History of Men's Sheds
The “Men's Shed” movement started as a practical and social response to loneliness and isolation among men, especially retired men. What began as a small community idea in Australia has spread worldwide and now includes thousands of sheds across dozens of countries.
Origins in Australia
The first recognized Men's Shed was created in 1993 in Goolwa, South Australia, largely credited to community worker Maxine Chaseling. The idea grew out of earlier informal gatherings in the 1970s and 1980s among retired miners, veterans, and older men who met to work on projects and socialize.
The basic insight was simple:
Men often connect “shoulder to shoulder” rather than “face to face.”
Instead of formal counselling or support groups, sheds gave men a place to:
- build or repair things
- share skills
- drink tea or coffee together
- maintain a sense of purpose after retirement
- reduce social isolation
- New Zealand
- Ireland
- the United Kingdom
- Canada
- the United States
- parts of Europe
The movement expanded rapidly across Australia in the late 1990s and 2000s. National organizations such as Mensheds Australia were formed to help communities start new sheds. Today Australia has hundreds of them.
Expansion Around the World
From Australia, the idea spread internationally:
Canada adopted the concept more recently. One of the earliest Canadian sheds was founded in Winnipeg around 2011 by Doug Mackie through MenSheds Manitoba. The idea resonated particularly with retired men dealing with loneliness, loss of routine, or mental health struggles.
A national organization, Men's Sheds Canada, was formally established in 2022 to connect and support sheds across the country.
Canadian sheds vary widely:
- woodworking shops
- repair and restoration groups
- coffee-and-conversation gatherings
- gardening groups
- maker spaces
- volunteer/community-service projects
Men's Sheds Ontario is a volunteer-run association formed in 2022 to support sheds across the province, connect members, and help start new sheds. Their site includes background on the movement and a directory of Ontario sheds.