A week in Melbourne, Australia- 5/4- 5/10/2024

Day 4-Queen Victoria Market-5/7/2024

The next morning, our walk shifted from riverside calm to the lively buzz of Queen Victoria Market.  Queen Victoria Market has been a Melbourne landmark for over 140 years. It officially opened in 1878, built on the site of a former cemetery and livestock market. Over time, it grew into the largest open-air market in the Southern Hemisphere, covering several city blocks.

 In its early days, it was the main place where Melburnians bought fresh produce, meat, and dairy, with traders setting up under the iconic iron-roofed sheds. Many of those sheds are still in use today, giving the market its historic character. Despite renovations and modern touches, the market has kept its old-world feel while evolving into a hub for both locals and visitors, offering fresh food, specialty goods, and a taste of Melbourne’s multicultural spirit.

Arriving at Queen Victoria Market, we stepped into the vast covered sheds that stretched out ahead like a small city of stalls. The first section bustled with racks of clothes, shelves of toys, and all sorts of everyday goods, a colorful maze that felt lively.

Then across the street is the Fruit and Vegetables section.

The vegetable section in is one of the oldest and liveliest parts of Queen Victoria Market. Since the late 1800s, it has been a place where Melbourne’s market gardeners and farmers brought in their produce to sell directly to the city’s residents.

 Many of those early growers were European immigrants, Italians, Greeks, and others, who helped shape Melbourne’s food culture.

 Today, the stalls are stocked with fruit and vegetables from across Victoria’s farming regions, the rich soils of the Mornington Peninsula, the orchards of the Yarra Valley, and the fertile farmlands of Gippsland and beyond.

The variety of produce reflects both the local harvest and Melbourne’s multicultural tastes, so alongside potatoes and carrots you’ll find exotic herbs, Asian greens, and tropical fruits. This section has always been about freshness and abundance, a tradition carried forward for more than a century.

Walking in the vegetable station, the atmosphere shifts immediately with the earth scent of herbs and just-picked greens.

Stalls stretch out in neat rows, their tables overflowing with colorful peppers, eggplants, tomatoes, bunches of green onion, and baskets full of beans.

All the produce looks so fresh!

A fruit stall

On the left is Cherimoya, also known as Apple custard fruit due to its creamy, custard like fresh.

On the right is Feijoa fruit which I never seen before.  It is known as pineapple guava and has a unique flavor reminiscent of guava and pineapple. They are native to Brazil and Argentina but can be grown in Australia in areas ranging from Tasmania's cool climate to subtropical climates.

After the vegetable section, we walked across to the Meat & Fish Hall Section. Opened in 1869, even before the main produce sheds, and is now the oldest building in the market still in use. Designed in a grand Victorian style with its arched windows and high ceilings, it was built specifically for butchers and fishmongers, and that’s why it remains separate from the vegetable sheds.

 Designed in a grand Victorian style with its arched windows and high ceilings, it was built specifically for butchers and fishmongers, and that’s why it remains separate from the vegetable sheds. As you walked inside, there are rows of traditional butcher shops and fish counters, many family-run for generations, serving everything from fresh seafood on ice to specialty cuts of meat. It has kept its original character while still being a bustling, everyday part of the market.

In the meat section of the Meat Hall, the displays feel endless with glass counters packed with neatly arranged cuts, from deep red steaks and lamb racks to rows of sausages, cured hams, and marinated specialties.

Many of the butchers here have been trading for generations, and they take pride in showcasing meat sourced from across Victoria and other parts of Australia. You’ll find beef and lamb from the lush grazing regions of Gippsland and Western Victoria, pork from the Mornington Peninsula, and free-range chicken from local farms. Game meats, like kangaroo or venison, often appear too, reflecting both tradition and Australia’s unique offerings. While most of the meat is proudly local, a few specialty items are imported to meet Melbourne’s diverse tastes, but the focus remains on supporting regional farmers and producers.

Stepping into the fish section of the Meat and Fish Hall, the air immediately feels cooler and carries the briny scent of the sea. Long counters glisten with crushed ice, piled high with freshly caught seafood, whole snapper and barramundi.

Neatly arranged shucked oysters, boiled lobsters, and shrimps. The displays are colorful and lively, with stallholders calling out specials as they prepare orders with practiced speed.

 Most of the seafood comes from Australian waters, scallops from Port Phillip Bay, crayfish and abalone from Victoria’s coast, prawns from Queensland, and barramundi from the Northern Territory.

Here you have boiled shrimps, king crab claws, and scallops.

The tradition of selling seafood here goes back to the hall’s earliest days in the 19th century, when fishmongers needed the enclosed, chilled space to keep their stock fresh. Today, it’s a vibrant link between the city and the sea, offering both everyday staples and gourmet treasures.

In the fish section, the displays aren’t just about whole fish and fillets, you also find delicacies prepared and ready to enjoy. Shucked oysters sit neatly on ice, their shells glistening, each one briny and fresh as if lifted straight from the sea. Just nearby, a counter showcases thick cuts of sashimi-grade Bluefin tuna, deep ruby in color and gleaming under the lights, prized for its silky texture and rich flavor. These highlights show how the market caters not only to everyday cooking but also to Melbourne’s love of fine, restaurant-quality seafood, all available right in the heart of the historic hall.

The fish hall is incredible clean.   We are now leaving the Fish Hall and headed into the Deli Hall.

Leaving the cool, briny air of the fish section, we stepped into one of the most tempting corners of the market: the Deli Hall. The atmosphere changes instantly: the scent of the sea is replaced by the rich aromas of cured meats, cheeses, olives, and freshly baked breads.

Counters are lined with wheels of cheese stacked high, from creamy bries and sharp cheddars to specialty imports from Europe.

At The Corner Larder, the displays are almost too tempting to walk past. Rows of tubs brim with glossy marinated olives, green, black, and stuffed with garlic or chili, glinting under the lights and filling the air with a savory, tangy aroma. Beside them, the charcuterie counter stretches with neatly arranged salamis, prosciuttos, and cured meats, their rich colors and textures inviting you to imagine a platter paired with bread and cheese.

Glass cases glisten with rows of salami, prosciutto, and other charcuterie A stalls display tubs of marinated olives, antipasti, and dips in every color

Everything looks so good!

Check out all of the marinated olives, capers, and anti pasti display.

Stepping out of the hall, we fond ourselves in a bustling corridor of specialty shops. The space feels narrower, lined with small storefronts selling everything from sweets and pastries to coffee, gifts, and gourmet treats. What catches your eye most, though, is above, rows of flags from around the world hanging brightly from the ceiling. They fill the corridor with color and movement, celebrating Melbourne’s multicultural spirit and reflecting the diverse heritage of the vendors and customers who have shaped Queen Victoria Market for generations. Walking through, it feels less like just a shopping arcade and more like a festival of cultures gathered under one roof.

 As we walked by the Dairy Produce Hall, the energy shifts again. Inside, the hall is filled with traditional counters selling milk, butter, yogurts, handmade cheeses, and baked goods, but just outside its doors, the scene is lively with rows of tables spilling onto the walkway. People sit shoulder to shoulder, sipping coffee, sharing pastries, or enjoying quick meals from the food stalls nearby.  It feels like the market at its most social: not just a place to shop, but a place to pause, eat, and soak in the community atmosphere.

In front of us is the Queen Victoria Market’s seasonal Hawker and Night Market, one of its most popular events. Unlike the daytime market, this area comes alive in the evenings with a festival-like atmosphere. Stalls are set up in the open-air sheds, serving street food from around the world—think sizzling skewers, dumplings, curries, wood-fired pizzas, and sweet treats—alongside craft beer, cocktails, and live entertainment.

Nearby is the flower market area. Bright bursts of color spill out from the stalls—buckets overflowing with roses, lilies, native blooms like proteas, and bunches of fresh greenery.

Vendors trim stems and arrange bouquets while shoppers pause to admire or pick up flowers to brighten their homes. It feels like a calm, refreshing pause in the middle of the market’s bustle, a reminder of nature tucked among all the city’s energy.

Leaving Queen Victoria Market, you experienced Melbourne in microcosm with vibrant produce, fresh seafood, rich cheeses and charcuterie, colorful stalls, and fragrant flowers. The market’s mix of history, culture, and bustling energy made every step a sensory delight, from the lively corridors to the sunlit outdoor tables. It’s a place that captures the city’s heart in one memorable visit.

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