History of the Leschenault Men’s Shed

The Leschenault Men’s Shed in Australind is a place where men may get together to work on woodworking projects and then sell the finished goods. We aim to promote men’s mental health and wellbeing whilst providing a place for people to meet and socialise.

Our History

From John Saunders

“In the beginning, before the dawn of time a guy named Bill Adams, a councillor of the Harvey Tribe was seen to bribe a Rotarian named John with a cup of coffee at Henk’s Cafe in Australind in 2009 and there he laid out his dream of building a Men’s Shed! -“

Subsequently a grant was sought from the South West Regional Grants Scheme for $180,000 to construct the shed using 4 full time voluntary workers. The project was sponsored by the Bunbury Rotary Club on the following basis.

A men’s health program is crucial. The Rotary Club of Bunbury identified the need of a Men’s shed in the community. The Rotary Club of Bunbury is part of Rotary International and is a community-based organisation made up of business and community leaders.

The original program for the project was:

15/11/2011 Slab finished.
25/11/2011 Work commenced.
6/12/2011 Erection of the shed with 4 brick layers and 8 assistants completing the brick work. The veranda area is 23m x 11m.
16/12/2011 Electrical plans were processed.
17/12/2011 ‘LOCK-UP’ took place followed by hot mix to the road and car park, fencing, provision of water and power.
2/04/2012 Hot water system, stove, painting, and septic were progressed. Computers, indoor furniture, machinery followed. Volunteer labour was provided.
The Official opening of the Leschenault Men’s Shed occurred on 25 May 2012.
From that time on the Shed has operated under a Constitution originally drawn up by a solicitor from the Rotary Project group.
Subsequently the shed was enlarged with a second shed at the rear and a patio to be used as a smoko area
In 2021 a proposal was made to build a second shed to the north of the existing building. Additional land was sought from the Harvey Shire Council to double the lease area. This was subsequently expanded at the rear of the two sites to include an area. 15 m x 60 m to allow for storage of material and additional parking.
The area required substantial fill provided by JAK Contracting.
Applications for grants were made to Lotteries WA, South West Development Commission and the Shire of Harvey. These were successful and a 23m x 20 m shed was constructed and completed by October 2023. The new building incorporating a passive room, office, display foyer and toilets with a mezzanine floor for storage.
Leschenault Lions share joint usage of the facility and opportunities for other compatible community groups are available.
The main building was constructed by Southern City Building Company and the internal work was carried out by members of the shed. Extensive carparking has been provided to cater for a membership exceeding 100.

Contact Us

Call 08 6187 7307 to learn more about our story.