HUMANS OF MURWILLUMBAH | PART FIVE

PAT & SHARON

Pat has spent decades immersed in radio on both sides of the mic while Sharon spent many years as an accountant before transitioning to corporate psychology. In 2012, a trip through India sparked the idea for their leather bag brand, Indepal, and by 2013, they were selling bags at Brisbane farmers markets. A few years later, they opened their first store in the iconic Brisbane Arcade, which still thrives today. In 2020, they embraced a tree change, moving to Murwillumbah and when a space opened in the stunning art-deco Austral building, Bolt + Buckle was born, blending timeless leather with timeless men's style.

  1. What brought you to Murwillumbah and what do you love most about living in town or in the surrounding areas? We'd been wanting a tree change for a while, and initially started looking around Mullumbimby and surrounds. A friend suggested we also look a little further north and we found our perfect home just 10 minutes from town. We absolutely love the natural beauty of the area, so to literally live amongst it is a blessing. And the people! What a beautiful bunch they are. Friendly, welcoming, generous and a patchwork of different souls all coming together to make an amazing community.

  2. What inspired you to start your business in Murwillumbah? We have a similar store (Bolt & Buckle) in Brisbane, but there was nothing similar here in Murwillumbah. We could see the vibrancy of the community, so the opportunity to fill the void was too good to pass up. Initially, we thought the business would do "OK", but honestly it has been one of the best business decisions we've ever made.

  3. Can you share a story about a time when the Murwillumbah community came together to support one another? I know it's the obvious one, but seeing the community rally during the floods was incredibly inspiring. We'd never seen anything like it. From the mud army cleaning up, to volunteers jumping in to coordinate it all, to food businesses and schools wandering the streets handing out food, it was just incredible.

  4. What are some spots in town that you would recommend to visitors? Rail trail for the body. Tweed Regional Gallery for the mind. M-Arts for the soul. Tweed River House for the stomach.

  5. How do you envision the future of Murwillumbah? I think Murwillumbah will always maintain its bones whilst it continues to become more vibrant and prosperous. The recent community grant will result in some community initiatives that will be a window into what might be possible.

CLICK HERE TO FOLLOW PAT & SHARON ON INSTAGRAM!