About The Project

‘Made in Gippsland’ is an online hub of sorts that features people who once lived (or still live, or came here to live) in Gippsland.

IT will feature locals from this area who have gone on to do some amazing things in creative fields, at elite levels, particularly in creative industries such as: photography, fashion, film, graphic design, industrial design, interior design, web, architecture, art, food, music, dance, advertising, and more…

But why?

It’s simple. We want to empower the youths of Gippsland with belief that a career in a creative field is a worthwhlie path to success and happiness – but best of all – definitely within their grasp despite our perceived remoteness from the big smoke.

It’s not just about the people.

Beyond inspiring Gippsland’s young talent, we want local businesses, adults, families, community leaders, councils, and whoever else lives in this region to realise that  investment in creativity  is what makes a place great. Gippsland represents a massive piece of Victoria, whose capital Melbourne is one of the most vibrant and culturally rich cities in the world. It’s success can be attributed to the huge cultural base it attracts. With quality architecture, events, food, arts, design, fashion, retail and more, it has become an increasingly strong economic centre. As Melbourne’s next door neighbour, Gippsland is armed with all the tools necessary to thrive in the future. With abundant wildnerness and natural beauty, we believe an increased appreciation and commitment to creative thinking will make our corner of Australia’s one of the best. Made In Gippsland proves we have the people to do it.

How the idea came about.

Initiated by designer John Calabro, the idea for this project came about when John moved to Traralgon in 2010 after living and working in Melbourne for almost 10 years. After establishing his own design studio The View From Here, the realisation set in that many locals weren’t aware of the amazing achievements of many of his fellow ex-pat Gippslander friends — some of whom were (and still are) working at incredibly high standards in creative fields all around Australia and the around World. The idea that these stories should be shared quickly came, as did a vision for the benefits it could offer.

After his own VCE year, John initially chose against following his passions of music and design, deciding instead to start a Business degree at Churchill Monash. A safe career choice meant living closer to home, and not risking a big move to the city to pursue something creative. Things soon changed and almost 15 years later, he hopes this project will show students that the risks are outweighed by the gains in following your passions.

Initially, the people interviewed on this site will be friends from John’s own network, largely friends from his teen years, but in time we hope this site will feature a flood of unrecognised talent from right across Gippsland.

Proud of our region.

East of Melbourne lies an area with boundless wilderness and beauty; a best-kept secret, Gippsland is a place of vast diversity and untapped potential. This project is one small cog working for the recognition of the excellence we are surrounded by – it’s about what we have and what we can be, but not just for people outside of our region; it’s a reminder for the people from here as well.

One last thing.

We’d like to express our overwhelming gratitude to Brian Vella, former Churchill boy and current Managing Director of DT for the support of his company who have assisted this project by generously providing us with an industry-best-practice website, dynamically coded to fit all devices. Thankyou Brian!