Adelaide Central Market

Adelaide Central Market has been running since 1869 and sits entirely under one roof in the middle of the city, which makes it denser and easier to work through than the sprawling open markets elsewhere. Around seventy traders sell South Australian produce: stone fruit and citrus from the Riverland, cheese and smallgoods, seafood from the gulfs, olive oil and almonds from the nearby valleys. It is a genuine shopping market for people who live in the city rather than a display, so stalls specialise narrowly and the turnover is fast. Chinatown opens straight off the western side, and Gouger Street outside is the city's main eating strip, which makes the whole block a single food district.

History

In January 1869 traders moved from the East End Markets to open land in Grote Street, where two large sheds were finished by June, and Mayor Judah Solomon opened the City Market on 23 January 1870, three acres of the present site being bought that year for £2,600; at first carts sold produce on Tuesdays and Saturdays. A foundation stone was laid on 8 February 1900 for new shops and a refrigeration plant, electric light replaced gas in 1902, arcades followed in 1915 and 1922, and the market, renamed the Central Market in 1965, reopened after redevelopment on 17 June 1966 (Wikipedia, Adelaide Central Market).

The main sights

• The produce aisles - South Australian fruit, vegetables and nuts, with growers selling directly at several stalls.
• The cheese and smallgoods counters - local and imported, with tasting encouraged before you buy.
• The seafood traders - King George whiting, gulf prawns and oysters from the state's coasts.
• Chinatown and Gouger Street - the eating quarter that runs straight off the market's western side.

When to go

Closed Sundays and Mondays, which is the main thing to plan around. Tuesday to Saturday it opens early and closes in the late afternoon, later on Fridays. Saturday morning is busiest and has the fullest range; Tuesday is the quietest day and some stalls stay shut. Traders discount in the last hour on Saturday.

Before you go

It is compact, so on Saturday mornings the aisles jam and moving with a trolley is slow. The two closed days catch out short-stay visitors repeatedly. Prices are fair rather than cheap, and the prepared food stalls cost about what a cafe would. Parking beneath the market fills early. Outside trading hours the surrounding block goes quiet quickly.

Nearby

The North Terrace museums are fifteen minutes north and the Adelaide Hills half an hour east.

Key facts