Tuesday, 31 March 2026

Shepparton Men’s Shed Repair, Recycle and Repeat

Shepparton Men’s Shed has been repairing and building for its community for 20 years, and if there is one thing the shedders have mastered it is the art of turning reclaimed and recycled materials into something genuinely useful.

The shed’s latest project sees members Michael Graczyk, Steve Crowe and their fellow shedders building nesting boxes for native wildlife, helping to restore habitats destroyed by the Longwood bushfire. The boxes are constructed entirely from old pallets and built to specific dimensions to suit the needs of different target species, a practical and meaningful contribution to the region’s recovery.

It is far from the only project where the shed has put discarded materials to good use. Member Gary Gray sums up the shed’s philosophy simply: “Bring in your rubbish and we can turn it into something you can take home. ”

That philosophy has seen the shed produce everything from pulleys for the Nagambie Sailing Club to dementia activity boards, all from reclaimed materials. Fellow member David Muir took it a step further, building a cubby house for Apple Blossoms Early Learning in Mooroopna from timber risers donated by Notre Dame College. “We had kids in it before we’d even put it down, ” Mr Muir said.

The work coming out of Shepparton Men’s Shed is a great example of what shedders do best, applying practical skills, ingenuity and community spirit to make a real difference to the people and places around them.

 

Image credit: Rechelle Zammit / Shepparton News