The Avondale Sunday Market is the largest and longest running market in Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland. Started in the 1970’s (by the local branch of the Labour Party) it is held in the parking area of the Avondale Racecourse. The market attracts over 10,000 shoppers each Sunday with vendors selling a huge range of goods including fresh produce, seafood, cooking ingredients, crafts, second hand and new clothes, toys and tools, plants and a wide array of bric-a-brac. Since 2005 Hoopla have quietly researched the market as a rich location of super diverse social and economic exchange.

While the Avondale Sunday Market is well-known and supported, its future is somewhat uncertain. Reflecting changes to the racing industry, the Avondale Racecourse no longer has the number of races or in-person audience that it once did. The current housing shortage and demands for better use of limited urban land are also important drivers for change. As development pressure comes on the racecourse land, there is a danger that the Avondale Sunday Market will be relocated or lost. 

Acting as advocates for the market, HOOPLA are researching, recording and documenting the diverse economies of the market in order to provide a more holistic picture of this social and economic landscape. The implications for livelihoods, employment and well-being are significant if the market ends. For example, our analysis shows how much cheaper fresh fruit and vegetables are than at supermarkets, and, for many cultures, being able to access food people want, in culturally acceptable ways, is an often neglected but important aspect of food security. Furthermore, with a light touch in terms of set up costs and regulation, the market offers significant opportunities for small business and supplementary income generation. Our research and advocacy is ongoing. 

This research has been supported in part by The Whau Local Board. In 2021 it was further developed for Toro Whakaara: Responses to our built environment at Objectspace, Auckland. You can watch a video about this research and advocacy work here.