Fishy Business: The story of Sydney and its fish markets
(Hardback)
Publishing Details
Fishy Business: The story of Sydney and its fish markets
By (Author) John Faulkner
Allen & Unwin
Allen & Unwin
16th September 2025
Australia
Classifications
General
Non Fiction
Fishing, angling
Physical Properties
Hardback
256
Width 220mm, Height 240mm
Description
For millennia, the Aboriginal people of coastal Sydney lived in harmony with the natural environment. Fishing and shell fishing were a way of life. Everything changed with the arrival of the First Fleet. Fishing quickly became important to the European colonists. The place where the fisherman's catch was sold also became important - and colour and controversy were never far away from Sydney's markets.
From Woolloomooloo to Redfern, Haymarket and Blackwattle Bay - with its new world-class facility - the Sydney Fish Market has become a beloved institution. Its story is filled with larger-than-life characters, political machinations and shady dealings, as well as the incredible success stories of hardworking families, many of whom arrived in Australia as migrants from Europe and Asia.
John Faulkner, a former Senator, has been passionate about the Sydney Fish Market for decades. His many years of speaking with its people and recording its rich history are brought together in Fishy Business - the complete and colourful story of a Sydney icon.
Author Bio
John Faulkner's working life began as a teacher of severely disabled children. In 1989 he became a Labor Party Senator, serving until his retirement in 2015. He was a Cabinet Minister in the Keating Government, serving after its defeat as Leader of the Opposition in the Senate from 1996 to 2004. He was elected National President of the ALP in 2006. He served as a Cabinet Minister in the Rudd and Gillard Governments - firstly as Cabinet Secretary and Special Minister of State, and then as Minister for Defence. Faulkner remains active in many community organisations and charities, including as Chair of the Bondi to Manly Walk Steering Committee and the Whitlam Institute. For many years he has been a passionate patron and supporter of the Sydney Fish Market. Fishy Business: The story of Sydney and its fish markets is his second book.
