Market Memories Launch at Discover Eumundi
Discover Eumundi Heritage and Visitor Centre is currently showing an exhibition to commemorate and celebrate the 40th year of the Eumundi Markets in its arts space.
The Heritage Centre has an extensive collection of objects, photographs and documents relating to the history of the Eumundi Markets and has used these resources to create a glimpse into the past of what has become a world famous market.
Many of the photos and information in this heritage collection go right back to the beginning of the market which is recorded as starting on Saturday 24 March 1979 in and around the Eumundi CWA hall with only three stalls and 8 visitors (not counting stallholders family members). It has now grown to have an annual visitation estimated at 1.2million.
On Tuesday 7 May be one of the first to listen to recorded recollections from a number of long term Original Eumundi Markets stallholders. Most have been in the markets for over 30 years, with one still in the market almost from day one!
Hear about the early days, the mud, children sleeping under the stalls, the trials, the tribulations and the triumphs of being a stallholder! Find out why they do it and for so long, and why they wouldn’t want to be doing anything else. A number of the stallholders interviewed will also be at the launch.
The launch of these ‘Market Memories’ will take place in Wan’din’in arts space at Discover Eumundi and videographer and photographer Leo Wiles, who recorded 16 hours of recollections from 14 people and magically edited it down to an engaging 24 minutes, will be present to discuss the process and her own memorable moments in doing these recordings.
You can also view images of the early markets and many of the marketeers and leave your own memories on the market memory board. Newspaper clippings going right back to beginning will show the development of the market and how the market almost ended before it really began in the early 1980’s.
Using images of the markets from the 1980’s and 90’s, photographs have been recently taken by Leo Wiles in the same locations and are displayed together to show the ‘Then and Now’ of the market and how the market and the some of the Eumundi streetscape has changed over the years. An old wooden trestle table complete with a striped beach umbrella has been used to create the feel of a market stall circa 1980’s, complete with some objects from the heritage collection which were made by stallholders in the 1980’s through to today.
All are welcome to attend the launch of ‘Market Memories’ and morning tea on Tuesday 7 May at 10.30amin Wan’din’in arts space at the rear of Discover Eumundi, 73 Memorial Drive. RSVP to info@discovereumundi.com
The exhibition ‘the first 40 years’ has now been extended until Saturday 15 June – more details and opening hours atwww.discovereumundi.com/arts-space/calendar