Gisborne Olde Time Market

Gisborne Olde Time Market traces its origin to a genuinely difficult moment in the town's history. In 1975, a young boy was struck by a car in Gisborne, and the town discovered it had no local ambulance service to call on. That gap in emergency services exposed a real community need, and the market that followed was built, in part, to help address exactly that kind of local infrastructure shortfall.

Born from a gap in emergency services

Since 2002, the market has been managed by the GREAT Association, Gisborne Region Events Activities and Tourism, which channels the funds raised straight back into the town: footpaths, historical plaques, an information bay, a barbecue rotunda, seating and picnic tables have all been funded this way, alongside direct distributions to Gisborne-based community groups. More than 150 stalls now trade here on the first Sunday of most months, in a town first surveyed in 1851 and named after H.F. Gisborne, the Victorian Crown Lands Commissioner.

Reviewers consistently describe it as a beloved, buzzing Sunday morning fixture, especially in colder months when a warm coffee, egg and bacon roll, and fresh baked sweets make for a proper start to the day, alongside a regular woodworker whose stools and pantry boxes get a specific, repeat mention from loyal customers.

Good to know before you go

Being monthly rather than weekly, and skipping January entirely, means checking the calendar before a visit is essential to avoid a wasted trip. Arriving with specific stallholders in mind is a good idea, since reviewers note the market itself is compact enough to walk in around fifteen minutes.