Perth Voice Interactive

CATHERINE EHRHARDT is quickly becoming “Queen of the Markets”.

She was behind the Maylands and Mt Hawthorn hawkers markets, involved in the Inglewood Night markets and is now set to manage a new winter market at the City Farm in East Perth.

If that wasn’t enough, she works full-time in her shop Blackcurrant Clothing on Railway Parade and has three kids under the age of nine.

“I’m super busy, but I love it, “ she says. “I’m not a great sleeper, so I use all the available time I have to keep on top of everything.”

Over the past few years, there has been an explosion of farmers and hawkers markets in inner-city Perth.

Ms Ehrhardt, who lives in Maylands, says that’s because people want to “reconnect”.

“We live in an age where people barely know their neighbours’ names, so it is nice for people to commune and get a sense of community again,” she says.

“I think that has been missing from society and people realise it and want that sense of belonging back.”

City Farm’s Wednesday night market will start April 15 from 5-9pm, and will feature around nine food stalls, two food vans and a range of stalls selling organic produce. “We’re aiming for around 25 stalls in total and will use the barn area for all the hot food stuff,” Ms Ehrhardt says. “The barn gives us flexibility with the winter weather.

“This market is quite unique as it will be a mix of a hawkers and farmers markets, offering the best of both worlds.”

The job of market mogul is a far cry from Ms Ehrhardt’s early career, when she worked in pathology labs in Perth.

“I mixed up my preferences for university and ended up putting medical science first, instead of art management,” she laughs.

She worked with the Maylands Business Associaton on the highly successful Street Festival, before leaving to form the Local Arts and Community Events, a not-for-profit group which runs the local hawkers market.

City Farm development manager Deborah Brennan says the night market will complement its existing weekend farmers market.

by STEPHEN POLLOCK