Markets at the Mill
A monthly market in the sheds of a state heritage listed flour mill that ran on the Port Adelaide waterfront from 1855 to 1980.
About this market
Hart's Mill opened on 9 April 1855, built by Captain John Hart, who went on to serve three times as Premier of South Australia. The limestone building on the corner of Mundy Street was the largest and most technologically advanced flour mill in the colony, and it kept milling for 125 years until it closed in 1980. Markets at the Mill now runs monthly in the restored sheds.
Handmade, upcycled, and under a roof
The market carries more than 70 local businesses and traders, with some counts putting it above 90 on a busy date. The focus is on upcycled, new and handmade goods rather than produce: jams and preserves, homewares, ceramics, children's goods, clothing and desserts, with food trucks and a dessert run alongside them. Mini games and the neighbouring Hart's Mill playground make it workable with children, and live music runs through the middle of the day. Because the trading floor is inside the mill sheds, an Adelaide winter Sunday does not thin the crowd the way it does at an open-air market.
Market at a glance
Hart's Mill is a rare survival. The 1855 building is state heritage listed and is the oldest on the site, and it stands alongside a later red brick mill built from 1889, which makes this the only known example in South Australia of two generations of flour mill buildings surviving together on one site. The precinct's restoration turned the wharf frontage into public space, and the market is one of the things that keeps it in use.
Several Kaurna people were among the mill's roughly thirty employees in the 1850s. Hiring Aboriginal workers in Australian industry was uncommon at the time, and it is one of the details that makes Hart's Mill notable beyond its architecture.
Good to know before you go
The market runs 10am to 3pm, a civilised window with no need for an early start, but the date is the thing to check: it is monthly on a Sunday rather than a fixed nth Sunday, and it has landed on both the third and the fourth in recent years. Entry is free, pets are welcome, and there are more than 125 car parks on site, which is unusual for a heritage precinct. The market is under cover, so rain is not a reason to cancel your plans. Port Adelaide's other attractions, the playground, the wharf and the maritime precinct, are all within a short walk, so it is easy to make a half day of it. Hart's Mill stands on Kaurna country.
Frequently Asked Questions
- When is Markets at the Mill on?
- Monthly on a Sunday, 10am to 3pm. The date moves between the third and fourth Sunday depending on the month, so check the operator's current schedule before you go.
- How much is entry, and can I bring my dog?
- Entry is free and pets are welcome.
- Is there parking?
- Yes. There are more than 125 car parks on the site, and the market is under cover, so wet weather does not change the plan.