For 55 years the Bizarre has been an iconic and vibrant feature of the Coromandel community: somewhere for locals to meet; a place for people to pick up good quality clothes and household goods, find bargains, grab a bag of lemons, a bunch of flowers, the occasional tan slice, or a jar of homemade jam.
The story of The Bizarre began in 1965: The Anglican Church wanted to build a community hall in Coromandel: a venue for a youth club, Bible studies, wedding breakfasts and various other activities. At the time Betty Rabarts, who was selling dress fabrics to people locally, had the idea of setting up a small shop to benefit the fundraising effort for the new hall. Betty moved into one of the empty shops and, along with friends, sold fabric, arts and crafts, and fresh baking. The proceeds went towards the cost of the new hall, and very soon they had raised enough for the deposit. The shop, known then as ‘The Anglican Bazaar’, flourished with many people donating goods to sell for the benefit of the Anglican Church. Before too long it had paid off half the cost of the new hall. They then turned their attention to other local charities and community groups which would benefit from financial donations. A local Vicar had the idea to change the name to ‘The Bizarre’ because of the weird and wonderful things in the shop.
In 1986 the Coromandel Senior Settlement Trust was established with the purpose of raising funds to purchase and develop land for homes for the aged. They kept the shop thriving for many years, eventually raising sufficient funds to establish the Elizabeth Park Senior Settlement Village, and generating further funds to donate to the community.
With their work complete, the Bizarre was transferred, along with its assets, to the Coromandel “Bizarre” Community Trust in 2016, allowing this charitable work to continue. Facing challenges with viability, and the possibility of closure, the trust transferred the Bizarre to CILT in 2019, passing on the responsibility for continuing the wonderful Bizarre legacy.
If you would like to learn more about the history of the Bizarre, or share your own stories, then please come into the shop and chat with the wonderful staff and volunteers.