Paddy’s Market

Paddy’s Market

By Addie Morton and Gabriela Szymanowska

Paddy’s Market is more than just a market. It is an Australian icon.

Paddy’s has been associated with the Haymarket area for 150 years and is the largest and longest running market in Sydney. It specialises in the sale of fresh fruit and vegetables, clothes, electrical goods and souvenirs. If you want it, there is most likely a stand that sells it.

The market is a goldmine for shoppers who are looking to save money. There are rows and rows of fresh fruit and vegetables listed at prices much cheaper than grocery stores. If shoppers are in need of clothing, there are stalls with prices less than department stores. Each stallholder at the market is a small business. With the two locations combined– Haymarket and Flemington, there are over 1000 stalls, making it a great place for locals and tourists alike. Shopping at the markets is a great way to support local businesses while saving money.

In the early days of the market, it was an open air affair, with merry-go-rounds, sideshows, saveloy sellers, farmers with produce and animals for sale, second hand dealers, craftsmen and members of the rag trade.

This carnival atmosphere seeped into the DNA of the markets and is still present today. The market is teeming with life, from sights, to sounds to smells, and is worth visiting for the market experience alone.

If you find yourself wandering the aisles of Paddy’s, here are City Hub’s picks to shop at:

Alp Berber has been a stallholder at Paddy’s Market for 27 years. He is the current stallholder of Tilley Soaps, the oldest 100% Australian owned soap manufacturer. Berber tries to keep his products Australian-made because that is very important to him. The stall sells soaps that are natural plant and vegetable-based, handmade bath bombs, diffusers, and scents for homes. Berber says he enjoys meeting people from overseas who come to his stall. He said if anyone is looking for a good Australian product, they should come and see him.

Stephen has been selling leather belts at Paddy’s Market for over 40 years. He describes his products as “working belts for working men.” His shop, Olmate Belt Shop, sells handmade leather belts, belt buckles, and hats. Stephen said his favourite part of being a stallholder at Paddy’s is interacting with customers. “The people you meet come and go, and there’s some interesting customers,” he said.

Awakening Lotus, a new age spiritual shop, has been run by Jo Thompson on Yellow Aisle in Paddy’s Market for eight years. The shop’s main goal is to “help people who’ve lost direction by providing products and services which may help them,” Thompson said. The shop sells a variety of spiritual items such as incense, dreamcatchers, and healing crystals. Thompson also provides life coaching, dream analysis and daily bookings for aura and chakra photography.

Miro Bactashi has been selling handmade Aboriginal style art in Paddy’s Market for over 10 years. All art found at Bactashi’s stall are  Australian made handcrafted products. From bowls to traditional garments to tapestries to paintings, any Aboriginal style art can be found at the stall. “It is hard,” Bactashi said. “Customers must know about the Aboriginal culture when buying the art.”

Marea has been a stallholder at Paddy’s Market for more than 30 years, selling authentic Australian magnets, paintings and postcards. She remembers coming to Paddy’s Market as a child with her grandmother when it was at the Old Entertainment Centre and only open on Fridays. Now, Marea and her husband both work stalls selling the souvenirs that are mostly made in Sydney.

Maps Henriques, a part-time student, has worked the past three years at Paddy’s Market for a stall that sells boomerangs, paintings, masks, didgeridoos, plates and tiny surfboards, all made by local Indigenous artists based in the Shepparton, Victoria. The bright, colourful artwork stands out as each artwork is unique and the supply is limited as each is hand crafted. If you’re looking for a special gift to take home, this stand is one to visit

Haymarket is open Wednesday-Sunday from 10:00am to 6:00pm.

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