photographs courtesy HUON SHE SHED
Dad’s shed was like countless backyard sheds across the country. Tiny plastic drawers filled with nails, screws and washers sat opposite an organised wall of hand tools, outlined in permanent pen. Mysterious blue power tools waited patiently for the right task, too dangerous for little girls’ fingers. If a job needed doing around the house, or there was something to be renovated, retrofitted or resurfaced, dad would do it confidently and competently.
Despite a persistent feeling that anything involving tools was mysterious men’s business, occasionally I asked to help, and dad was always keen to teach. Ultimately however, the shed always felt like his domain. I did wonder where mum’s shed was, and what she would’ve created if she’d had such a space.
The Huon She Shed (HSS) in Ranelagh is the precise opposite of the conventional man-cave. This shed is for women, and it is a place for those women to feel anything but alone. In fact, the words underneath the HSS logo are, “Making Space For Women”.
This is the first of its kind in the country, modelled on the same principles and mental health focus of the existing Australian Men’s Shed Association network. HSS president Mon Lulan says, “It isn’t about excluding men, it’s about empowering women. And to do that, it was felt that a safe, female-only space was needed.”
It is her fervent wish that the Huon She Shed will be the first of many operating under similar principles. Already there are several groups interested in starting She Sheds elsewhere in Tasmania, based on the same model.
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The HSS seed was planted four years ago, when a post to gauge interest went out on the Cygnet community Facebook page. Within an hour, more than 80 positive responses pinged back, and it was obvious the idea had legs. There was clearly a gap to be filled, and a dedicated group of volunteers stepped up to fill it. Many skilled women have literally and metaphorically appeared out of the woodwork, so that the safety, administrative and other legal requirements to operate as a non-profit entity could be met.
Overseen by an all-female board, the HSS has (as of early-2025) more than 1,000 Facebook group members, and financial membership is steadily growing. Thanks to community, council and local industry support, the old Ranelagh Fire Shed has been fitted out with tools, benches and everything needed for woodworking and other trade skills.
The She Shed’s mission is primarily to be a safe space for women, and anyone who identifies as a woman, to gather and to learn skills that promote self-worth. Inclusivity and non-judgemental attitudes are central to the HSS’s ethos. Automotive, woodworking, mechanical and other skills workshops are planned, but the sessions on women’s wellbeing, run by local social workers and other professionals, are equally important. A cornerstone of all of the She Shed’s activities will be to help tackle isolation through inclusion in project work and social gatherings, and providing a safe, clubhouse-like space to foster community.
Isolation is a huge factor in rural areas, and many women are expected to take up the social aspects of the She Shed without necessarily getting involved in skills development. Despite becoming increasingly connected online, many Australians report feeling lonely. The reality is that down many a dirt road, or behind the façade of many happy-looking homes, are people living emotionally and socially isolated lives. Research has shown a strong link between loneliness and reduced longevity due to the negative impacts of loneliness on both physical and mental health. Recent statistics say that about a quarter of Australians now live alone. As women live longer than men on average, after the age of fifty-five, most of these people living alone are women.
They still need to deal with blocked sinks and loose cupboard doors, and they would undoubtedly like a chat from time to time.
Mon Lulan has very personal reasons for taking on the role of Huon She Shed president. Her resilience has been hard won, losing her husband to suicide at the age of 50. She knows first hand how suddenly life can pull the rug out from under you and how important community and connection can be. “Empathy, quiet listening and caring communication,” kept her afloat, she says, and she wants to help create such a space for others. Sometimes, just the distraction of a project, using one’s hands and simply being around others in a safe emotional space is what’s needed.
Lulan describes how, in addition to the challenges of dealing with her grief and loss, she realised there were many tasks which her husband had always done, and which she now had to learn to do herself. Participating in the HSS is a non-threatening way for women in similar situations to meet their practical home-maintenance needs, with safe support and at minimal cost. It’s distressing to hear women speak about negative experiences with tradesmen over-charging, or doing unnecessary work. Whilst this is obviously not most tradesmen, it seems there is a vulnerability here, which needs to be addressed. Being able to understand what’s involved, having the confidence to challenge what’s presented, or having the ability to do the work themselves, means that women are not reliant on men to maintain, repair and improve their homes. Ultimately the HSS hopes to have a pool of trusted and skilled local women, on which members can call for help.
The Huon She Shed has great potential to inspire positive change in the lives of women in the Huon Valley. If you want to be a part of where this exciting initiative is going, or just want to meet, talk and learn with other local women, there are many ways to get involved. Whatever your age, background, identity or abilities (including those who’ve never picked up a hammer), all women are welcome to get on the tools, get on with a project, get creative, or get a cuppa and sit it out. Annual membership covers insurance requirements as well as the cost of running the Shed. If you’re not ready for membership, but just think this is worth supporting, you can donate via the HSS’s GoFundMe page on their website (www.huonsheshed.org.au).
As for whether Australia’s first She Shed is meeting its goal of providing a safe, inclusive space for women to gather, learn and connect, I’d say they nailed it.
Sonia Strong moved to Tasmania in 2005 and lives in the forested hills of the D’Entrecasteaux Channel. She has worked in conservation and alpine/marine park management, as a paramedic and recently, as a wilderness ranger. She is also a metalsmith, writer and painter. She has a deep affection for windswept and interesting people and places and is happiest when creating, immersed in a creek looking for sapphires, exploring wild places or in the sunshine with wine and friends. Sonia has published several children’s books through Forty South, including Tazzie The Turbo Chook Finds Her Feet. You can follow her on Instagram, @soniastrongartist.
