About Us
Purple Starfish is a community social enterprise selling a variety of local produce from around the area. Based in Kaniva, our shop features homemade foods, cakes, slices, savouries, fresh eggs, honey and preserves. As well as local produce, the shop also sells a variety of local arts and crafts including greeting cards, quilts, blankets, hats, tea cosies and local books.
The shop is part of the LINK Neighbourhood House. The side wall features a wool stencil mural showcasing the district's sheep farming heritage.
The shop is run by volunteers and raises significant funds to assist with local projects around the town including the Kaniva Wetlands and Fauna Park, Sheep Art Trail and Rogerson Street Playground. We also sell many products to raise funds for community groups including Kaniva Lions Club, Kaniva Cancer Council, Kaniva Hospital & Kaniva and District Progress Association.
The shop has free easy angle parking at the front. It has an accessible entrance and access to an accessible toilet. If you have any special needs, our volunteers are happy to assist.
Virtually every dollar spent at the Purple Starfish supports a local producer, local business or local community group. The shop aims to make a difference by growing a self-help community.
The shop is part of the LINK Neighbourhood House. The side wall features a wool stencil mural showcasing the district's sheep farming heritage.
The shop is run by volunteers and raises significant funds to assist with local projects around the town including the Kaniva Wetlands and Fauna Park, Sheep Art Trail and Rogerson Street Playground. We also sell many products to raise funds for community groups including Kaniva Lions Club, Kaniva Cancer Council, Kaniva Hospital & Kaniva and District Progress Association.
The shop has free easy angle parking at the front. It has an accessible entrance and access to an accessible toilet. If you have any special needs, our volunteers are happy to assist.
Virtually every dollar spent at the Purple Starfish supports a local producer, local business or local community group. The shop aims to make a difference by growing a self-help community.
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Our MissionPurple Starfish was established in 2002 to be a community-based retail space that would act as a grass roots small business incubation initiative, whilst building community and raising funds for community groups in Kaniva. Why the Starfish story?Sometimes in the rush of our modern society we forget that even the smallest things in life make a difference to someone, or something. Perseverance against great odds and against the criticism of others is the very hallmark of value-based idealism, as is refusing to accept failure. The understanding that we hold in our hands the power to change a life, a mind, or a circumstance today – right now – is a powerful insight and motivator. At the same time, idealistic acts, even highly symbolic ones, have the power to inspire others to act, and sometimes in numbers significant enough to make a major or even complete impact on the problem at hand.
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Statement of Purpose
- To be a creative and community-based space for sharing skills and ideas.
- To be accessible to all community members.
- To promote healthy living and environmental awareness.
- To raise funds for community projects, groups & workshops.
- To be a small business incubation initiative.
- To be a training ground for job skills.
History
Arts, crafts and cooking have always been an integral part of rural communities and resulted in the establishment of many craft communities and shops around the world, particularly in the seventies. Kaniva's Craft Cellar was no exception. It was just a tiny shop front in the spare room next to the Club Hotel. It was open Thursday and Fridays and known for its country cooks and beautiful sponge cakes. Every Thursday morning, the main street would be buzzing with many people waiting for the shop to open at 10am. The shop was run by volunteers and donated its profits to many local projects including funding public seating, curtains for the Shire Hall and money to the Kaniva branch of the SES. The Craft Cellar premises were taken over by the proprietors of the time and its closure left big hole in the main street. It was also recognised that a source of income would be valuable in leveraging grant monies for future community projects.
The Kaniva Bakery relocated to more modern premises and eventually became the new home of the Purple Starfish in 2002. The large bakehouse provided a great space for arts and crafts workshops, however the premises required significant renovation. A feasibility study application was submitted to the Community Support Fund and the decision to partner with the Kaniva and District Learning Group was made, as they too were without a permanent home. The West Wimmera Shire Council secured the building so that a grant application could be submitted. This enabled the old bakery site to be re-built as a Neighbourhood House incorporating the Purple Starfish into its shop front. These new premises were opened on the 26th March 2009 by the Member for Western Victoria, Jaala Pulford.
The Starfish has been the launching pad for several businesses including Maggi's Pizzas and Heartfelt Cafe which transformed the closed supermarket into a vibrant cafe, now known as Little Guys Pizza and Cafe. To date the shop has contributed around $35K towards local community projects. The shop is run under the auspice of LINK Neighbourhood House. This too is a valued community asset supporting many community groups along with running many workshops and courses. Find out more at their website.
If you're travelling Melbourne to Adelaide, you can find more local produce and crafts at Craft for a Cause - Horsham, Lowana - Nhill, Tatiara Work Centre - Bordertown and the Purple Paddock - Keith.
The Kaniva Bakery relocated to more modern premises and eventually became the new home of the Purple Starfish in 2002. The large bakehouse provided a great space for arts and crafts workshops, however the premises required significant renovation. A feasibility study application was submitted to the Community Support Fund and the decision to partner with the Kaniva and District Learning Group was made, as they too were without a permanent home. The West Wimmera Shire Council secured the building so that a grant application could be submitted. This enabled the old bakery site to be re-built as a Neighbourhood House incorporating the Purple Starfish into its shop front. These new premises were opened on the 26th March 2009 by the Member for Western Victoria, Jaala Pulford.
The Starfish has been the launching pad for several businesses including Maggi's Pizzas and Heartfelt Cafe which transformed the closed supermarket into a vibrant cafe, now known as Little Guys Pizza and Cafe. To date the shop has contributed around $35K towards local community projects. The shop is run under the auspice of LINK Neighbourhood House. This too is a valued community asset supporting many community groups along with running many workshops and courses. Find out more at their website.
If you're travelling Melbourne to Adelaide, you can find more local produce and crafts at Craft for a Cause - Horsham, Lowana - Nhill, Tatiara Work Centre - Bordertown and the Purple Paddock - Keith.
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Purple Starfish
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