The origin of Paddy’s as a distinct market dates back to 1834 when Governor Bourke decided to move traders in hay and grain to a site next to the new cattle market in Campbell Street, Sydney. The move created a split among stallholders within the “fringe” market. Some had regular customers among the cattlemen and hay and grain growers, and they moved to join farmers in the new Haymarket area. The food sellers and second hand dealers also did a good trade, both in the vicinity of the market house and around the Haymarket pubs.
The majority, however, stayed on at the George Street market. Governor Bourke’s decision to allow the market to stay open until 10.00pm on Saturdays marks the real beginnings of what we know today as Sydney’s Paddy’s Markets. By 1842, when the markets came under the jurisdiction of Sydney Council, the Saturday Paddy’s-style market was well established. The Council gave it another boost by allowing the George Street market to remain open until 10.00 pm on Wednesday nights.