Opening in 1878, Melbourne’s Queen Victoria Market (QVM) is the largest open-air market in the Southern Hemisphere, operating on its original site for over 140 years. Originally, the 7-hectare site served as Melbourne’s first official cemetery (1837–1854), with an estimated 9,000 to 10,000 bodies still buried beneath the current car park and sheds.
Not only has the market served the people of Melbourne continuously since at least 1878, it was previously the site of Melbourne's first official cemetery, from 1837 and 1854. The market site is also an important Aboriginal cultural place.
How many people are buried under Queen Vic market?
Many graves were unmarked. Others had 'headstones' of red gum, which had weathered away. As there were about 10,000 burials on the site, there still remain approximately 9,000 people buried under the sheds and car park of the Queen Victoria Market.
Welcome to the official website of Queen Victoria Market, Melbourne's iconic Marketplace. Officially opened on 20 March 1878, the Market has been serving the people of Melbourne for more than 140 years.
Why is it important to protect the Queen Victoria Market?
The Queen Victoria Market is more than just a shopping centre—it's vital city infrastructure that supports Melbourne's economy, culture, and food security. The Queen Victoria Market plays a vital role in the wellbeing of locals and visitors.
Historical Images : Queen Victoria Market - Melbourne Australia
What is so special about Queen Victoria?
Victoria was the first reigning monarch to use trains - she made her first train journey in 1842. In her later years, she became the symbol of the British Empire.
How much did Queen Victoria donate to Ireland during the famine?
Although some believed the myth that Queen Victoria (known in Ireland in later decades as the "Famine Queen") had only donated a miserly £5 to famine relief, in fact the sum was £2,000, the equivalent of between £217,000 and £8,120,000 in 2022, from her personal resources.
Queen Victoria Market Pty Ltd is a wholly owned subsidiary of the City of Melbourne. Queen Victoria Market Pty Ltd is responsible for managing the day to day operations of the market. As owners of the Queen Victoria Market, the City of Melbourne has oversight and responsibility for any capital improvements at the site.
Why did Queen Victoria have numbers on her knickers?
The Queen's cipher was discreetly embroidered into each garment. The numbering system (in this case '35') was to help the household staff to identify and sort the linen after laundering, and possibly because such garments were ordered in quantities and then worn in rotation.
He had suffered a stroke that paralysed the left side of his body. Unfortunately, his recovery was only partial, so he spent his last years mostly confined to Brocket Hall, where his brother Frederick, then Lord Beauvale, and his sister-in-law Adine cared for his needs.
How many bodies are currently in the tomb of the Unknown Soldier?
There are three bodies in the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in the U.S.: unidentified soldiers from World War I, World War II, and the Korean War. There is no soldier from the Vietnam War. DNA testing revealed that the Vietnam unknown was First Lt. Michael J.
The Ferncliff Mausoleum, aka "The Cathedral of Memories", is the cemetery's oldest mausoleum, constructed in 1928. It has classic architecture, but the corridors are dark without glass panes to admit natural light. Ed Sullivan and Joan Crawford are two of the most famous interments in the main mausoleum.
Is Melbourne still the most livable city in the world?
Melbourne isn't just Australia's best student city—it's also ranked as Australia's most liveable city and #4 in the world, according to the Global Liveability Index 2025, behind only Copenhagen, Vienna, and Zurich.
Victoria was born in London, England, in the 1550s. Her mother was a scullery maid and her father was the master of the house. She was the second illegitimate child, after her sister, Anne. Victoria and Anne worked hard as servants from early childhood.
Victorians wore open-crotch undergarments (drawers) for hygiene, promoting air circulation, and, crucially, for convenient toilet use without removing multiple heavy petticoats and skirts, with the split design allowing access over a corset. These "open drawers" provided ventilation and practicality, preventing dampness and enabling quick relief, though they were hidden under layers of voluminous skirts, making exposure rare.
“Queen Victoria Syndrome” refers to a monarch staying on the throne despite being unpopular. The phrase has its roots in the long reign of Queen Victoria — Queen Elizabeth's great-great-grandmother — who ruled the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 1837 until her death in 1901.
Why is there a bow on the front of ladies knickers?
Well, it turns out there's actually historical reason for that. A long time ago, panties did not have elastic waistbands in them. So, women had to hold them up with either a drawstring or a ribbon. They tied a little bow, kept their panties on all day, everyone was happy.
What are some interesting facts about the Queen Victoria Market?
The market started being built in the 1860s and officially opened in 1878. It's one of the last big markets from Melbourne's early days that is still running. The Queen Victoria Market is a special place. It's listed on important heritage registers because of its history.
Fitzroy, including Fitzroy North, is an inner suburb of Melbourne, located just to the north-east of the CBD. It is bordered by East Melbourne to the south, Carlton to the west, Brunswick to the north, and both Clifton Hill and Collingwood to the east. Fitzroy was first established in 1839 as Melbourne's first suburb.
During the Great Famine (1845–1852), in which approximately one million Irish people died, many Jews helped to organize and gave generously towards famine relief.
Initial limited but constructive government actions to alleviate famine distress were ended by a new Whig administration in London, which pursued a laissez-faire economic doctrine, but also because some assumed that the famine was divine judgement or that the Irish lacked moral character, with aid only resuming to some ...
