Col Pring, of the Pallamallawa War Memorial Hall committee, ahead of the final Pally Bush Markets of the year. Photo: Moree Online News
On market mornings, Pallamallawa welcomes a crowd many times its own population. Hall committee member Col Pring said the village of about 280 residents attracts more than 3,000 visitors to Pally Bush Markets, with local businesses sharing in the trade.
The final market of the year will be held at the Pallamallawa School of Arts and War Memorial Hall on Sunday 18 October 2026, from 8am to 12pm. Entry is free, with parking in the surrounding streets.
About 80 stalls were already booked when Mr Pring spoke to Moree Online News, with another 20 or more expected before market day. Organisers call the October event a “mega market”, as shoppers get a start on Christmas.
The four-hour market brings business well beyond the hall grounds. Mr Pring said market days gave the Pally Pub its three best trading days of the year and filled its accommodation. The Pally Cafe also benefited, while some visitors stayed in Moree.
One woman he met had travelled from Lismore and booked into the pub specifically for the markets. Stallholders make long journeys too, coming from Brisbane, the Gold Coast, Sydney and coastal New South Wales with handmade goods, fresh produce and refurbished tools.
“It’s not like a junk market. It’s actually a unique market with lots of handmade stuff,” Mr Pring said.
Honey, soaps, candles, cakes, clothing and jewellery sit alongside beef jerky and spice rubs. Three coffee vans are booked for October, while sponsored face painting and snow cones will be free for children.
For some stallholders, trying Pally has turned into a regular booking. Mr Pring said one refurbished tool seller came in March after previously attending Inverell on the same day. He returned in July and reported his best market sales.
The markets have also given children somewhere to test their own business ideas. Mr Pring recalled young stallholders selling decorations and iced tea for the first time, and said their confidence to give it a go was something he valued.
A committee of about seven or eight people puts in weeks of preparation for each market. Mr Pring’s daughter handles much of the promotion and social media, while other Pallamallawa residents give their time to run the fundraising barbecue.
“I’m the loudspeaker,” he said.
That work leaves a lasting benefit after the stalls are packed away. Mr Pring said fundraising had helped pay for a security fence and fully funded the replacement of a wall inside the hall. He also said the hall’s interior had been painted.
The fence keeps the memorial accessible to visitors while allowing the gates to close during hall hire so children can play safely. A new remembrance wall for returned service people is also underway, with finishing work held back until after the October market.
Stallholder bookings remain open, with sites costing $40.
