365 Places: Violet Town

Day 39: Violet Town, Victoria, Australia

Today’s post is about a place that we only visited briefly last year – to check out the locally famous market. The Violet Town Community Market is held every 2nd Saturday of the month and there is a bevy of local produce and arts and crafts.

We went with a couple of friends, who I met through working with the Yorta Yorta Nation Aboriginal Corporation. One friend was Sue Walker, the writer and director of the recent sell-out play Turning Tables.

The Violet Town Community Market website says:

Founded in 1978 this thriving community market supports local groups and is renowned for its focus on sustainable living principles – remember to bring your own bags.

Violet Town is situated on the Hume Highway, which is the inland highway between Sydney and Melbourne, and sits at the foot of the Strathbogie Ranges. It was also the first inland Victorian town to be surveyed.

The explorer Major Mitchell Thomas named the site of the township Violet Ponds, impressed by the host of native flowers growing round a pond alongside which he camped. The Travelmate website says:

Although the name has since undergone a slight change, the town retains much of its original village atmosphere. The village has grown round Honeysuckle Creek and the floral theme is enhanced by such street names as Primrose, Lilac and Tulip.

The town itself is an important centre for ballooning, gliding and sky-diving and is the gateway to the scenic routes and horse-riding trails of the ranges which also boast a number of herb and deer farms.

So if you find yourself on the highway on the 2nd Saturday of the month, drop into Violet Town, have a great coffee and take some time out to look around.