First Nations Women Lead the Way at Remote OpShop Project Leadership Gathering
Remote OpShop Project hosted its inaugural Leadership Gathering in Darwin, bringing together First Nations women leaders from across remote Western Australia and the Northern Territory. The gathering marked a powerful milestone for the community-led enterprise network, which now supports over 40 opshops in some of the most isolated communities in Australia.
Women from Looma, Urapunga, Fitzroy Crossing, Kalumburu, Bayulu and beyond came together to share knowledge, build connections, and help shape the future of the Remote OpShop Project. Many met in person for the first time, forming new friendships and finding strength in each other’s stories.
Throughout the gathering, a common theme emerged: the opshops have become far more than places to access affordable goods. They are platforms for strong women to lead, to uplift others, and to inspire younger generations to step forward. The opshops are spaces where women feel safe, seen, and supported—and from that foundation, they are building community, purpose, and pride.
Darlene Patrick from Bayulu WA shared how being involved in the opshop gave her confidence to step into leadership:
“I started doing the opshops in Bayulu, and I started to feel confident about making changes in the community. I told my partner that I’m going to this gathering to listen to other people to bring back those ideas for this community.”
Annie Daniels from Urapunga NT reflected on the significance of the opshop in her community:
“In our small communities, there are just families living there, no one else. The first business to come to Urapunga was the opshop. When it arrived, it was and still is a significant event to the community. What it provided made a big difference in the community for what we really needed. There is never a day when someone comes to the opshop and walks away with nothing in their hand.”
“An opshop will benefit the people working there and also the customers, it makes a big difference. Seeing someone walk away happy is priceless and it is a really good feeling inside.”
Beverley-Ann Lupton, a Senior Law Woman and Gooniyandi Elder from Fitzroy Crossing, shared:
“The inspiration, encouragement and knowledge sharing from everyone in our group really was appreciated. People listened to us and sometimes we don’t get that in our community. The workshop made us feel like we can operate our Op shops so a very Big Thanks to everyone. Truly amazing.”
“We love second-hand clothes—they have character, they have a story, someone has loved them, they have feeling.”
Elaine Daniels, also from Urapunga, added:
“I truly have a better understanding of how everything operates, which has educated me in a way that would do more for my opshop and community learnings. It’s been a wonderful two days, meeting new people and making new friends.
I would like to see our opshop help our community, build more young, strong women, and become a role model for the future.”
Melissa Skinner from Looma WA shared:
“It was an eye opener for me – the challenges we face are the same in other communities too. I hope we can all help each other. I’d like my op shop to grow bigger and bigger, maybe one day to have the biggest op shop in my area. From little things, big things grow.”
From Kalumburu, Margaret Peurmora reflected on both business potential and youth engagement:
“Tramulla OpShop could be a wider business in the future for Kalumburu. I have worked with the opshop for a very long time, and I have strong inspiration for how I can look at things and where it could go. I can say that you can go miles away with second-hand shops.”
“It is quite interesting for young people. People are out there looking for jobs. We try and give young people an opportunity to come in and see what we are doing and get involved, help out with little things, and they find a small interest first. Then they ask later on—two weeks after—‘when are you going to open that shop again!’ They want to be involved, and we are hooking them, little by little. We aren’t just trying to get their interest—we want to see young people find their goal.”
The gathering was supported by Social Ventures Australia, who are co-designing an Indigenous-led impact framework with the team. Indigenous consulting firm Esparq Ventures is also exploring enterprise opportunities that can grow from the opshops, creating pathways for economic participation and local business.
With more than 45,000 women across Australia donating preloved goods, the Remote OpShop Project diverts high-quality items from landfill and delivers dignity, access, and opportunity to communities where it’s needed most. Since launching its first opshop in Jilkminggan NT in 2016, the initiative has grown into a national network of community-owned enterprises.
As part of its next phase, the project is developing a series of regional Reuse Hubs, beginning with the Darwin Hub opened in September 2024, to streamline the redistribution of goods and improve access for remote partners.
One of the biggest challenges remains transport—getting items from urban centres to communities thousands of kilometres away. Logistics partner Team Global Express joined the leadership gathering to hear directly from women on the ground.
Tanya Egerton, CEO and Founder of the Remote OpShop Project, emphasised the importance of cross-sector collaboration:
“Partnerships are critical for the Remote OpShop Project, but it goes both ways. We need the global logistical expertise of big organisations like Team Global Express, but we also need the on-the-ground, deep knowledge of our First Nations leaders, who are able to provide insights and mobilise networks in the bush. The opportunities for Indigenous business development up and down this supply chain are limitless, and we plan to grow this network. We’ll be relying on local mob to get items to where they are needed most, especially the last mile.”
The Leadership Gathering was more than a workshop, it was a celebration of culture, connection, and the power of women leading change from Country.