Gembrook Market
A monthly community market at the far end of the Puffing Billy line, held in a hall that the market itself helped pay to build.
About this market
The Gembrook Market helped pay for the building it trades in. In its early years the market raised funds towards the construction of the Gembrook Community Centre, and it now runs there on the fourth Sunday of every month except December, 9am to 2pm, at 4 Gembrook Road. It is run by a volunteer committee of management with backing from Puffing Billy Railway, Cardinia Shire Council and local community groups and businesses.
A market that funds the town back
The community-first arrangement is not just history. Local not-for-profit groups are given a free site to run a barbecue fundraiser, with the barbecue and marquee supplied, and the July market sets aside a free white elephant stall for a group wanting to raise money. One site per market is reserved for an ordinary household garage sale, at standard stall rates. The market also puts money back into the town through grants. What you find on the tables reflects that local base: crafts, plants, food and locally made goods, plus hot food and fresh coffee, with visiting buskers turning up some months.
Market at a glance
Gembrook sits at the eastern terminus of the Puffing Billy Railway, about twenty minutes past Melbourne's south eastern suburbs and properly into the hills, and the railway is one of the market's supporters. That geography shapes the day. The market pitches itself around sustainable living, which in a town at the edge of the ranges reads as a local habit rather than a marketing line, and the drive up is a large part of what people come for.
The market is cancelled outright when the fire danger rating hits Catastrophic. Gembrook is deep in the ranges, and no market day is worth the risk on a day like that.
Good to know before you go
There is free parking and an undercover area if the weather turns, and both indoor and outdoor stalls, so rain changes the shape of the day rather than ending it. Dogs are welcome on a lead. Some months bring extra draws for children, from a jumping castle to farm animals or a visiting guest educator, so it is worth checking what is on before you promise anything. December is the one month the market skips, and on a Catastrophic fire danger day it will not run at all, which is worth confirming in high summer before you drive up.
Frequently Asked Questions
- When is Gembrook Market held?
- The fourth Sunday of each month except December, 9am to 2pm, at the Gembrook Community Centre on Gembrook Road.
- What happens if it rains?
- The market has both indoor and outdoor stalls plus an undercover area, so wet weather moves things under cover rather than cancelling the day.
- Can community groups get a free stall?
- Yes. Local community groups are offered a free site to fundraise with a barbecue, with the barbecue and marquee provided, and the July market sets aside a free white elephant stall for a local group.