By Casey Neill
A statue unveiling will bring three months of Dandenong Market birthday celebrations to a close.
The bronze sculpture by artist Anne Ross will reflect life in the market and will be revealed on Friday 4 November.
The market kicked off festivities on 13 September with the launch of the Dandenong Market: Celebrating 150 Years book and the official opening of Rosling Lane, a 20-metre historical mural.
The book and the wall – named after early market auctioneer Thomas Rosling – document significant moments in the market’s history using photographs and records.
Author Michael Schmith had just six weeks to prepare the 128-page hardcover book to capture the market’s evolution through original photographs and historical records.
“The best thing was to come to the market and talk to the people who matter the most, and the people who matter the most in the market are the traders and the customers,” he said.
“You see how it works and you see this whole spirit of community which, like its produce, is fresh daily.
“It depends on people. It’s not a supermarket. It’s not a shopping mall.
“It’s got give and take and a community spirit that’s unquenchable.”
Retiring Greater Dandenong councillor and plumber John Kelly was among many people who shared their thoughts on the market with Mr Schmith.
He recalled living on Stud Road on the stock route to market.
“On Tuesdays my mum would ask me to shut the gate,” he said.
“She had great pride in her garden and when she forgot to close that gate the front yard would be quite a mess.”
Cr Kelly worked in the stock market on Cheltenham Road in his teens.
“Of an evening, on a clear still night, you could be in your bedroom and you could hear the cattle mooing.
“It’s just one of those noises that’s disappeared along with lots of others.”
But Dandenong Market would always be there, he said.
“You must preserve the atmosphere, with everything from bananas and socks for sale. It’s perfect,” he said.
The Dandenong Market: Celebrating 150 Years book is available from the Dandenong Market management office for $30.
Dandenong Market 150th
Enjoy these other stories at the Journal celebrates 150 years of the Dandenong Market:
Birthday party in store
From livestock to market stalls
History captures moments in time
Fruit stall stays in the family
Stall selling is their stock in trade
