Part of Sunday on Burke

Chingshang *

It is the subheading of the Rotary Sunday market held close to Burke Street in Camberwell, one of the most posh suburbs of Melbourne. Second hand market in one of the most well to do and rich suburbs of Melbourne!

Wow! It is unbelievable and I never thought that Melbourne will have such a wonderful second hand goods market to this scale. It is not just a second hand market goods held on Sunday. It is proudly declared as a lifestyle statement on a relaxed Sunday morning. I always have strong fascination of markets since my earlier days.

May be because it always reflects the economy, lifestyle, people, society and so on. I would like to visit markets even I don't have anything to buy or sell there. I could feel always a sense of belongingness. I still remember how many times I went to visit different weekly markets in Manipur.

Particular mention can be made of visits to Motbung, Molkon, Kalapahar, Senapati, Tamenglong, Jiri, etc. on different days of the week. I also enjoy visiting Sunday second hand clothes market at Imphal. I feel weekly markets are sort of omnipresent in each and every society.

I have also seen many of them in different parts of south India in Karnataka, Tamil nadu and Kerala. What makes each market different from each other may be its scale, types of goods, market infrastructure, services, nature of traders, buyers and sellers, sources of goods and so on and so forth. My major research project in Post graduate level in the University was on periodic markets of Manipur. So, any market for that matter interests me to certain extent.

When I came to Melbourne, I was not having the slightest idea of a 'second hand' goods market here. All I know was the Melbourne's most popular institution, the Queen Victoria Market, on which I wrote an article some months ago. In recent times I also have come across several weekly markets in different suburbs of Melbourne.

Most of them are held on Saturdays as Saturdays being holiday here in Australia. These markets provide sort of weekly community get together, meeting friends, selling and buying garden fresh vegetables and home made delicatessens in a relaxed and casual environment. I really like to visit Yarraville weekly market on certain Saturdays. It is held on a community park easily accessible to all the people.

Sunday market at Burke

One day we had an international students outing organised by IDP Melbourne. On a casual discussion and chatting, one of my Korean friends told me about the existence of this particular Sunday market in Camberwell. He told me that it is worth visiting. So I have decided that I visit it for sure on a certain Sunday.

I was not very familiar with different suburbs at that time and I was not very sure where Camberwell is located in Melbourne. Hence I had to check out in Google maps. I made myself familiarise with route numbers and street names. One fine Sunday morning I venture out for the market. I took my bicycle and paddled along the Yarra River till I cross the Kooyong stadium.

Then I rode upto Riversdale Street that leads me straight to Burke Street at Camberwell. I stopped at the Camberwell and Burke street crossing and look around for some time to find out the location of the market. Soon I found out a small yellow display board showing 'Rotary Sunday Market'. I keyed my bicycle on one of the D hooks in the roadside and went straight inside the market.

It is an open air market held on a car park located at Station Street. The market operates between 6.30 am and 12.30 pm with all stallholders required to be totally packed by 1 pm. There are about 395 stallholders on any market day. There are several characteristic features of Camberwell second hands goods markets on Sunday which impress me to the extreme.

This market is simply not a congregation of sellers and buyers like any markets. It has some unique qualities that could not be simply overlooked. Each and every stall in the market is unique in the way their wares are sold. One can simply be amazed by the microcosm of varieties of goods available on the market. It is a goldmine for bargain hunters and antique goods dealers.

The seer number of different items available on sale is simply mindboggling. This market is organised by Rotary Club of Balwyn assisted by different Rotary Clubs in the city of Boroondara, a municipality of Melbourne as a means of rising funds for a wide range of charities.

Sunday market at Burke

As per the figures available, the market has raised over A$ 7,000,000 for the community since its opening in 1976. The market is very popular among the locales and so are the casual visitors. In fact anyone who is interested in opening a stall can do the same but definitely under certain operating terms and conditions which is quite simple.

Bookings for holding stalls can be easily made over the phone, fax or via their website. Stall fee at the current rate is A$ 45 including GST. Advance booking for the stall is needed and pre-payment by mail or credit card for stall is required.

Stalls can also be booked on the market day if available but no guarantee for that. Some of the operating terms and conditions unique to this market include;

• Only the second hand goods, or goods made by the stallholder are allowed to be sold in the market.
• New factory made goods; factory seconds, samples (especially apparel) and pets (including fish) cannot be sold. Stallholders will hold Rotary indemnified for any action against them for stolen or illegal goods sold by them.
• No food or beverage, tobacco, firearms, explosions, poisons or pornography can be sold or distributed.
• Stallholders must not sell, under any circumstances, any counterfeit or copied goods. Legal action may ensue.
• The stallholders are requested to maintain their stall in a clean and tidy manner and must take away all unused items, boxes, paper, wrappings, coat hangers etc. The stall space is defined by the markings of a single car parking space.
• No dogs are allowed in the market unless on a leash.
• Insurance-Public Liability Insurance is included in the stall fee.

Terms and conditions may be many, actually. But what really draws my attention is people's commitment and strict adherences to it. Market is spotlessly clean again at the end of the day. The structure and organisation of the market is very people friendly. Lots of people throng on the market each Sunday morning.

One can find a number budding singers and entertainers also honing their talents in front such an unassumingly large crowd. I saw this very young kid of 8-9 years playing guitar in the market many times. What is interesting here is that his parents encourage him to do so.

Indeed this market is also a space for learning trading skills for future entrepreneurs. I saw lots of parents bring their children in the market allowing them to help in selling goods and items. It definitely increases their level of confidence on communication skills with other people.

As far as my knowledge of the market is concerned, I must admit that I was utterly old-fashioned in my perception of a second hand market. I was having this very perception that second hand markets are the only ubiquitous phenomenon in many of the third world countries.

Of course the organisation of trading, selling and buying, market infrastructure, management may differ between developing countries and developed countries. But one thing remains the same. Second hand goods are used ones. Here buying second hand goods are also definitely a fashion statement. It is more of recycling goods between different people in different stages in the life span of an item.

Fashion wares of every imaginable brand at rock bottom prices, antiques items of different eras, musical goods for varying tastes are potentially very hot each Sunday morning and it makes sense. Old second hand books, magazines and novels are great attraction among the many items sold in the market.

I also came across second hand goods supermarket chain called' Savers' here in Melbourne which is well organised like any other supermarket. It is a very big market of second hand goods under one roof. But Camberwell Sunday market is very different in its versatility and flexibility. One can find very well to do families just let go off their old and unused items and wares at throwaway prices.

It is just a matter of pride in sharing and indulgence in the market crowd rather than trading for them. I know it happens week after week in this market. New stallholders and new goods and items are regular features in this market. Even the stallholders are constantly changing.

So are the numbers and quantities of goods and items. The congregation on the market yard is also very multicultural reflecting people of different countries of origin. It is not surprising to see Japanese selling goods to a Korean or vice versa in an Australian context or for that matter anyone of varying stallholders.

Peak hour at the market yard is at around 10 am. One can see heavy rush of people around this time. But the best time to visit the market with an intention to buy some rare items is preferably in the opening hours. I became almost a regular in this market not because that I just crave for second hand items.

The market has certain charm in nothingness. It makes me also think why it is so popular and successful in this city in the fast lane. It is one of the most successful weekly markets in Melbourne which is already a prominent feature in the tourists' information. I know Melbourne is one of the fastest growing cities in the southern hemisphere and there is no slowing down in that.

It is already predicted that it will overtake Sydney as the largest city in the next 20 years if the current trend of city growth continue. Will this market continue to exist in the next 20 years or so? In fact the question itself may be inappropriate. The market has already become the lifestyle statement for many here and its disappearance in the near future is out of context at the moment.

Indeed, visit to Sunday market is considered fashionable. The history of survival of a market itself is an interesting area of study, especially in a fast changing society and it is not different for Camberwell Sunday second hand market in Melbourne.

More information about Camberwell Sunday Market is available at: www.sundaymarket.com.au

Check out the gallery on Burke Market here.

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* Chingshang, a Graduate student at University of Melbourne, contributes regularly to e-pao.net. The writer can be contacted at rockm(at)rediffmail(dot)com . This article was webcasted on October 24th 2008.

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