For 84-year-old Barbara Carroll, long-distance driving has become part of a monthly mission to help people living in some of Western Australia's most remote communities.
asserted
driving → become → communities
Known affectionately as “Nan Barb,” Carroll travels more than 2,000 kilometres each month, carrying donated clothes from her op shop (opportunity shop, or second-hand charity store) in Donnybrook to people and organisations in communities across the state's north.
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Carroll → know → north
Her journeys take her through long stretches of remote country, where access to everyday necessities can be limited by distance.
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access → take → distance
An ABC News report on her work, based on interviews with Carroll and people connected to her efforts, has highlighted both the scale of her journeys and the community's attempt to help her continue them.
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her → base → them
From an op shop to a mission beyond Donnybrook
Carroll runs an op shop in Donnybrook, a town in Western Australia's South West region.
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Carroll → run → region
Like many community op shops, hers receives donated clothing from people looking to give unwanted items a second life.
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hers → receive → life
But Carroll found that the volume of clothing coming into the shop could sometimes exceed what was needed locally.
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what → find → shop
Instead of letting those donations go unused, she began taking them to communities where they could serve a more immediate purpose.
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they → let → purpose
That effort developed into what is known as “Nan Goes North”.
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Nan → develop → ?
Carroll regularly packs her vehicle with donated clothing before setting out on lengthy journeys to remote parts of Western Australia.
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Carroll → pack → Australia
Her destinations have included communities and towns such as Carnarvon, Newman, Nullagine and Roebourne.
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destinations → include → Carnarvon
The journeys can add up to more than 2,000 kilometres in a single month, turning what began as a local donation effort into a much wider network of support.
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what → add → support
Clothing for communities far from major centres
For people living in remote parts of Western Australia, obtaining basic goods can involve travelling significant distances.
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obtaining → live → distances
Carroll's trips therefore provide more than a way to redistribute excess clothing from an op shop.
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trips → provide → shop
The donations have included clothes for women and men, children's and baby clothing, as well as blankets and other useful items.
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donations → include → women
Some of the clothing has gone to organisations including women's refuges and community services.
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Some → go → refuges
Carroll's granddaughter Tara has travelled with her on some of the journeys.
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granddaughter → travel → journeys
She has spoken about the significance of the work and the circumstances faced by people living in remote communities.
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She → speak → communities
Carroll also has a personal connection to the region.
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Carroll → have → region
She was raised in Nullagine, giving her a longstanding connection with the remote communities she now visits.
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she → raise → communities
That history helps explain why the journeys have become more than a simple delivery route.
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journeys → help → route
She knows many of the places and people she is travelling to help, and the regular visits have helped build relationships along the way.
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visits → know → way
The challenges of travelling thousands of kilometres
The distances involved make each journey demanding, particularly when Carroll is travelling through isolated areas.
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Carroll → travel → areas
Her vehicle has broken down during some trips, leaving her waiting on remote roads until help arrived.
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help → break → roads
On another occasion, problems with the vehicle's air conditioning made the journey particularly uncomfortable.
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journey → make → conditioning
Despite the difficulties, Carroll continues to make the trips.
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Carroll → continue → trips
She has described enjoying the solitude of driving and the independence that comes with being on the road.
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that → describe → road
Country music accompanies her during many of the long stretches between communities.
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music → accompany → communities
But there is a practical limit to what her current vehicle can carry.
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vehicle → be → what
Why she needs a bigger truck
Carroll's community is now trying to raise money for a truck that could help her continue the work more effectively.
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her → need → work
Her existing van has limited space, particularly when another person needs to accompany her.
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person → exist → her
Carroll has said there is not enough room for two people to travel comfortably, making the long journeys even more challenging.
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journeys → say → ?
A larger truck would give her additional room for donated clothing and other supplies.
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truck → give → clothing
It would also make it easier for another person to travel with her, something that could provide valuable assistance during lengthy trips through remote areas.
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that → make → areas
For Carroll, however, the motivation behind the work remains straightforward.
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motivation → remain → work
She believes that when people have something they no longer need and others need it, there is value in connecting the two.
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others → believe → two
A journey that has grown beyond donations
What started with donated clothing at a local op shop has developed into a regular commitment covering thousands of kilometres across Western Australia.
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started → grow → Australia
At 84, Carroll continues to make those journeys despite the distances, vehicle problems and physical demands involved.
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Carroll → continue → distances
Her work has also demonstrated how a small community initiative can extend far beyond the place where it began.
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it → demonstrate → place
The proposed truck would not simply replace her existing vehicle.
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truck → propose → vehicle
…and 3 more, not listed.
The Aporia
