Local Dad’s Hard Rubbish Obsession Finally Pays Off—Sort Of

Callum Finnerty | Special Features Editor | Sutherland Shire Gazette

26 February 2025

After a decade of hoarding discarded furniture, broken appliances, and questionable street-side treasures, Grays Point local, Gerry Thompson, has stunned his family and the community by opening his very own upcycling store, ReBound.

Gerry, 52, who has long been spotted prowling the streets in his ute on council clean-up nights, swears that this has been his plan all along. His wife, Lisa, however, tells a different story. “For years, I’ve been telling him he’s just a glorified bin chicken,” she said. “Our garage hasn’t housed an actual car since 2013.”

His children, 17-year-old Emily and 15-year-old Josh, admit they were skeptical. “We thought Dad was just collecting random junk to annoy Mum,” Josh said. “Turns out he actually had a vision… kind of.”

ReBound opened last Saturday, with locals flooding in—not necessarily to buy anything, but to confirm whether this mythical collection was real. Gerry proudly displayed his decade of ‘masterpieces,’ which included:

• A ‘rustic’ coffee table made from three different, slightly mismatched coffee tables.

• A ‘vintage’ lounge suite that still smells like someone else’s dog.

• A collection of ‘statement’ lamps, all missing bulbs but rich in personality.

• A lawnmower sculpture titled Dreams of the Suburbs.

  
  

When asked how business was going, Gerry beamed. “We’ve already had some interest! A bloke came in asking about a washing machine drum planter, and another guy took photos of the ‘reclaimed wood’ shelves for his Pinterest board. That’s practically a sale!”

Lisa remains unconvinced. “If he doesn’t start shifting stock, we might have to move in there. But hey, at least he’s finally got all this stuff out of the house.”

As for Gerry, he’s optimistic. “This is just the beginning,” he said, rubbing his hands together. “The next council cleanup is in two weeks—ReBound is about to expand.”