In 2017, Nigel Walker called a meeting to float the option of a Men’s Shed for Robertson. Seven men agreed to form an association. The Robertson Men’s Shed Incorporated (RMSI) was registered in August 2017. John Kennis was elected first President and with other committee members the quest began to get a Shed, especially fundraising and grant applications to support development.
The Robertson CTC allowed use of their facility to hold meetings until premises could be secured in return for maintenance of that facility by Men’s Shed members.
In 2018 Karon Sacks proposed the idea of a Women’s Shed and a committee was formed to work alongside the men. The men’s and women’s groups combined in early 2019 and began working on their separate days out of a double garage behind the Scout Hall.
Unable to find an existing building, an agreement was made with the CTC to build a new shed behind their existing building. Permissions were gained from the relevant authorities : Crown Lands; The Scouts Australia organization, the trustees of the crown land for the building site; The Aboriginal Land Council, due to a land claim on the site; and Wingecarribee Shire Council for development approval.
Fundraising and Council grants saw the preliminary work completed and approvals obtained. Now all that was needed was to get a big grant to build our shed. In February 2020 the Hon Wendy Tuckerman MP advised that the application, which was inclusive of men, women and people with disabilities, had been awarded by the NSW Government to the tune of $291,000,00.
Building commenced in May 2020 and the occupation certificate was awarded on the 10th December 2020.
The Shed was officially opened by the Hon Wendy Tuckerman on Saturday 13 February, 2021. The ceremony and open day was also attended by Stephen Jones, Federal Member for Whitlam, Duncan Gair, the local mayor and two Councillors as well as many interested locals.
