THE Habitat for Humanity ReStore in Rosebud began more than 20 years ago with a bare warehouse and donated goods laid on hessian bags. It was the vision of Mavis Peet, a woman determined to help peninsula families.
Mavis personally funded the start-up costs of the Rosebud ReStore after forming the Mornington Peninsula chapter of Habitat for Humanity Victoria in 2004. She chose the op shop model to raise money for the charity’s affordable housing program, and despite early scepticism – there were already several op shops in Rosebud – the store was soon covering its own costs.
By 2009 it had grown into its Henry Wilson Dve location, and later moved across the road into a space several times the size, where it still operates. When Mavis passed away in 2015, the volunteers chose to continue running the store independently rather than hand management to Habitat’s Kilsyth headquarters.
“The people who work there have taken ownership of it,” said Sandra Brown, a committee member of the ReStore.
“Everybody just loves it.”
The store is now run by about 55 volunteers and is one of the largest op shops on the peninsula.
“Last year we took $335,000, and since the beginning of this year we have already taken $151,970,” said Brown.
Aside from rent, electricity and insurance, all proceeds go directly to Habitat for Humanity Victoria’s programs, including its Affordable Housing Program, which has now concluded on the peninsula.
The first Habitat home on the peninsula was built at Crib Point in 1999. Two more followed in 2005, and further homes were built in Rosebud and Mornington in the years after.
In 2009, working alongside local businesses, the ReStore helped furnish three vacant homes at the Portsea Army Camp to provide temporary accommodation for Black Saturday bushfire victims, supplying bedding, kitchenware and furniture.
In recent years, the ReStore contributed $200,000 toward the purchase of land at Crib Point, on which six homes were built for families selected through Habitat for Humanity’s Affordable Housing Program.
Successful applicants received an interest-free loan and repaid 25 per cent of their income over 10 years, at which point they typically had sufficient equity to refinance independently. The program targeted people in severe housing stress.
“The first house went to a single mum with three kids with autism who had been moving from house to house for 15 years,” said Brown.
“She’s now settled down, and it’s just beautiful.”
Five of the six homes were allocated to families through the program; the sixth was sold privately to offset costs. The estate has now been fully handed over, with the families forming a small community.
The ReStore has also contributed to Habitat for Humanity projects beyond the peninsula, including $50,000 to a Wyndham Vale project in 2011 and $70,000 to finish a Drouin build in 2015. In 2018, when no peninsula land was available, the store fully funded a home in Yea for a father of four who had been sleeping on friends’ couches for two years.
The store also supports Habitat for Humanity’s international program, with volunteers having travelled to Cambodia, where homes can be built for around $4,000.
With the peninsula Affordable Housing Program now complete and no land available for new local builds, the ReStore is working toward establishing a local Brush with Kindness group – a program focused on home repairs, painting and minor renovation for people who cannot afford them. The group recently assisted farmers near Yea whose fences were destroyed in bushfires, and is in early discussions with the Mornington Peninsula Shire about the possibility of renovating vacant council-owned properties.
Students from Dromana Specialist College attend the ReStore for work experience, and the store has recently launched a scholarship program for students at local schools.
Brown said the store’s volunteer-only model and community focus set it apart from other op shops.
“We’re not there to sell anybody anything, we’re there for the community,” said Brown.
“We have people come in every week – they buy something, or they don’t. Sometimes they just come in to have a chat.”
She said volunteers are encouraged to spend time with customers rather than prioritise tasks.
“We don’t know – that person may not have spoken to anybody for a week,” said Brown.
“One man came in and told us his mother had died that day, because he had nobody else to tell.
“We’ve got another guy – he used to come in with his mum, she passed away, and he had to clean out her house,” said Brown.
“He will stand at the counter and say, ‘This is my happy place, these girls give me so much love’ And he brings us cakes.”
The ReStore is open Monday to Friday 10am–4pm and Saturday 10am–1pm at 17 Henry Wilson Dve, Rosebud.
First published in the Southern Peninsula News – 3 June 2026
