Preston Market celebrates 50th birthday: Historical photos
For 50 years, Preston Market has been a popular place to pick up fresh fruit and veg, meat and of course hot jam doughnuts. As it celebrates half a century, take a look back at how it has changed over the years.
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When Leon Jolson set out to create a European-style market in Preston he had a simple goal.
“I want this market to be a place of noise and activity and when the housewife arrives back home, I want her to feel exhilarated,” he said, according to a Darebin Council heritage study.
Although times have changed, the market is still going strong today, and is celebrating its 50th birthday.
Although COVID has put a stop to some of the activities planned to mark to milestone, customers and stallholders are being invited to share their favourite memories of the market online.
Preston Market manager Gary Zoabi said its 50th birthday marked a huge milestone for the whole market community.
“As Melbourne’s second largest market we had big plans to celebrate however, like many
things this year, some of these plans have had to take a back seat,” he said.
Throughout this month the market will be celebrating 50 years with its online community by sharing history, traders’ stories, old photos, recipe collections and giveaways.
The market is now home to more that 130 stalls selling quality fresh produce, specialty groceries, retail items, coffee and tea, and a huge range of food.
“Today stalls at the market are owned and staffed by people from all parts of the world selling foods that resonate with their own cultures,” Mr Zoabi said.
“Many stallholders have been here for a generation or even three or four generations.”
The market’s popular hot jam doughnuts have been voted some of the tastiest and cheapest in Melbourne.
And with the market’s future making headlines earlier in the year, stallholders have called for it to continue well into the future.
A confidential report seen by Leader in April said the market would have to be rebuilt and moved to Cramer St if it wanted to survive.
The owners of the market said in June they were committed to its future as a “major local feature” after more than 1200 people signed a petition voicing their support for the market to stay where it is.
Market trader George Patsalis took over running George’s Meats from his dad in 1982, and has been based at the market ever since.
“May the market long continue,” he said.
“It’s been advertised as the people’s market for many years and may it continue as that.
“It’s been there for 50 years and we don’t need any more apartments, we don’t need anymore development.
“We need a good market in our area — we’ve got one, we just need to hang onto it.
“It’s just a great place, and it’s an important place for the area.”
Mr Patsalis said he had regular customers that had been coming to his shop for the best part of 40 years.
He said for the first 25 years of the market, most of stalls were predominantly owned by Australians and Europeans, but in the past 25 years more Asian stallholders had moved in and made it more of a competitive market.
He said the market used to only be open on Thursdays, Friday and Saturdays, but now operated five days a week.
Mr Patsalis said although customer numbers had dropped during the Stage 4 lockdown, a lot of people within the 5km radius still visited to pick up fresh food at an affordable price.
“You can pick up your meat, chicken, fish, doughnuts, dim sims and make a pretty good morning of it,” he said.
Patrick Papaluca opened Joe’s Quality Corner at market 34 years ago, and it is still going strong.
His son Frank Papaluca, who now runs the business with his dad, said he had fond memories of the market over the years, including the buzz of busy days when people would crowd the aisles, and line up three or four people deep waiting to served.
He said their business sold beef, lamb, pork, goat and chicken, and also had an online store.
“Through these times and over the 34 years we’re just so appreciative of the people that have shopped with us, and are still shopping with us,” he said.
“We intend to stay there for a long time yet.”
The market is currently open to provide fresh produce and takeaway food from Wednesday to Saturday 8am – 3pm.
Share your memories on the market’s website.
THE HISTORY OF PRESTON MARKET
1969: Leon Jolson, developer and original owner decided to build a traditional European market in Preston. He said: “I want this market to be a place of noise and activity and when the housewife arrives back home, I want her to feel exhilarated”. Preston Market commences construction.
1970: Preston Market opens in August with 250 stalls including 46 greengrocers, 19 butchers, 15 delicatessens, eight refreshments and food stalls and 130 miscellaneous stalls. Parking for 1000 cars. It was open 8am – 6pm Thursday and Friday, 8am – 1pm Saturdays.
1980s: Canopies added to walkways
2015: The Preston Artists Market, known as PAM, was opened in the Centreway within the market in October.
2016: A Preston Market website was launched, the Preston Fresh Food Market was opened in Cramer Street Bingo Hall, refurbishment began within the market complex itself, and the first issue of the Preston Market Newsletter was printed.
2017: The market became the second largest market in Melbourne with about 80,000 visitors a week, 830 carpark spaces, 146 retail tenancies, 10 kiosks and three ATMs and was open nearly all day from Wednesday to Saturday.
2017: Murals painted on the outside of the market. Sunday trade commenced.
2020: Preston Market celebrates 50 years and is home to more than 130 stalls.
MORE NEWS: PRESTON MARKET DEVELOPMENTS REAFFIRMS COMMITMENT TO KEEPING POPULAR SITE OPEN