By KATH GANNAWAY
THERE’S nothing new about markets. They have been around for as long as people have needed to eat, drink and dress.
Places such as Victoria Market in the city, and Hobart’s Salamanca Market are iconic city markets … and for good reason – fantastic local produce, amazing hand-crafts, trash that simply through the imagination of a new owner is restored to ‘treasure’ status.
But it’s in the country towns that markets have found their renaissance in the past 20 or so years, and it’s fair to say that there’s a market or two, or three … or four, every weekend throughout this region.
There are the monthly community markets, school markets, fifth-Sunday markets, harvest markets and organic markets and autumn is an ideal time to check them out; not too hot, not too wet (with any luck).
There’s that burst of energy that comes as the seasons settle and the days shorten … and, perhaps, there’s even a few more ‘disposable’ coins in the purse as the expense of Christmas ebbs.
Whether you’re looking for the ingredients for a sumptuous dinner, or a gift for a friend, a plant to fill that space left vacant after summer, or a hand-knitted pair of socks in preparation for winter, you are very likely to find what you want at a local market.
Art and apples; books and beanies; clothing, cakes and cackle-berries … enough with the alphabet!
Did I mention jewellery and jams?
Rocking horses and rockyroad?
Tools and toys?
Markets can also be reason (if any were needed) to visit a new place, meet different people and enjoy the opportunity to browse or buy in a beautiful location.
For information on local markets, inquire at any one of the regional information centres.
Dandenong Ranges VIC, 1211 Burwood Hwy, Upper Ferntree Gully. Phone 9758 7522.
Marysville VIC, Lot 5 Murchison St, Marysville. Phone 5963 4567.
Warburton VIC, 3400 Warburton Hwy, Warburton. Phone 5966 9600.
Yarra Valley VIC, The Old Courthouse, Harker St, Healesville. Phone 5962 2600.
