Sahil Gulati, a 35-year old family man from Mernda, is one of the organisers of the Sunshine Collective Market. He spoke to Star Weekly about living in the northern suburbs and about the market which was revived after 26 years.
What’s your connection to Mernda?
I moved to Mernda in 2019 and bought a house here. I used to be in Mill Park before so it’s been around 19 years I’ve been living in the northside.
What do you like about living in Mernda?
Mernda is such a beautiful suburb. It’s got all the mountains close by which I really like. We bought a house straight on top of the cliff which gives me the vibe of living at a height. Also, it’s connected to the plain area which my wife likes. And, it’s developed. There is nothing that I can’t say we don’t have in Mernda. The street I’m living on is multicultural and people are very polite. It’s a new area, affordable and developed. It’s got such nice drives close by. If you go towards Hurstbridge or Whittlesea, you’ve got a really nice drive over there.
Where is your favourite local place to spend time?
There is a park opposite to a pet park in Mernda which my kids call ‘horsey park.’ We just call it ‘horsey park’ because it’s got a nice horse over there with a tractor. We just stop at Woolies, get some refreshments and snacks and make our way to ‘horsey park.’
What’s something you’d change about where you live?
We definitely need more convenience when driving on the roads here. The traffic builds up too much. It has been improved but there is always room to improve certain places like Galloway Drive — it takes me nearly five minutes just to cross one light because it’s only one lane. So there are a few of the intersections which still need attention but progress has already been started I would say.
What do you enjoy most about organising the Sunshine Collective Market?
People and community. The community’s support is appreciated because without community support, this market is not possible for us. When we started this market we had a lot of people approach us and tell us they used to visit the old market as a child. We also had about three to four applications from vendors that applied who used to come with their parents for shopping, and today, they come to be a vendor. That’s an achievement. That’s special.
The Sunshine Collective Market will be held on the last Saturday of the month from 10am to 3pm at 47 McIntyre Road, Sunshine.
