Redfern Markets? Watch this space!

The Uniting Church, holders of Paddington Markets, hopes that such a market in Redfern will draw visitors into the area, providing a meeting place for local residents and acting as a start-up for creative businesses wanting to showcase their work.

The successful Paddington Markets is the oldest of its kind in Sydney and has been around since 1973, showcasing a wide range of contemporary art, gourmet food, crafts and fashion. The open-air market is situated in the grounds of the heritage-listed sandstone Paddington Uniting Church.

Many local business people in Redfern are supportive of the idea, including Leanne Fraser, owner of the Appetite Cafe on Regent Street.

Ely Crouch, local resident and owner of a small dress shop in the area is also excited at the prospect. “As a Redfern small business owner working in the field of fashion and design I am thrilled to hear about the idea for a Redfern market. It would be somewhere I could show my work and make a few sales. More importantly I think it will be a great opportunity for the local Aboriginal artists and designers from the Redfern community to showcase their exceptional talents. Hopefully it will attract people from all walks of life into Redfern.”

Trevor Davies, Chair of the South Sydney Uniting Church Parish Council and SSH editor has been involved in recent meetings regarding the Redfern market. He says, “The markets at Paddington have been very successful in raising money for the Paddington Uniting Church’s community activities. We hope we can do the same for our local community activities – the SSH in particular – as well as caring for our heritage church building in Raglan Street, Waterloo.”

If the Redfern market is to go ahead it will initially run on a 6-month trial basis on the last Sunday of the month.

Photo: Trevor davies with Leanne Fraser of Appetite Café Photo: Andrew Collis

Source: South Sydney Herald July 2007 http://www.southsydneyherald.com.au/