By Esther Lauaki
What’s your connection to Melton?
I have lived and raised our four children in Melton.
How long have you lived in the area?
For the past 17 years.
What are you passionate about?
For as long as I remember I have had a passion for buying and selling of unique items. The part of the business that is most interesting is all the research involved with every different item I come across.
Through my research I get the opportunity to interact with local residents and listen and learn as each have their own story to tell.
Tell us about your involvement with Abandoned Storage Solutions?
Five months ago I decided to start my own business “Abandoned Storage Solutions” where I bid and buy abandoned/unpaid storage units and resell their contents. As you can imagine each unit’s contents can vary from new, collectable, households, tools and sometimes simply just strange items.
All the items get sorted and go into my shop.
What are some of the most interesting things you’ve discovered in your line of work?
One of the most interesting items I have come across is a Buddhist long horn, most fascinating instrument with such a long history, which after great research I decided to donate to the Buddhist community of Bacchus Marsh.
I was given the most amazing opportunity last week to return a book to a local gentleman in Melton.
It was a Roy Rogers book given to him in 1958 by his parents as a little boy. He had not seen his book in over 60 years.
What other hats do you wear in the community?
In the time I have lived in Melton I have had a great deal of involvement in volunteering with many organisations in our community such as The Gap on Graham, L2P Program, local basketball and fundraising for the Royal Children’s Hospital.
I love the opportunity Melton gives its residents to be involved in so many aspects of our community from festivals, sports, youth programs and aged care.
What do you love about Melton?
I have been given so much help establishing my business by people unknown to me in the community that have since become good friends.
What would you like to see improved?
I believe Melton has so much to offer its residents but if there was one thing I would like to see happen, it would be a hospital of our own again in Melton.
