Mr Osborne, who opened the Pounamu Gallery in Harbour St in November, believes there is nothing like the precinct in New Zealand.
"It's different. I love the street. It's got a real nice feel about it," he said.
Several new businesses have opened in the precinct recently, including Fleur Sullivan's Loan and Merc restaurant and the Birdlands Wine Company, as well as the gallery.
Mr Osborne shifted south from Mount Maunganui, although he had a North Otago connection as his great-grandfather was a stonemason in the Dansey Pass area.
A self-confessed rock-hound since childhood, Mr Osborne has been carving on and off for over a decade.
Later this month, another carver, Chris Te Rata, will be moving south from New Plymouth and will be showing people how to carve at the gallery.
While carving was his passion, Mr Osborne had also been heavily involved in the ice cream industry, including working for Tip Top and the Kiwi Ice Cream Company.
The gallery was "phase one", while the second phase was manufacturing ice cream in the precinct. He planned to have that established before next summer and, among the range, intended having wine sorbets.
"I'd like to get some New Zealand ice cream awards for Oamaru," he said.
Everything in the gallery was made in New Zealand.
