About Us

Join Now

Events

News

The original Fish Market was established, in 1871, at Woolloomooloo, then and for many years later the mooring site of the local Sydney fishing fleet. It expanded over time to occupy the block bounded by Bourke, Plunkett, Forbes and Wilson Streets, Woolloomooloo.

Unhygienic conditions at the Woolloomooloo market and the extension of railways to the coastal areas to the north of Sydney led to the formation, in 1891, of a second, more modern, privately-owned fish market—known as the 'Southern Fish Market'
—located at Redfern Street, Redfern. In 1892, the Woolloomooloo market was expanded for the last time, then becoming known as the 'Eastern Market'. The Sydney City Council had passed a bylaw requiring that any fish sold in Sydney was first inspected at the Woolloomooloo market, jeopardising the railway-based business model of the Redfern market and its ability to directly market fish from Botany. In 1897, the 'Southern Market' buildings were for sale at auction but the market operations continued, opening a new building in 1903. Around 1907-1908, the Woolloomooloo market was taken over by the Sydney City Council, without compensation; that led to the exodus of some agents to the 'Southern Market',which was further expanded in 1910 after being incorporated as Commonwealth Cooperative Fish Exchange Limited in 1908.

A newer Municipal Fish Market, opened in 1911, at the corner of Thomas and Engine Streets in the Haymarket area; it was also known as the 'City Fish Market'. It was a part of the produce market complex that the Sydney City Council had constructed in the Haymarket. The original market at Woolloomooloo continued to operate, but in a greatly diminished form.

For a time, Sydney had three separate 'fish markets'; the privately-owned market at Redfern was in open conflict with the City Council, owner of the 'City' and old Woolloomooloo markets. The Council had the backing of the N.S.W. State Government, which passed an Act—The Sydney Corporation (Fish Markets) Act, 1922 (Act No. 39, 1922)—that empowered the City Council to acquire the assets of Commonwealth Cooperative Fish Exchange Limited and to centralize fish marketing operations in Sydney at the Municipal Market.

The end of the 'Southern Market' came in early 1923. The Colonial Secretary of NSW, Charles Oakes, had refused to renew licences of fish agents who operated at the Redfern market and the Fisherman's Union agreed to only supply fish to the 'City Fish Market', which subsequently became a profitable monopoly; that forced the Redfern agents to move to Haymarket and the City Council purchased the disused Redfern market building. The Redfern market building became a hostel for the unemployed during the Great Depression. The dormant 'Eastern Market' site at Woolloomooloo was sold to John Wren in 1926.

The Fish Market remained in Haymarket, until it relocated to its current location at Blackwattle Bay in 1966.


 

News

Latest News

View News
news image

Geoff Blackburn

03 October 2022

Congratulations to Geoff Blackburn for being granted entry into the Seafood Industry Australia Hall of Fame. 

More

news image

Deloitte Access Economics

02 October 2022

Wider social and economic impacts of a redeveloped Sydney Fish Market 2019

More

Events

Coming Events

View Calendar