Prahran Market
Encyclopedia
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...
. It has existed on its present site in Commercial Road, South Yarra
South Yarra, Victoria
South Yarra is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 4 km south-east from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area are the Cities of Stonnington and Melbourne...
, some 200 metres from Chapel Street
Chapel Street, Melbourne
Chapel Street is a shopping, dining and entertainment precinct in Melbourne, Australia. It has a myriad shops ranging from exclusive upmarket fashion designers at the South Yarra end to old fashion pawnbrokers towards Windsor.-Geography:...
, for over 125 years. The market offers a variety of stalls and shops offering fresh fruit and vegetables, meat, fish, deli foods and cafes. The market is not open on Mondays and Wednesdays (Sundays has selected traders only).
Prahran Market is known as "the food lovers market" because of the quality and range of the food on sale. For those looking for a special item, Prahran Market is the place to find those hard to get specialties including heritage varieties of fruit and veg, unusual poultry, game,seafood and exotic cheeses.
Prahran Market is also the only Market in Melbourne to have a dedicated Market Square where the community enjoy performances, cafes and a childrens playground.
History
The original Prahran Market was established by the Prahran CouncilPrahran, Victoria
Prahran , also known colloquially as "Pran", is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 5 km south-east from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Stonnington. At the 2006 Census, Prahran had a population of 10,651. It is a part of Melbourne with...
in 1864 near the corner of Greville and Grattan Street, which today is covered by a garden and fountain. The council determined that due to the population growth during the 1850s, a central market place was required for the many small farmers and market gardeners in the area to sell their produce.
By 1881 the site had become overcrowded and the market was moved to its present location on Commercial Road. The erection of market buildings and extension of stalls was carried out in 1890 and the new Prahran Market was opened in 1891. The present façade
Facade
A facade or façade is generally one exterior side of a building, usually, but not always, the front. The word comes from the French language, literally meaning "frontage" or "face"....
on Commercial Road, which exhibits mannerist and Anglo-Dutch influences is much the same as it was in 1891 and includes the complete mansard roof
Mansard roof
A mansard or mansard roof is a four-sided gambrel-style hip roof characterized by two slopes on each of its sides with the lower slope at a steeper angle than the upper that is punctured by dormer windows. The roof creates an additional floor of habitable space, such as a garret...
. The market was further extended in 1923 and in the late 1920s refrigeration became available for perishable goods. The balcony above the Commercial Road shops was the site for Friday night concerts by The Salvation Army
The Salvation Army
The Salvation Army is a Protestant Christian church known for its thrift stores and charity work. It is an international movement that currently works in over a hundred countries....
.
The market became a distribution point of groceries, clothing and boots for the unemployed during the depression
Great Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
years of the 1930s. During the Second World War
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, most of the men in the market were conscripted into the armed forces and their wives and children undertook the job of buying, carting and selling produce. The fruit and vegetable section of the Market was destroyed in a fire on Boxing Day
Boxing Day
Boxing Day is a bank or public holiday that occurs on 26 December, or the first or second weekday after Christmas Day, depending on national or regional laws. It is observed in Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the United Kingdom and some other Commonwealth nations. In Ireland, it is recognized as...
1950, after which a temporary structure was erected. But it was not until 1972 that the Prahran Council sought tenders
Request for tender
A request for tender, commonly abbreviated to RFT, is a formal, structured invitation to suppliers for the supply of products or services. In the public sector, such a process may be required and determined in detail by law to ensure that such competition for the use of public money is open, fair...
for the redevelopment of the market site. The final stage of the redevelopment was completed in 1976 at a total cost of A$6.5 million.
In the 1990s an independent Board
Board of directors
A board of directors is a body of elected or appointed members who jointly oversee the activities of a company or organization. Other names include board of governors, board of managers, board of regents, board of trustees, and board of visitors...
was appointed to run the Market, major structural repairs and renovations to the market complex were completed, and a multi level carpark between Elizabeth and Barry Street was added.
Transport
The Sandringham railway service stops at South Yarra and Prahran railway stations while tram 72Melbourne tram route 72
Tram route 72 is a public transport service in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. It runs from the University of Melbourne in the city centre to Camberwell in the eastern suburbs. It runs through the suburbs of Melbourne, South Yarra, Toorak, Malvern, Glen Iris, and Camberwell...
travels along Commercial Road and stops at the Prahran market. Trams 78
Melbourne tram route 78
Tram route 78 is a public transport service in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. The route starts at the Victoria St terminus , then runs along Church St, Richmond, crossing Bridge Rd and Swan St . It continues over the Yarra River along Chapel St, crossing Toorak Rd at stop 49...
and 79
Melbourne tram route 79
Tram route 79 is a public transport service in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. It runs from North Richmond to St Kilda Beach through the suburbs of South Yarra, Prahran, Windsor, Balaclava, and St, Kilda. Like most tram routes in Melbourne, it is entirely within Metcard ticketing Zone 1...
run in Chapel Street
Chapel Street, Melbourne
Chapel Street is a shopping, dining and entertainment precinct in Melbourne, Australia. It has a myriad shops ranging from exclusive upmarket fashion designers at the South Yarra end to old fashion pawnbrokers towards Windsor.-Geography:...
and Bus Services 216,219 and 220 run along Commercial Road.