To Market To Market

Street artist Kaff-eine has created an artwork at Dandenong Market, inspired by the market’s history.

For almost 90 years – from 1866 to 1958 – livestock was one of the primary attractions of the market with horses, cows, pigs and chickens sold via auction every market day. In 1958, the stock market was removed from Dandenong Market, moving to new and purpose-built facilities on Cheltenham Road behind the Dandenong rail yards. 

During the years the livestock market was located at Dandenong Market, cattle would be escorted through town by drovers to the auction yards.

Locals remember watching through windows and fences as cattle was guided along Railway Parade and across the highway to the market entry:

“At that time, most cattle trucks were horse-drawn. But almost all of the cattle at the Dandenong Market were escorted through Dandenong by whip-cracking horsemen. Sometimes I would wag school to spend time at the market – cattle pens ran back from the footpath on the east side and the fresh produce section ran along the wide footpaths. 

Every Tuesday, drovers and cattle dealers would drive a fairly large mob through the railway gates at the end of Pickett Street, along Railway Parade to Hemming Street and Close Street and across the highway to the market entry in the McCrae Street area. A horseman would gallop up each footpath, closing the gates in the mainly picket fences, while residents and children watched the scene through the fences or windows.” (Maurie Jarvis: personal communication, 1998).

Kaff-eine’s artwork is a homage to this important period in market history. The artwork is located on the upper level of the pedestrian ramp that connects Market Square to the multi-level car parks.

To Market, To Market was commissioned by Dandenong Market as part of our street art programme. Other artworks include Rising Phoenix by Bonsai, Year of the Wolf by Heesco, A Colourful Past by Heesco, In Bloom by Heesco and Childhood Dream by Kenz.

About Kaff-eine

Kaff-eine is an established Australian street and contemporary artist who has gained a strong following for her illustrative freehand style, delicate linework, and quiet melancholic characters.

She has painted public and private works in Australia, Germany, France, USA and the Philippines; she has had successful solo and group exhibitions; she has illustrated two children’s books, and the unique collaborative Heartcore book, for which she interpreted stories from vulnerable children and painted them as a series of 20 murals across public walls in Melbourne, Australia.

In addition to her solo and independent projects, Kaff-eine recently co-founded ‘cheeseagle’, a creative collective who make art projects designed for exhibition and social impact. 

To view more of Kaff-eine’s work, visit her Instagram or website.

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