soon after the receipt of the completed study, the hon. rupert hamer, agreed that his government would purchase meat market. in january 1977 the purchase was finalised at a cost of $890,000 and meat market on its various titles became crown allotment no.21 section 11 at north melbourne. throughout 1977 and most of 1978, an interim committee and later a planning committee established by the victorian ministry for the arts, met monthly to monitor basic building repairs, review tenancies, invite public response, investigate funding, examine alternative management structures, develop a philosophy for the centre, assess applications for space and make recommendations to the ministry for the arts in relation to all of these matters. these final recommendations were submitted in september 1978 and in may 1979. the hon. r.j. hamer appointed marjorie johnson, who had just completed a two-year term as festival manager of arts victoria: crafts, as interim manager with a brief to get meat market open as a craft centre. approval had been given the previous year for three events of the festival: "australian crafts '78", and a glass exhibition and workshop, to be held in the market. for six months the interim manager and the resident caretaker were the only two occupants of the buildings with the former engaged in planning to open some time after the state budget was brought down in september, providing that budget allowed for an allocation to the proposed craft centre. following a one-off event, a trade fair organised by the victorian ceramic group, held on 22–23 september 1979, the craft centre finally opened on a permanent basis on 8 november 1979. the victorian state craft collection was on display in the front of the market hall and an exhibition of work by melbourne state college crafts students was at the rear.