I visit the Vic Market quite often and use it in a variety of ways - I eat lunch in the 'deli' section if I am working in the city - I buy veggies there on the weekend if I want to make my weekend veggie shopping a little more exciting - and I take any OS visitors there for lunch and a walk around. I have also gone to the food nights that are held there and enjoy these. I think the charm of the market is that it is a real market - you can buy food there. The clothing stalls are also good. Vic market is a great mix of street performers, Spanish donughts, fresh fish, great coffee, hot chips, organic oats, metal structures, Melbourne characters, dogs, old people, fresh fruit, spruikers, all of this close to a tram and all of this steeped in history.
I think it would be great to highlight the market's past to a greater extent - the old cemetery. On the one hand this is good - but on the other - there are I understand - a lot of Aboriginal people buried under what is now the car park. I'm not sure whether this is acknowledged on the site at all - this would be something that I would be doing if it is not already in place. A tree in the centre of the car park that commemorates those who were buried there and particularly the Indigenous people who are buried there.
Mainly i agree with what others have written - keep it great by supporting or subsidizing it to remain a functioning market - where real people buy real food - not tourist trinkets.
Market Trader 01 Nov 2013, 11:35 Am
Some good points Simone. I often hear people say that the best part about QVM is that it is a "working market", full of hustle and bustle and a "people watchers" delight.
The "bric-a-brac" is probably overdone but I think it is easy for food shoppers to dismiss that aspect while tourists do embrace it. And I can assure you there are some gems amongst the bric-a-brac. It can certainly be improved - perhaps easier ways to move around, the creation of like-product precincts, a more interesting stall mix and less repetition.
Car parking is an issue, and for the food vendors, particularly important. They rely on large family purchases which are physically difficult to carry on public transport. Cars will remain an important mode of transport for the market.
As a trader, it is great to see this quality debate over the market's future.
These comments have been taken from the public comment forum on the City of Melbourne website. There are plenty more to see at - http://participate.melbourne.vic.gov.au/projects/queenvictoriamarket/forum_topics/what-aspects-of-the-queen-victoria-market-do-you-think-should-be-protected
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