Secondhand clothing in the ‘O’ range at Salvos – funkier, original and big brand labels for shoppers on the hunt for their own unique style.
Story and photos by Linda Moon
Katoomba Street’s famous profile of eateries, quirky shops, cold-climate street plantings and cockatoos is ever changing. And the latest transformation favours the circular economy.
Key Points:
- Secondhand shops are booming in Katoomba and helping drive the circular economy.
- Katoomba has 20 different options for secondhand, thrift, vintage and antique shopping.
- Young people, environmental awareness and tougher economic times are helping fuel the trend.
- See our guide to all 20 Katoomba Op Shops, Antique & Secondhand Stores here >
In October, observant locals will have noticed that two popular op shops (Anglicare and the Salvos) have relocated into prime positions within the tourist town’s main street.
Cayte Moxom, area manager for the Salvation Army (Central West), says the relocation of Salvos (previously in Waratah Street) is about being bigger and more accessible to the public. The move also involves a transition of the store from family/church run to an arm of the Salvation Army.
Doors officially opened on Wednesday 25th October.
A few doors down, the Anglicare Op Shop is also benefitting from a new location. The busy 195 Katoomba Street store recently relocated to expand into a bigger space. It’s a sure sign the secondhand economy is thriving.
The new Anglicare Op Shop. Bigger and better with more floor, rack and shelf space and room to move.
Thriving Centre for Retro
Katoomba now offers 20 different options for secondhand shopping. Featuring something for different budgets and tastes, these include charity-based op shops, vintage options, antique centres and the free reuse shed at the Katoomba Resource Recovery and Waste Management Facility.
See our guide to all 20 Katoomba Op Shops, Vintage & Antique Stores >
“Although we’re competitors,” Moxom says, “the more charities you have, the more choice.”
The growing trade in vintage and secondhand is further establishing the town as a thriving centre for retro and originality.
Boom time for Op Shops. The new Salvos Op Shop in Katoomba Street, one of 20 secondhand shops in Katoomba.
Boom time for op shops
Moxom says the secondhand sector is growing in Katoomba and elsewhere. She attributes it to harder economic times and affordability factors plus greater interest in sustainability and avoiding fast fashion.
People are more interested in considering the environment and planet in their purchases, and doing good in their local community. We’re in a national park, we have the Planetary Health Initiative and a community committed to caring about the environment. – Cayte Moxom
The global market for secondhand apparel is predicted to almost double by 2027 (to $350 billion) according to a report by Thredup. In fact, it’s predicted to grow three times faster than that for new fashion. Which is great for the environment!
Synthetic textiles have become a big environmental problem, Moxom says. Petroleum-based fabrics, like acrylics, elastine, polyester and lycra, don’t break down. Thus, recyling and re-using fashion can help.
Katoomba local, 19-year-old Amy James, modelling clothing she purchased from Katoomba op shops.
Secondhand hits the mainstream
While once we may have felt shame in shopping at op shops, secondhand shopping is mainstream now, Moxom says. “The idea that people who shop in op shops can’t afford it is no longer true. Also, young people want a point of difference and don’t want to wear what everyone else is wearing.”
A study published by The Conversation found second-hand shopping associated more with style-consciousness than either frugality or environmental awareness.
Local outdoor guide, Amy James, in upcycled summer top she hand made from op shop ware.
Youth embracing secondhand
19-year-old Katoomba local, Amy James, is one of many young people who see worth in buying ‘pre-loved’ goods. About half her wardrobe is secondhand.
It’s cheaper; it’s better for the environment, it’s fun, a bit of a treasure hunt. You never know what you’ll find. It’s also inspiring thinking what you can make from it. – Amy James
Mirror, lanterns and chalk bag made by Amy James from trash and treasure purchased in op shops.
The joy of upcycling
Amy, who works as an outdoor guide, upcycles finds from secondhand and op shops into unique clothing and household decor items. She recently refashioned an old mirror using mosaic materials she made from smashed teapot saucers and cups, bits of stained glass and tiles found in secondhand shops. She also handcrafts table runners, pillowcases, mosaics, lanterns and belts (the latter are made from old ties).
Making her own chalk bag (used in the climbing industry) has saved her heaps. The chalk bags typically retail from between $20 to $70, she says. The creative climber made her own using recycled fabric and a friendship bracelet.
Amy plans to start a market stall and promote her unique, handcrafted items on Instagram at theclumsypenguinau.
Lovely hanging lantern made by Amy James using recycled jars from op shops.
Cancer Wellness Op Shop a recycling hero
Amy’s personal favourite for fossicking is the Cancer Wellness Op Shop in North Katoomba. “It has heaps of stuff,” she says.
A popular locals haunt, the op shop also won a coveted expert accreditation for “clothing reuse” from Charitable Recycling Australia (in 2023). The charity recycles a remarkable 95 per cent of all the goods it receives. It also donates unsaleable goods overseas.
Like other charitable thrift shops, most funds go towards local charities and thus feed back into the community.
Cancer Wellness Op Shop, Katoomba – a Blue Mountains favourite for secondhand shopping.
Take Action:
- Go op-shopping in Katoomba instead of buying new. See our full guide to all the stores here >
- Recycle old clothes that can’t be donated through BMCC’s Clothing and Textile Recycling Program
- Get together with friends to hold a clothes swap party to freshen up your wardrobe!
This story has been produced as part of a Bioregional Collaboration for Planetary Health and is supported by the Disaster Risk Reduction Fund (DRRF). The DRRF is jointly funded by the Australian and New South Wales governments.
More from around the region
bluemountainsplanetaryhealth
Jul 2
The Community Tree Planting Day for the Glossy Black Cockatoo is on this Saturday 5 July near Cowra! Learn more about how you can help grow connected landscapes to save the Glossy Black, including more about the Community Tree Planting Day, by fast forwarding to 48mins in our video "Falling in Love with Glossy Black Cockatoos" here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pCERdF21Ud0&t=2075s
Register your interest to join everyone at the Tree Planting Day here:
https://events.humanitix.com/glossy-black-cockatoo-community-tree-planting-5
Links in profile
#glossyblackcockatoo #treeplanting #connectedlandscapes #biodiversity #planetaryhealth
...
bluemountainsplanetaryhealth
Jun 26
Join us for this fabulous workshop: Designing Your Future Home on Saturday 19 July (10am-12 noon)
Create a Healthy, Comfortable and Energy-Efficient Home
Join local Passive House Designer Karina Rafailov from Earthy Haus for a relaxed, interactive, and inspiring workshop. Whether you’re planning a new build or thinking about a renovation, this session will empower you with the knowledge to create a home that’s healthier for your family and kinder to the planet.
Places are strictly limited in this hands-on workshop so bookings essential here (link in profile): https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/workshop-designing-your-future-home-tickets-1417752157869
#passivehaus #homedesign #passivehousedesign #katoomba #bluemountains #planetaryhealth
...
bluemountainsplanetaryhealth
Jun 23
As an increasing number of people are being affected by winter viruses, we’re offering a free session of Tai Chi and Qigong on Saturday 5 July in the warmth of our beautiful Frogs of the Blue Mountains exhibition. Places are limited so book in early here (link in profile):
https://bit.ly/40fnGW2
Learn more about these Chinese medicine movement practices in the video interview with Virginia Field on our YouTube channel (link in profile) and read about how Chinese medicine helped her overcome illness as a young woman in our story: Healing Body, Mind and Spirit with Tai Chi and Qigong here (link in profile):
https://www.katoombalocalnews.com/tai-chi-and-qigong/
#taichi #qigong #bodymindspirit #planetaryhealth #wellbeing #bluemountains #katoomba
...
bluemountainsplanetaryhealth
Jun 22
If you’re interested in learning how to propagate native plants and are keen to help our bush regenerate, the Bushcare Seed Collectors meet on the second Tuesday of the month. Check out how they cook Banksias to release their seed and learn more about the group, and native seed collecting, in Katoomba Area Local News here (link in profile): https://www.katoombalocalnews.com/bushcare-seed-collectors/
If you’d like to join the group, contact the Bushcare officer Tracy Abbas on 4780 5623 or email [email protected]
#nativeseedcolleting #bushcare #nativeseed #biodiversity #regeneration #habitat #banksias #gahnia #bluemountains #planetaryhealth
...
bluemountainsplanetaryhealth
Jun 21
Littlejohni, the Rare and Endangered Northern Heath Frog, photographed in Woodford!
When the Frogs of the Blue Mountains exhibition opened at the Planetary Health Centre in March it featured photos of 20 different local frogs. We were thrilled, however, when Andy Klotz and other members of the Hawkesbury Herpetological Society recently managed to photograph another frog in Woodford: the rarely seen and endangered Litoria littlejohni, also known as the Northern Heath Frog or Orange-bellied Tree Frog. We’ve added a photo of that frog to the exhibition and created a new Frogs of the Blue Mountains video in which you can listen to its call on our YouTube channel. We interviewed Andy to learn more about the Littlejohni and how they managed to find its small local population. You can read this story in Mid Mountains Local News (link in profile).
#biodiversity #bluemountainsfrogs #northernheathfrog #litorialittlejohni #bluemountains #woodford #planetaryhealth #hawkesburyherpetologicalsociety
...
bluemountainsplanetaryhealth
Jun 20
Our newsletter is now out! Read about how you can contribute to @bluemountainscitycouncil`s Biodiversity Conservation Strategy; watch our video on Falling in Love with Glossy Black Cockatoos; see the new photos of the rare Northern Heath Frog; watch how the Bushcare Seed Collectors cook banksias to release their seeds; learn more about Tai Chi and Qigong, the Chinese medicine movement practices; and take part in our next workshop on Designing Your Future Home with Passive House Designer Karina Rafailov from @earthy_haus
Read it here (link in profile): https://bit.ly/40e4GHr
@blue_mts_conservation_society @midlachlanlandcare
#biodiversity #conservation #glossyblackcockatoos #northernheathfrog #endangeredfrogs #bluemountains #taichi #qigong #passivehaus #seedsaving #banksias #bushcare
...
bluemountainsplanetaryhealth
Jun 12
Our video on Falling In Love With Glossy Black Cockatoos is now up on our Planetary Health YouTube channel (sorry, it`s too big to share here but there`s a link in our profile).
Jayden Gunn finishes his presentation by saying:
"Care is like a snowball. The more people you tell the bigger the snowball gets, and the further it goes. And the more we know, the more we care. And the more we know, the more we`re able to help."
The video is of our fabulous Forum on Growing Connected Landscapes for the Glossy Black Cockatoo, and includes presentations by Jayden Gunn, BirdLife Australia, Amanda Foxon-Hill from Mid Lachlan Landcare, and STEM teacher Samantha Bowden from Glenbrook Public School. There`s a link with the video on how to register for the Community Tree Planting Day in Goologong on 5 July (and it`s also in our profile). Video here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pCERdF21Ud0&t=13s
#planetaryhealth #glossyblackcockatoos #biodiversity #habitat #connectedlandscapes #bluemountains #centralnsw @midlachlanlandcare @birdlifeoz
...
bluemountainsplanetaryhealth
Jun 8
Today we`re enjoying eating ripe medlars! Medlars are attractive cold climate fruit trees that were popular in Medieval gardens. They`re one of the few fruits that can be harvested in late Autumn and eaten in early Winter when they`re fully ripe. This is a great time of year to plant them for a future harvest. Check out our short video on how to eat them!
#coldclimategardens #ediblegardens #medlars #growyourown #planetaryhealth #bluemountains
...
bluemountainsplanetaryhealth
Jun 5
We`re thrilled to share that last night @BlueMountainsCityCouncil`s Planetary Health Centre won the Innovative Leadership Award (Population Under 150K) in the 2025 NSW Local Government Excellence Awards. What a great end to World Environment Day! 🌏 This award celebrates how local government can lead transformative change for a more sustainable future. Thank you to everyone who worked so hard with us to make our vision a reality. You can read more about what we`re doing at our website (link in profile): http://www.bluemountainsplanetaryhealth.com.au/
@ph_alliance
#planetaryhealth #worldenvironmentday #localgovernmentleadership #nswlocalgovernmentexcellenceawards
...
bluemountainsplanetaryhealth
Jun 4
Blocking out a couple of hours a week to step off the treadmill and give ourselves time to nurture our relationship with the earth and ourselves, is one way to keep our creative spirit and ‘lust for life’ alive. If you haven’t done so yet, one opportunity over the next week is to spend some ‘slow’ time in the 2024 Wynne Prize exhibition at the Blue Mountains Cultural Centre before it closes on 15 June. Read more in Katoomba Area Local News here (link in profile): https://www.katoombalocalnews.com/the-2024-wynne-prize/
@bluemountainsculturalcentre @artgalleryofnsw #wynneprize #landscapes #bluemountains #katoomba #artexhibition #planetaryhealth
...
bluemountainsplanetaryhealth
Jun 3
Recognising how violence and war impact the health of the planet, the Blue Mountains Planetary Health Initiative has become a member of the Blue Mountains Peace Collective. On Sunday 25th May, we attended a presentation by Dr Keith Suter on Making Peace in the World Today at the Leura Uniting Church. In this powerful presentation Dr Suter questions why we learn about war rather than successful peace negotiations! View the video of his presentation below and read our full story in Katoomba Area Local News here: https://bit.ly/3Fl4WgQ (link in profile)
#makingpeace #planetaryhealth @bm_peace_collective #peacenotwar #leuraunitingchurch #keithsuter
...
bluemountainsplanetaryhealth
Jun 2
With an extra day up your sleeve this long weekend, it`s a great opportunity to give nature a hand to regenerate and provide more habitat for our fellow species! Join our fabulous all ages Planetary Health Bushcare Group from 1.30pm and then participate in the Forum on Growing Connected Landscapes for the Glossy Black Cockatoo at 4pm, followed by drinks and nibblies! You can also start the day with a fabulous Tai Chi session at 8am. Visit our Planetary Health Pluriversity website to book in and learn more (link in profile): https://bmpluriversity.org/program/
Or ring 0407 437 553 for more information.
#planetaryhealth #bushcare #katoomba #bluemountains #glossyblackcockatoos #landcare #biodiversity #habitat #wearenature #togetherwecan
...
