Tools n Things: Leederville’s tool library gives purpose to community relic in first for WA

In a cost-of-living crunch, borrowing a lawnmower makes sense. But borrowing a chocolate fountain? That’s just a bonus.

A hot pink unicorn cake mould, a macadamia nut cracker, a garment steamer, cricket wickets and fairy floss machine are just some of the wonderful and wacky items available from Leederville’s Tools n Things tool library.

Operating since 2019, boasting a catalogue of more than 1500 items and clocking up over 13,600 item loans, the tool library has seen a steady upturn in memberships and hiring as more people discover the community resource.

Tools n Things began with a simple idea: What if borrowing, not buying, could bring people together and help the planet too?

“I was toying around with community groups and bottom up change,” founding member Phil Brown said.

“You can’t tackle things right at the top, but if you get a community gnawing away at the bottom, then things can change, albeit very slowly.

“In a street of 30 houses, there may well be 30 electric drills, and they all get used once every two years. So, does that make sense?

“I would describe it as being aimed at young people moving into the community, middle aged people doing renovations, and the more mature, downsizing and getting rid of garages and sheds full of items.”

The first of its kind in WA, it has proven to be a one-stop-shop for all things cleaning, gardening, camping, catering and entertaining, with similar tool libraries since popping up in Bayswater and Victoria Park.

Mr Brown, 77, says the gardening items are easily the most popular with everything from lawn aerators, hedge trimmers, leaf blowers, knee pads and sprinklers available to hire.

“I think we are responsible for the lawns of 50 per cent of the City of Vincent, it seems,” he said.

“We’re handing lawnmowers out very quickly.

“Although the most popular item went through a phase of being the Belgian waffle maker going out every week. It went around every house.”

With annual memberships costing $75 or a three month trial for $30, unlimited items can be rented and easily renewed just as a book would be, making it cost-effective for families and individuals looking to save a buck.

“The process is, by all means, come and have a browse around,” Mr Brown said.

“If you know what you’re doing, what you want, if you don’t, you can look up the whole inventory online and sit in bed with your partner, scroll through it and think, oh, we’ll do curried lobsters, let’s get a lobster boiling pot.”

UWA Business School’s Centre for Public Value director David Gilchrist, who specialises in non-for-profit community services, said communities were increasingly sharing items such as toys, school uniforms, sporting clothing and equipment.

“The increasing cost of living does not show signs of abating any time soon and the more communities share resources the more they contribute to their own strength,” he said.

“They offer an opportunity for interaction in a time of online-induced separation and isolation. People can meet and talk not just about tools but about all aspects of their lives in that community, building community strength.”

Asked how the tool library helps amid the cost of living crisis, Tools n Things founding member Helen Ingman said: “Well, people don’t have to buy things. Just that simple, really, isn’t it?”

As a groundskeeper and DIY renovator, Ms Ingman is familiar with many a tiling problem. A NSW expat, she said volunteering at the tool library has connected her with the community after moving over to be closer to family.

“It’s good, because I didn’t know anybody when I came to Western Australia, now I know loads of people,” she said.

“I’m an I’ve done a lot of renovation work, but obviously I’m an amateur, I’m not a professional,” she says.

“So you’ve learned everything the hard way, so you’re able to tell people – ‘whatever you do, don’t do this. I did that. It didn’t work - it’ll lot easier if you do it like this’.”

Among regular borrowers is Nathan Cozar, a backpacker from France who stumbled across the tool library while looking for help while updating his rusted-out Nissan Patrol.

“I get everything I needed here instead of spending my hard-earned money on Bunnings for stuff that I would only need to use once,” he said.

“I think I found out about it online, like Facebook groups or something.

“It was super easy . . . it was a basically great help last year when I’ve set up my car, and again this year, when I had a job to do.”

While the library has all the power tools and tool box items to be expected, more unique library items include crowbars, a small gazebo, a foam roller, an esky, a party pie maker and a hot glue gun.

Located in an unassuming shed once the turnstile for the 1962 Commonwealth Games’ velodrome, it has been transformed into a friendly neighbourhood hub. Particularly niche needs appear a specialty — such as a spearfisherman popping in to sharpen his gear before a dive and a floorboard remover available for hire that has come in handy for those renovating century-old residences nearby in Mount Hawthorn and surrounds.

Tool library member and volunteer Ian Kininmonth says he borrows items nearly weekly and is amazed at how many things can fit into such a small space.

“Obviously saves your time and money, you know going and buying things, and looking.

“Recently my stepdaughter was doing a reno on her place, so we were in here using things ranging from tiling equipment, power tools, drills and jigsaws, things like that and then when that project finished, then she decided she wanted to put a native garden in back.

“So we’re using shovels and wheelbarrows and all those sorts of sorts of things.

“A lot of people actually just walk here, they come and get their wheelbarrow or lawnmower for example, go down the road back to their house and then they do it. Then they return it within an hour.”