Andrew Leigh

I spoke in parliament today about the Melba Men's Shed.

Melba Men's Shed
13 October 2011

On 23 September I visited the Melba Men's Shed with my staffer Damien Hickman. Members of men's sheds come from all walks of life. The bond that unites them is that they are men with time on their hands and would like something meaningful to do with that time. Men after retirement often find that once the phone stops ringing and they are no longer called on to make decisions their social networks are not as extensive as that of women.

There are many men's sheds across Australia for which 'first bloke' Tim Matheson is a patron. They provide a place for men to meet and socialise. If you look inside one you might see a number of men restoring furniture or restoring bikes for a local school, and a few young men working with older men, learning new skills and maybe something about life. The Melba Men's Shed has grown from six to 10 people, to 25 to 30 people. I would like to thank Stuart Allan the President of the Melba Men's Shed.