IT WILL be a special moment when the doors are opened to the historic Fletcher Jones building tomorrow as 25 years of the Rotary Club of Mount Gambier Community Market is celebrated.
The market first opened to the public on May 17, 1994 and despite a number of challenges over the years, it has run at the same site on Jubilee Highway since its inception.
Rotarian Willem Moors has worked behind a stall for 19 years and said the goal of the market has not changed.
“The biggest thing is that it is given people in the community an opportunity to set up a stall to see how successful it would be with the eye on creating a business,” he said.
“We have had a number of stall holders that have now opened their own shops down the street.”
In addition to offering stalls for aspiring businesses, Mr Moors was proud of the funds the market has raised over the 25 year journey.
Over 19 years ago, the Rotary Club decided to set up a pre-loved goods stall at the market to fund Rotary projects.
“We have raised approximately $650,000, which has gone directly back into the community,” Mr Moors said.
That funding had flowed to the Red Cross and other South East charity groups, student exchanges, support for appeals and school scholarships.
“When you look at it from that perspective, the market has done really well for something that started from humble beginnings,” Mr Moors said.
He described it as a “hidden treasure”, which has attracted both tourists and locals over the years.
“Since they built the Harvey Norman we have been tucked in behind there in the Fletcher Jones building and we like to call it a hidden treasure,” he said.
“I think we can put some of the success down to the fact that a large portion of the market is indoors, meaning stall holders can open every week of the year.”
For Mr Moors, heading to the Fletcher Jones building each Saturday morning has become a formality for the past 19 years.
“For me it is a social outing, my wife knows exactly where I am on Saturday mornings,” Mr Moors joked.
“We have many visitors who come through and regulars as well, so you get to meet so many people.”
To mark the special milestone tomorrow, Mr Moors said he expected the market to have a slightly different feel to it.
“We have got the Mount Gambier City Band coming in at 10am to play for around an hour followed by the Blue Lake RSL Highland Band,” he said.
“We will have an anniversary party for the stall holders after the market, which will hopefully create a great social environment for people to celebrate.”
It is hoped the market will continue for another 25 years, evolving as the needs of retailers and the community change.
“I think the demographic of people we are catering for has changed,” Mr Moors said.
“We now have a very popular pre-loved books stall, as well as fashion stalls and still the regular favourites.”
