In the NSW Southern Highlands region it's not just men who are enjoying the benefits of socialising and carpentry. With equal membership from both sexes, Robertson Men's and Women's Shed celebrates all things the Australian initiative set out to do three decades ago.
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00:00 Like many recent retirees, Graham Hewitt was looking to keep busy.
00:06 But when he pitched the idea of the Robinson Men's Shed in 2017, his wife Claire had a suggestion of her own.
00:13 Well why can't we be involved and have a dedicated men's day and a dedicated women's day and we also have mixed nights and days as well.
00:22 No one was against the idea, in fact it was embraced and they received a $300,000 government grant for a tailor made building.
00:30 With equal membership from both sexes, this shed is bridging the same gaps the initiative was originally intended to address.
00:39 It's also the networking, the camaraderie and you know the girls who always wished they could have done woodwork or metalwork at school when they were sent off to home economics.
00:47 We give the ladies the confidence to use all this equipment and some days we're redundant, we just sit outside and have a cup of coffee.
00:56 66 year old Debbie Gronow says hanging up her nurses badge for shed membership was exactly what she was looking for.
01:03 I wanted to do something else that was with my hands and being creative and this ticks the boxes for me because I'm too young to play lawn bowls and bingo.
01:12 This week marks 30 years since this Australian grassroots initiative began. It's continued to evolve and strengthen local communities ever since.
01:22 It is an important anniversary and the thing that a lot of people forget that the Men's Shed movement was started by two community nurses at Gawah in South Australia and a lot of men forget that, that it was actually ladies who could see a need.
01:39 A homemade morning tea is another chance to socialise before it's back to the tools.
01:44 As the only she-shed in its region, this one attracts women from nearby towns and villages.
01:50 We were sticking our necks out a bit and I think we're really pleased that it's gone as well as it has and that the two sheds work so well together.
01:58 Building an inclusive future for an Australian tradition.
02:01 tradition.
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