Colonial occupation of the Port Phillip District from 1835 resulted in the survey and subdivision of the land, with the land being taken up largely for grazing, and then tanneries was established in Preston. In 1888 a huge tannery was built on the block surrounded by High St, Cramer St, the railway line & Murray St, the site now occupied by Preston Market. Demolition of the tannery in 1964 left a large vacant site, ripe for redevelopment. 10 years earlier, a report prepared as a part of the 1954 Melbourne and Metropolitan Planning Scheme identified Preston as one of the 5 District Business Centres that could be the focus of commerce & employment. Concept plans for the Preston District Centre proposed new development across the tannery site, crossed by a series of shopping walks.
Northlands opened in 1966, a regional shopping centre representing the modern, closed retailing concept, fully enclosed and pedestrianised. It responded to social & economic conditions after WW2 i.e rapid expansion of the suburbs, dramatic increase in private car ownership, increased prosperity and an emphasis on new lifestyles.
Leon Jolson, developer and original owner decided in the late 1960s to build a traditional European market. He wanted his market to be a place of noise and activity and when the housewife arrived back home, he wanted her to feel exhilarated’. Note that at that time, only four of the C19th retail markets remained: Queen Victoria Market, South Melbourne Market, Prahran Market and Dandenong Market. [I lived near Prahran Market, and happily shopped there regularly].
Preston Market commenced in 1969, on a key site in the centre of Preston, and close to the civic and commercial precinct that developed at High and Cramer Sts. This market referred back to traditional open air markets, now reflecting key themes in the social & economic history of this locality: expansion of suburban Melbourne, post-WW2 migration and the development of distinctive retailing modes.
The concept employed by the designer team was for a market building that would be adaptable over time. The large open shed-like buildings were pre-fabricated, with a strong range of industrial materials. A key element was the use of a new technology and the design offered good access to natural light and open air between the buildings. The layout was created around two axes that functioned as pedestrian streets and defined the overall market plan
By Aug 1970 the market had 250 stalls: greengrocers, butchers, delis, coffee and food stalls, and 130 others.
Delis
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Greengrocers
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Coffee shops
A few years later, canopies were added to walkways. The Preston Fresh Food Market was opened in 2016 in Cramer St Bingo Hall and refurbishment began within the market complex itself. The market was now the second largest in Melbourne, especially once Sunday trade commenced.
This market has grown into a famous centre of cultural and culinary wealth, changing as the neighbourhood changed over the 50 years and continue to evolve. But its place at the heart of the community remains strong. Melbourne’s multicultural hub of the north, the market was to celebrate its 50th anniversary in Aug 2020 (deferred by COVID), by sharing history, traders’ stories, old photos and recipes. This was the beating heart of Preston.
Now the world is changing. In Aug 2017, the Minister for Planning asked the Victorian Planning Authority to review the current planning controls across the whole market site.
A decision about the market's future will be fast-tracked to help stimulate Victoria's struggling economy but Darebin Council fears moving too quickly could undermine the review process. The site in Melbourne's north has been earmarked for redevelopment, with plans to add multi-storey blocks of flats, raising the probability that the market could be demolished and rebuilt elsewhere. Thus the heritage value and all the things that make the market so special could be lost. A petition has been opened to preserve the market.
In response, historians have shown that since being established in 1970 as a traditional European heart in Melbourne, Preston Market has changed with the city’s ever-growing diverse makeup and has evolved into a vibrant multicultural precinct. Its evolution from a European-centric market to a multicultural one reflected the shifts in Melbourne’s migrant communities. Hailed as Melbourne's second-largest market, it welcomed c80,000 visitors every week before the Covid pandemic: Indians, Sri Lankans, African communities, Chinese, Greeks, Italians who sell foods that resonate with their own cultures and others. Preston Market has thus created the opportunity to open a business interacting with customers from all over the world.
For traders, the intimate connection to communities they serve is what sets them apart in a competitive commercial environment. It is a place where the customer can connect and form relationships. Each family-owned business has its own particular strengths, but the unique selling point lies in good prices, fresher food and personal attention from the owner. Yes, the big supermarkets and the shopping centres are making big profits, but that is not all that locals want.
