Page 23 - Port Douglas Magazine 32
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MAKER’S
GONNA MAKE
WORDS by Sharon Timms
To many, launching a business in 2020 would have seemed a little daunting, stores. One of my university assignments was to study the negative effect
if not a little crazy. To this mother and daughter team, Donna (left) and Raine fast fashion has on our environment, which really opened my eyes to how
Ward, they were just two creatives armed with passion and determination and important it is to partake in the slow-retail movement,” Raine said.
the journey was inviting.
“Right from the start we were consistently bouncing ideas off each other. It ABOUT MAKER
helped us keep it real, fun and helped us carve out our vision,” says Donna.
There is an old saying that out of great adversity comes great opportunity.
“Our goal was to support the artists and the creators, the makers around us,” As a town that is reliant on visitors from around the world, Port Douglas and
says Raine. “It was important for us to show that we appreciated the uniqueness the uncertainty of 2020 proved to be a challenging time for many. Raine, too,
of each handmade piece and the story each told.” had made the tough decision to leave Byron and move back north to be closer
“We wanted to build on this, by connecting people with talented local and to home. However, it did not take long for her to raise the conversation of
Australian creators to move away from mass consumerism and unethical “What next!” with her best supporter, her mum. She believed if they could
ideologies.” establish a space to support like-minded creatives, it would be an ideal
platform to showcase their work but could potentially provide some much-
Aptly named Maker, the outcome is a beautiful space that has a relaxed needed income for everyone (the temporary closure of the famous Port Douglas
and funky vibe, an artisan store combining beautiful and ethically sourced Sunday Markets providing another crucial blow for local talent).
homewares and gifts. Walls adorned with individual pieces from a range of
talented and emerging artists add to the experience and you will find yourself “We felt that if we could encourage artists to sell their pieces to us, Raine could
happily browsing. use her skills to market them throughout Australia,” says Donna. “Creativity
stimulates neural pathways that regenerate the brain that can be damaged
through stress and trauma. By encouraging local artists to remain motivated
ABOUT DONNA & RAINE and keep doing what they loved, we hoped we could in some small way help
In their early 20s, and long before ‘van-life’ was an Instagrammable hashtag, support livelihoods but also contribute to their positive mental health.”
Donna Ward and her high school sweetheart Geoff embarked on the journey “The naivety of opening a business during this time was a bonus. Love is blind.
of a lifetime that would ultimately shape their entire future. With the fire of When you love something enough you believe everyone loves it. And that’s how
adventure spurring them on, they bought and converted an old school bus into Raine and I felt about Maker.” Continues Donna: “We honestly believed that
a self-contained motorhome. Towing a small 4WD, a tinny and a motorbike because of international travel restrictions, everyone would be travelling to Port
behind them, they set off around Australia on the journey of a lifetime.
Douglas and we wanted them to be able to take a piece of Port Douglas home
“We lived a romantic, vagabond life based in beauty, art and photography. with them that would last and was a beautiful reminder of their time here. It
Life on the road allowed us to be present, to live simply and enjoy the things reflected the true ethos of Maker. We didn’t want to think for a second that this
we loved to do. Geoff surfed and fished, I painted and spent countless hours shop wouldn’t work.”
wandering local markets and galleries. I had always been a ‘maker’, so I had The pair quickly found a vacant retail shop and within six weeks, with the help
a deep appreciation for anything handmade. I collected special pieces from of their family and all hands-on deck, they had transformed it into a beautiful
towns, reminding us of our time spent there. We settled in Port Douglas after artisan space. Rounding up all their favourite local talent and scouting out
we had done a huge figure-8 of the country and decided it was time to take a gifted new talent from around the country, Maker came to life. Today, they
rest.” feature more than 40 local makers and almost 30 interstate small businesses.
Growing up amongst artists and creatives most certainly rubbed off on the “When you buy from a maker, you’re buying more than just the piece,” Raine
next generation. Fresh after graduating from Mossman High School, Raine reminds us. “It’s the days, weeks and months of dedication, frustration and
– showing promise and talent in the visual arts field - moved to Byron Bay to pure joy invested by the artist. Most importantly you are buying them more
study a degree in filmmaking.
time to do something that they are passionate about. Actually, one of the
“Byron Bay is a hub of creativity and I loved immersing myself in a community most heart-warming memories in those first few weeks was the support and
of makers, all selling their wares at the markets and in retail stores. I’ve always encouragement, not only from our makers, but from the visitors to our region
had a passion for pre-loved clothing and Byron is filled with quirky vintage and our local community. We are just so grateful.”
PORT DOUGLAS MAGAZINE 23