OUR STORY

From a single community idea to a national network of opshops across remote Australia.

Where It All Began

In 2016, a group of women from the remote Northern Territory community of Jilkminggan reached out to Tanya Egerton to talk about their hopes for the future of their local art centre. They were being required to participate in work-for-the-dole activities, turning up day after day with little meaningful work to do, despite having strong creative skills and a clear vision for what they wanted to build. They wanted opportunities to use their talents, generate income, and create something of their own.

Sitting around a piece of butcher’s paper, they mapped out ideas for how they might self-fund an art centre. From that conversation, an op shop emerged as a practical solution — a way to improve access to affordable clothing in community while also creating income for local priorities. A simple call-out for a few boxes of clothing quickly grew into a national outpouring of support, with donations arriving from across Australia.

The women opened the first Remote OpShop, generated income, purchased art supplies, and incorporated their art centre. What began as one community idea in Jilkminggan became the foundation for a growing national network of community-led OpShops across remote First Nations communities.

The idea was simple. Create a place where donated goods could support community initiatives.

The first box of donations being sorted in Jilkminggan in 2016.

A Community-Led Model

From the beginning, the idea was simple: remote communities run their own OpShops, using donated goods to create local opportunity. Each shop is community-led, with decisions about day-to-day operations and how money is used staying in the hands of local people.

Income raised through OpShop sales is reinvested back into the community, supporting priorities such as youth programs, community events, equipment, and cultural activities. In this way, each OpShop becomes more than a store — it becomes part of a place-based Indigenous business model designed to meet the unique needs of remote communities while contributing to a stronger local economy.

In many communities, women lead the OpShops as managers, mentors, and decision-makers. Their leadership creates a safe and practical environment for young women and girls to build confidence, develop business skills, and connect to further pathways such as pre-employment training, VET courses, and mentorship. Remote OpShop Project helps strengthen this growing network by connecting donations, sharing knowledge, and supporting communities to establish and grow shops in ways that reflect their own goals and aspirations.