Olinda Collective

Olinda Collective is a charming shop situated in the heart of the Dandenongs. Owners Maggie Meyer and Sunshine Connelly realised up-and-coming artists and designers didn’t have a platform to share their work if they couldn’t sustain their own retail space. So in October 2015, they did something about it.

The boutique can house works from up to 26 artists at once. Some stalls are little more than a recycled box set against the wall, but there are six larger spaces where stallholders can weld, sew or paint at a workbench in the shop.

There’s great diversity in the stallholders but also a key commonality– they’re makers or creators whose work aligns with the principles of ethical awareness and sustainability.

Jaccob McKay is one such artist. The craftsman and sometime Broadsheet photographer grew up in the area. He makes jewellery and other trinkets from sustainably sourced materials such as fallen tree branches, recycled copper pipes and old wooden fence posts.

You never know what you’ll walk out with when you visit Olinda Collective – a photo frame, crochet bags, bespoke jewellery, a second-hand garment from Little Black Dress, or enough retro homewares to furnish your entire house.