Market milestone for stalls and shoppers

IT’S the Sunday morning icon, with a broad offering of varying goods and foodstuffs, and now it’s turning forty years old.

Ballarat Market will celebrate its birthday and trade with some new stallholders this Sunday, 17 November, acknowledging four decades of raising over $8 million for Rotary Club of Ballarat South projects, locally and internationally.

Manager, Paul Barrett said it’s a different event than when it began in 1979 as Trash and Trivia, although still at the Showgrounds for now.

There have been changes to stalls on offer, and society’s product demands, but some things about the Ballarat Market are just as they were.

“The market has run most weeks for the 40 years. There’s something for most people. We rarely stop and all funds raised go to the community projects,” Mr Barrett said.

“Going to the market on a Sunday is a cultural highlight in Ballarat. You can get what you need, duck in for a bunch of flowers, go for a browse…

“It’s good to get the one-on-one personal experience with people. There are no paid Rotary personnel. Everyone you see working on the day is a volunteer.”

Mr Barrett isn’t sure what the future may bring for the market and its location, but he said his team will adapt to make sure it works for Ballarat and can continue to provide valuable financial assistance.

“Like a lot of retail, times are changing, but we definitely wish to keep the market running and will do forever, because without the market, the community will lose the benefit.

“There are some rumours we’re going to shut the market in March and December… No, we’re going to keep going. People still like markets and want markets,” he said.

Find the Ballarat Market every Sunday from 8am to 1pm at the Ballarat Showgrounds, corner of Creswick Road and Howitt Street.