Kongwak Market
A Sunday market in the old Kongwak co-operative store and sheds in South Gippsland, undercover in all weather, with 30 or more stalls.
About this market
Kongwak Market runs every Sunday on the Korumburra-Wonthaggi Road, in the Kongwak General Store and sheds at 1487 Korumburra-Wonthaggi Road. Most listings give 10am to 2pm, and an official listing counts 30 or more stalls.
A butter co-operative's store, now a market
Kongwak's first farm selections date to 1883, and the town grew up around the Moyarra Butter Factory, which a local co-operative took over and renamed the Kongwak Butter Factory in 1896. That co-op went on to run the town's general store and agricultural supplies business, building the current structure in 1953. The butter factory did not survive industry consolidation, but the store building found a second life, and today that building houses Kongwak Market.
The market is set in a huge shed with indoor and outdoor stalls, all undercover. Vendors sell collectables, retro, vintage and second-hand items, plants and books, plus seasonal produce, vintage clothing and handmade items such as wooden dog kennels and bird feeders. Musicians play through the day, and there is a sausage sizzle, Indian food, coffee and cakes.
Market at a glance
Good to know before you go
Entry is by gold coin donation. Because everything is undercover, the market keeps trading when outdoor markets in the region close for the weather, which makes it a dependable wet-weather option.
Kongwak is a small town of 197 people at the 2016 census, south-east of Melbourne in the South Gippsland Shire. Its post office opened on 11 May 1898, and the land around it was cleared by brothers Richard Nutter Scott and Frederick John Scott and is now farmland, including dairying. From Melbourne, listings suggest taking the Monash Freeway to Korumburra and then the Korumburra-Wonthaggi Road, so allow extra travel time if you are coming from the city. Melbourne couple Damien Backholer and Gemma Cosgriff bought the disused Kongwak Butter and Cheese Factory in 2020 with plans to redevelop the site.
The building that houses Kongwak Market was built in 1953 by the local co-operative that had taken over the Moyarra Butter Factory, which it renamed the Kongwak Butter Factory in 1896.
Frequently Asked Questions
- When is Kongwak Market on?
- Every Sunday from 10am to 2pm, except when Sunday falls on Christmas Day, according to most listings. One tourism site lists a 3pm finish.
- Is it undercover?
- Yes. The market is set in a large shed with indoor and outdoor stalls, all undercover, so it runs in all weather.
- What does it cost and what is sold?
- Entry is by gold coin donation. Listings describe collectables, retro, vintage and second-hand items, plants, books, seasonal produce and handmade goods, with a sausage sizzle, Indian food, coffee and cakes.
- What are Kongwak Market opening hours?
- Every Sunday, 10am to 2pm. The market is at Kongwak, VIC.
- What days is Kongwak Market open?
- Sunday, 10am to 2pm.
- Is there an entry fee for Kongwak Market?
- Gold coin donation