NEARLY 100 stall-holders and hundreds more people converged on Pallamallawa Sunday morning when the Pally Bush Markets broke records and set new benchmarks.

The Pally Bush Markets, held on the grounds of the Pallamallawa Arts and War Memorial Hall and adjoining side-streets are, without question, the hottest ticket in town.

Hundreds of visitors from across north-western New South Wales and southern Queensland landed at the thriving hamlet 30 kilometres east of Moree to meet, mingle and get some early Christmas shopping done and dusted.

The market-day was devised a couple of years ago by well-known local Col Pring and his family, who teamed up with the Pallamallawa Arts and War Memorial Hall committee to develop the concept.

“Many years ago, my family talked about a farmers’ market in Pally but we never got around to doing anything about it. We got onto the hall committee, got them involved, and started the Pally Bush Markets – the rest is history,” Col said.

Stall-holders from both sides of the border arrived en masse, with all manner of goods, food, beverages and entertainment.

“We’ve had a huge line-up, with close to 100 stall-holders. We lost a few, but gained a few, and this is a record for us. We started with 35 stall-holders about eight markets ago and now we’re just short of 100,” Col said.

Col estimates there were about 2000 people wandering through the expansive Pally Hall grounds by 10am.

“We’ve designed everything so it all flows. All the stall-holders are set up right around the hall as well as inside the hall, and there are plenty of stalls out on the street and across the road,” he said.

“We’re continuing to grow the concept and we’re not sure whether there comes a time when we cap it or keep going – we can always just close off another street,” he laughed.

Held about four times a year, the Pally Bush Markets are an unmitigated success story, and typical of what can happen when residents in a small farming community put their collective heads together and think big.

“The morning has been great. There was also a lot of free stuff for the kids as well, through different grants we applied for – free face-painting, pony rides, a petting zoo and snow-cones and slushies,” Col said.

The Pally Bush Markets, named Community Event of the Year at the  Moree Plains Shire Council Australia Day Awards earlier this year, will be back in March, 2025.

“We’ve received great support from a lot of different areas, not only the stall-holders but from our community as well, and Moree Plains Shire Council has been a real asset, helping us get to where we are” Col said.

“Pally is the centre of the universe, and we’re Pally proud. We love our community, and we love our shire,” he smiled.

Words: Bill Poulos; Images: Cindy Poulos