been Melbourne's entertainment hub...
, Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
. The first incarnation of the market
Market
A market is one of many varieties of systems, institutions, procedures, social relations and infrastructures whereby parties engage in exchange. While parties may exchange goods and services by barter, most markets rely on sellers offering their goods or services in exchange for money from buyers...
was intended to be the city's principal fresh produce market, but it had been anticipated by the newly opened Queen Victoria Market
Queen Victoria Market
The Queen Victoria Market is a major landmark in Melbourne, Australia, and at around seven hectares is the largest open air market in the Southern Hemisphere. The Market is significant to Melbourne's culture and heritage and has been listed on the Victorian Heritage Register...
, which quickly took over this role. The Eastern Market lived on as a flower market and as a rendezvous for the city's workers, promenaders and curiosity seekers.
However, as Melbourne acquired more sophisticated amusements it was eclipsed in this role as well. Into its terminal decline in the 1950s, the Eastern Market retained a distinct flavour of sideshow raffishness; fortune tellers, test-your-strength machines, electric-shock therapists, tattoo artists, taxidermists and bric-a-brac dealers were among the last ghosts to desert it in the 20th century. The Market was demolished in 1962 and the Southern Cross Hotel was built on the site.