Corina Downie loves a chat, but even with a bubbly outgoing personality, friends have been few and far between since she and her husband moved to the small Queensland town of Howard three months ago.
"I like to talk, so I'm happy to have a chat downtown. I love small-town vibes," she said.
"But finding genuine friends has been a little bit difficult.
"I know it's only been three months, but I don't have kids that go to school anymore, and I'm not surrounded by people of a similar age and similar interests."
The old coal mining town on the Fraser Coast is home to more than 1,300 permanent residents and is attracting newcomers from interstate who are looking for a lifestyle change.
For Ms Downie, loneliness is something she's had to get used to — until now.
She and other local women answered a call to plan Howard's first Women's Shed.
It's the brainchild of the local progress association's president and Men's Shed member Trevor Goodall, who posted an expression of interest on social media and was quickly flooded with comments.
"The response was phenomenal," he said.
"I showed my wife, who is also why I wanted to do this [for].
"There are a lot of women who are by themselves in their homes and have nothing to do or nowhere to go."
Single mother Leonora Camilleri knows all too well how hard it is to meet people in a new town.
Ms Camilleri left all her family and friends behind in Victoria during the height of the pandemic for a new life in Queensland.
"When I first moved here, I knew nobody," she said.
"I needed some work done on the house, so I posted in the community page. It got the ball rolling to meet people, and through that, I've met some women.
"But not everybody is on social media."
The new women's shed will serve as a safe haven for local women to hold workshops, learn new skills and come together for a cuppa and a chat about anything and everything.
Mental health will also be a big focus.
"Especially coming out of COVID, women, single women, women with disabilities — they can feel isolated," Ms Camilleri said.
"Knowing that we have a women's shed that we can come to and be supported, it's going to encourage women to be more confident in talking about their issues.
"It's women empowerment really."
While it's still some way off, a steering committee is being elected to get the ball rolling for the Howard District Women's Shed.
Trevor Goodall is using his experience to help get them established.
"We need this to happen. The Howard District Progress is right behind this. We have got support from local shops and local council," he said.
"These ladies have stepped forward to do this. I think it's going to be brilliant."
