An iconic market in the heart of a major Australian city sits practically empty as the hoarders tear each other apart at suburban supermarkets.
Melbourne’s iconic Queen Victoria Market was eerily quiet on Tuesday as Australians continue to lock themselves away amid coronavirus choas.
Market shopkeepers wearing masks stared into the wilderness with tonnes of fresh produce untouched while maniacs punched on for scraps at the big supermarket chains.
The Queen Victoria Market was eerily quiet on Tuesday morning when it would normally be bustling
Fresh produce was in abundant supply, but hardly anyone was buying it. Smart shoppers raided the meat section, but there was still loads left my midday
The Queen Victoria Market is a tourist hot spot and go to place for fresh produce. It was quiet on Tuesday as people stayed at home
By lunch time the smart shoppers had cleared out much the meat section, but enough still remained.
Any butcher will tell you stock is in healthy supply outside of the big chains.
One butcher in Melbourne’s west told Daily Mail Australia he had sold a month’s worth of meat in a day, but expected supply to keep rolling in.
Across Melbourne, it was a similar scene as bored shopkeepers wearing masks watched what remained of the world pass by.
Shopkeepers that remained open on Tuesday are uncertain about how much longer they will be able to.
Business has all but died anyway.
While not totally empty, the streets of Melbourne have been reduced to what resembles a lazy Sunday in winter when an AFL game isn’t being played.
Hardly a soul walks down the Bourke Street Mall.
The State Library just down the road is usually bustling with students and tourists who sit outside on its lush, green lawns.
On Tuesday a rope had been strung across the doors and the grass was all but clear.
The court district on the corner of William and Lonsdale streets has been reduced to a crawl.
The Flinders Street Station clocks are a well known meeting place and are usually busy any time of the day. On Tuesday they were practically alone
The Supreme Court of Victoria on Williams Street was quiet on Tuesday. Most trials have been put off due to the coronavirus outbreak
The Bourke Street Mall looks like it might on a quiet Sunday when no footy is on in Melbourne
While a few ‘silks’ can be seen walking along the road, the courts have practically come to a halt.
Sitting by the Federal Court, one can hear the rattling of the flag pole.
It is deathly quiet.
Just off Collins Street, between Flinders Street, Degraves Street has become a shadow of its former self.
It is the go to place for a quick feed for office workers and tourists alike.
It’s all quiet now.
A stone’s throw away at Flinders Street Station, the iconic clocks look sad and lonely.
Hardware Lane is routinely packed throughout the day with diners and people just out for a coffee
Chinatown has struggled now for weeks. Delivery vans continue to stop along the route, but very few people are
Degraves Street is a go to place for city dwellers any time of the day. Its a hot spot for tourists too, but on Tuesday few ventured there
They are usually a meeting point for hundreds of Australians who use their central position to meet.
The normally busy intersection the station sits upon is devoid of the foot traffic it’s accustomed to.
In Chinatown, where the silence first hit, it remains desolate apart from the constant flow of delivery vans.
It remains a wonder as to what the restaurants are doing with the product that continues to be delivered.
With universities and schools moving to an online education model over the coming days and weeks, Melbourne is expected to come practically to a stand still.
Trams and trains are already close to empty.
A drive into Melbourne from the outer west took just 30 minutes in peak hour on Tuesday – and that was with a crash on the dreaded West Gate Freeway.
Who knows what lays ahead tomorrow.
EMpty seats outside Melbourne’s iconic Queen Victoria Market. Meanwhile people in the suburbs have gone crazy to get food
The butcher section at the Queen Victoria Market remained healthy at sections at midday despite some panic buying earlier on Tuesday