Our story

Our story unfolded from an initial idea that started to germinate in 1992.  But did we envisage the amazing journey that was in front of us when we established the Old Bus Depot Markets?

We had a vision of what we would like to see, however we now realise the community that is the markets today, is something we never could have imagined – a place full of wonderful characters and their products that constitute the Old Bus Depot Markets.  Put that together with the wonderful Canberra community, and good things have happened!

But back to we two – Morna and Diane.  Morna Whiting was the ideas genius and mulled over her concept in 1992. ‘Would Canberra embrace a high quality weekly market?’  She looked at buildings, chatted to people about what makes a good market and thought about style and products.  Enter Diane Hinds, a friend who Morna invited to be involved, and who brought another range of skills and matched enthusiasm.

We found the perfect large industrial space, in an old bus depot on Wentworth Avenue, Kingston.  Stiff competition for the building had us produce a detailed and imaginative submission to government and we were ecstatic when our bid was accepted.  Following some professional surveying of Canberrans, we took the final decision to operate a weekly market each Sunday.

September 1994 saw the beginning of a ‘Canberra icon’.  After all the build up to that first day, which was officiated by the ACT Chief Minister of the time, Rosemary Follett, and after we finished picking up rubbish from the floor of the venue with our rubber gloves, we sat on the bonnet of Morna’s car and said to each other, ‘My God, we have to do this all over again next week!’

We are now into our 17th year at the Markets and have seen and experienced many things – a move in 1998 to the present Old Bus Depot building next door to what was known to many as the Powerhouse (now the Canberra Glassworks), a warm welcome into the National Capital’s tourism sector, the illness and passing of a number of much loved stallholders, witnessing the establishment of strong national businesses who had their start at the markets, the induction into the Australian Tourism Hall of Fame, and the inclusion of the Old Bus Depot Markets into the top ten Canberra ‘Places of the Heart’.

Our journey continues and it is our great pleasure…

- Diane Hinds and Morna Whiting, Old Bus Depot Markets.