Garage Sale Trail, Australia's biggest second-hand treasure hunt, took place over two weekends in November. Galilee Catholic Primary School in Bondi hosted a sale for the first time this year - turning donated treasures into funds for a new nature learning area. We caught up with Principal, Helen Paton and parent volunteer Tomo to hear how the school brought the community together for a fun, sustainable day of re-loved goods and fundraising.
Hi! Can you tell us who you are and your role at the Galilee P&F?
Helen: Hi, I am Helen, the Principal of Galilee.
Tomo: Hi, my name is Tomo and I’m a parent volunteer with Galilee.
2. Why did Galilee decide to join Garage Sale Trail, and how did you organise it?
Tomo: We’re always looking for fun, community-minded ways to raise funds for school projects. Our latest idea - and one I’m personally really excited about - is creating a new Nature Learning Area at the school. This includes removing concrete, planting new native plants and wooden climbing frames, maybe even some bees eventually! Joining Garage Sale Trail felt like the perfect fit: it focuses on sustainable actions, is social and a great way to bring families and our community together. I’ve been doing a year of buying nothing new, exploring Bondi’s amazing op shops, so the whole event felt very on-theme. I initially considered running a sale at home, but it became clear it would have a much bigger impact if we did it collectively as a school community.
Once I floated the idea with the school and P&F volunteers, everyone jumped on board. We set up a WhatsApp group to share ideas and logistics, and we discussed it at our P&F meeting. Families were invited to drop off donations on the Friday before - not ideal for everyone due to other commitments, but with no on-site storage, it was the only time that worked. Even so, we ended up with an incredible collection, especially kids’ toys and clothing.
We then put up hand-drawn posters around the community to get the word out, invited families to come on the day, and organised a roster of volunteers.
Helen: I was excited at the ideas and suggestions presented by the P and F committee. The aim of this fundraising is to support the students by creating an outdoor learning environment offering proximity to nature and all that includes as well as support our school value of Stewardship.
3. What were the benefits of the sale and the highlight of the day?
Tomo: There were so many! It was a wonderful chance for families to declutter with purpose, and for kids to choose toys, books and clothes to pass on to others. It gave them a sense of contribution, learning that their belongings can go on to make someone else happy.
It also introduced families to the joy of second-hand shopping. Garage sales are full of treasures, and buying pre-loved saves money and keeps items out of landfill. While there’s always a bit of effort involved, the overheads are low, which makes it a really effective way to fundraise.
Honestly, the whole day was the highlight! The atmosphere was buzzing. People were coming and going, chatting, enjoying the sunshine and browsing through the stalls. Seeing kids leaving with bags of new treasures was incredibly joyful.
4. Were there any challenges, and how did you overcome them?
Tomo: This was our first ever garage sale, so we learnt a lot. We had a strong morning, but foot traffic slowed after about 12.30pm. We’d started at 11am to avoid clashes with kids’ sport and Nippers, but next time we might begin earlier as mornings seem busiest.
Helen: Luckily, we had two volunteers with marketing experience. They quickly refreshed the layout, moved eye-catching clothes and shoes to the front, and sent helpers to the street to let neighbours know what was happening. We also started taking some items out to the footpath, which helped draw people in.
Tomo: We received so many donations despite the limited drop-off window, but we hadn’t planned well for leftover items. We’ll donate much of it to local Vinnies stores, and next time we’d love to partner ahead of time - perhaps with Dandelion Support Network, who work with mums and babies in need.
5. What advice would you give to other schools thinking about joining next year?
Tomo: Promote early and often. Parents respond well to word-of-mouth, but we could have made better use of social media and shared the Garage Sale Trail link more widely. Posters around the neighbourhood and outreach to Bondi Beach playgroups (since most items were kids’ clothes and toys) would’ve helped too - even tapping into local mumfluencers!
Get the kids involved on the day. They loved the sale, and next time we’d give them mini roles like helping customers, organising stalls or welcoming visitors. Also, remember grandparents! A lot came looking for treasures for their grandkids. We would also consider adding a cake stall or BBQ next year to boost fundraising and draw more people in.
Helen: Garage Sale Trail is a simple, fun way to bring your school community together. It teaches kids the value of buying second-hand, reduces waste and keeps great items in circulation. With low costs and lots of eager helpers, it’s also an easy, sustainable way to raise funds for school projects. If your school is thinking about joining next year - do it! It’s good for the community, good for the planet and great for fundraising.
7. What other sustainability or environmental actions are happening at Galilee?
Tomo: We’re working on our new Nature Learning Area, which will give kids a hands-on way to create and care for native habitat. When children help build something, they naturally become more invested in protecting the environment.
Helen: Our students are also involved in our values education program and in Term 3 our focus is Stewardship. Over the week we run activities to include
- Mural Monday: Students contribute handprints with personal stewardship pledges to a whole-school mural (leaders will collect).
- Trash to Treasure Tuesday: Classes will create marine-themed art using clean rubbish.
- Waste-Free Wednesday: Students are encouraged to bring lunches without wrappers to reduce waste.
- Teaching Thursday: Children learn about the lifecycle of a plastic bottle, the impact of plastic waste and older classes lead gardening workshops
- Fight for Forests Friday: Students dress in green and bring a gold coin donation to support the Galilee garden. Stage 3 will also perform a stewardship-themed drama, Who Dropped It.
We also connect with the local areas through the ocean Lovers festival. Long term our goal is to connect with Waverley council to build a bigger wider program that includes worm farms, bee hives and composting stations and create a thriving garden with indigenous plants. In term 4 the whole school visited the BOTANIC GARDENS to participate in a program - Connection to Country which was a highlight for us.
Check out our Council programs that are helping the community undertake climate action, becoming more circular and nature positive!