The Lane Cove Community Men’s Shed was the first group to be established and named as a “Men’s Shed”

In late 1966 the Lane Cove Council set up a working committee and in early 1997 Federal Government documents announced a Grant to the Lane Cove Committee to further develop the Project “The Men’s Shed for Health & Well Being”. This was probably the first media reference to a Men’s Shed.

The Shed helped many other groups start up new Sheds

The Lane Cove Shed is regarded as a Pioneer in the Shed Movement. In the early days there was little knowledge of Men’s Sheds and we quickly started receiving queries about starting up and operating a Shed. Lane Cove soon became a resource centre for new Sheds and eventually helped in the start up of dozens of other Sheds. In 2005 they set up a Men’s Shed Discussion Website to enable the then existing Sheds to contact each other.

Produced the Manual “Setting up a men’s Shed”

In 2007 the experience gained from these start ups resulted in the production of the Manual :Setting up a Men’s Shed”which has been used to develop hundreds of Sheds in Australia and overseas countries.

Founded the Australian Men’s Shed Association (AMSA)

The Australian Men’s Shed Association (AMSA) was set up, named and registered by the Lane Cove Men’s Shed in January 2007 and, for the first two years, was run by Ted Donnelly operating from the Lane Cove Shed.

In September 2007 a National Men’s Shed Conference was held at Manly organised by the Lane Cove Community Men’s Shed and their sponsors UnitingCare Ageing. During the conference AMSA was formally established by a vote of National representatives.

In July 2008 funding was obtained to enable AMSA to be properly set up with full time staff and the Lane Cove Shed became just one of the 1000+ Australian Sheds in the AMSA family.

In 2011 an International Men’s Shed Association was established, administered by AMSA, which now covers eight countries. In total there are now about 2,400 Sheds worldwide keeping about 200,000 men busy.

For more about AMSA: www.mensshed.org