Nestled in the heart of Bungendore, The Malbon creative and community hub is about to celebrate almost two years of operating.

The co-owners of the The Malbon in Bungendore, Sally Hieatt and Meg Jeffreys, say they are proud to see their corner of Malbon Street become “a hive of community activity and laughter”.

“We’re creating a community within a community,” says Sally.

“The idea of The Malbon came about when we – and our husbands – recognised there was a need to revitalise the entry of the village.”

The (now) Malbon building had been vacant and derelict for a long time, which Meg says was frustrating the locals as it was the wrong entrance to Bungendore.

“The Malbon’s new look provides passersby with a mix of sage green and crisp white. The lush green nursery with a wonderful collection of pots and garden art also sings from the road,” she says.

“The location once thrived with an antique dealer and was a destination that locals and travellers both liked to visit. Sadly, that attraction dried up after the building was vacant for several years.”

Constantly passing the closed building on the way to and from work and school dropoffs, Meg and Sally say they realised that Bungendore desperately needed the space to be revitalised and the idea of a community hub was borne.

“We knew of a few creative locals who were interested in a space but weren’t enough on their own.,” says Sally.

“We often commented that it would be the perfect opportunity for someone to do a collective of some sort, which would provide locals with the opportunity to showcase their own works.”

Little did they know that six weeks after this idea had been hesitantly voiced, the building would become theirs, their placeholder name, The Malbon, eventually sticking as a permanent name.

“It was a perfect choice in the end,” says Meg. “It meant we weren’t trapped by what we sold and the services we provide for the community.”

The first thing on their to-do list was to fix the ramshackle building to ensure the community knew they were up and running for business.

“After the lack of activity over the past few years, we wanted to make sure that there was now a place for the community to gather again,” says Sally.

Opening with a few tenants who sold antiques, gifts and homewares, The Malbon soon reached the attention of the community, with many creatives placing their unique and often hand-made wares in-store.

“We now have over 20 artists and are constantly expanding our crew,” says Sally.

“We wanted to provide an opportunity for local artisans, and we really believe we’ve achieved that!”

There are a mix of vendors, to some like Meg and Sally it is a business on the side.

Many of their vendors take it in turns to serve customers at the counter, which Meg says provides an important opportunity for visitors to meet the vendors and makers.

“It also provides purpose for our artists,” she says.

“Many of our creators are retired, and we love giving them the opportunity to work on something creative each week and have it appreciated by the wider community.”

The giant warehouse includes a gallery, in-house florist, food van, nursery and three large themed rooms with homewares, photography, timber and ceramic work, gifts, books, saddlery and a providore.

Beside the building and humming with music sits Eric’s food van, a local hospitality business operating within Bungendore for more than 17 years providing hot and fresh food, utilising homegrown ingredients from The Malbon.

“It’s a delicious takeaway and customers love grabbing a coffee and perusing the Malbon,” says Sally.

“And it can also be enjoyed sitting on the tables scattered around the nursery.”

Tucked behind the gallery, Meg’s husband Will had the idea to create a room within the Malbon dedicated to Lake George research.

“It’s one of the most studied lakes in Australia but has no dedicated space on its history,” says Meg.

“The Lake Room at The Malbon is the only Museum of Lake George.”

“It’s a community driven adventure that features an extensive multimedia history of photographs and mementos celebrating the lake.

“We also have a space inviting the community to add their own history and experiences.”

Dog friendly inside and out, Sally and Meg encourage visitors to make memories at The Malbon and hope to see it become an important destination for Canberrans on day trips or pitstops on their way through to the coast.

Supporting local wherever possible, their in-house florist provides pre-made or made-to-order bouquets from her micro-flower farm at Bungendore, adding a touch of whimsy to their bright spaces.

“We are always striving to evolve and support smaller retailers, local artists and artisans,” says Meg.

With Christmas coming up, the girls are now busy preparing for another meet-the-maker evening along with late-night shopping and live music. Dinner is also sorted with Eric’s food van. Meg says it’s the perfect opportunity to get Christmas shopping sorted “in a lovely relaxing environment”.

“Bring your friends and kids along on Thursday, December 12, for a great night out,” she says.

The Malbon, 2 Malbon Street, Bungendore. Call 0475 421 493 or visit themalbon.com or themalbon_bungendore on Instagram