Sue Bickerton revives Corio’s Beckley Park Market amid closure threat

With the market’s closure looming, former stallholder Sue Bickerton swapped her retirement dreams for a rescue mission, breathing new life into Corio’s Beckley Park Market.

Market manager Sue Bickerton says she has turned around the Beckley Park market since taking over six months ago when it was "dying a slow death". Picture: Alan Barber

Some retirees dream of road trips and relaxation, but not Sue Bickerton.

Instead of being home and “doing the housework,” she’s proudly running the Beckley Park Market (BPM).

The Corio market had been on the brink of closure in 2022, when Bacchus Marsh-based company Urban Markets took over as the event operator in an attempt to revive it.

But just six months ago, BPM was back on the verge of permanent closure after a failed attempt to be remodelled.

That was until Ms Bickerton, previously a stallholder under Urban Markets, stepped in to take over the market’s operations as the new owner.

“I could see how it was declining,” Ms Bickerton said.

“I was not interested – however, I also realised if no one took over the market it would definitely shut down.”

With the support of her husband Kevin, Ms Bickerton was determined to make it work.

“As a stallholder with various markets myself, I knew how I wanted to operate this,” she said.

During the first week under Ms Bickerton, the market had more than 40 stallholders in attendance, though initial public feedback was mixed.

“It is the stallholders and customers that make this market, without them we wouldn’t have a BPM,” said Ms Bickerton.

Since then, the attendance has grown steadily, with between 50 to 80 stallholders each week, depending on the weather and competing events in the area.

“People need to know were alive,” she said.

“It’s not where I want it to be, but we’re getting there.”

Ms Bickerton is continuing to focus on growing the “family friendly market where young families can bring their kids,” with future hopes to have more than 100 regular stallholders.

BPM is held every Saturday at 53 Broderick Rd from 8am.

Originally published as Sue Bickerton revives Corio’s Beckley Park Market amid closure threat