Nearly three years on from the bushfires, Bobin resident Kim McDonald still doesn't have a house and is living in a caravan and on a deck.
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She does have a lovely shed on the site where her house stood before it burnt down, however, this she has given over to the community for 'Made in Bobin', a hub for artisans in the Bobin community to sell their creations.
It's a delight for the senses to wander through the shed and see everything there is on offer - candles and soaps, eco-dyed cushions, wall hangings, jewellery, glasswork, windchimes, sculptures, plants, relishes and jams, lemon butter, dried citrus, beef jerky, essential oil spritzes and perfumes, baskets, books produced by Bobin Public School students, prints of artworks by renowned wildlife artist Peter Schouten AM, and more.
Kim doesn't make any money out of allowing the 20 or so makers to sell their products there, apart from what she has made and sold herself.
"I'm just providing a space for it," Kim said.
She opens the shed every weekend, and puts out a sandwich board and banners to attract tourists heading up to visit Ellenborough Falls.
"I thought whenever I go on day trips to a regional town you want to stop and you buy something that you can't buy anywhere else. And that's what people are liking about it.
"It was really just experiment to see if people stopped and they have been, which is fantastic," Kim said.
She explains that Made in Bobin is an extension of the Bobin School of Arts Hall, across the road, and everything that is sold must be made by people who live in Bobin.
"It's amazing how many people come down from Elands asking if can they put stuff in the shop, and I've been saying sorry, I'm being very purist about this, it has to be made in Bobin."
Made in Bobin is open 10am to 4pm on Saturdays and Sundays and is 30 minutes drive out of Wingham on Bulga Road, next door to the Bobin Public School.
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