In the remote town of Nhulunbuy on the Gove Peninsula in the Northern Territory’s Arnhem Land, Bradley Bibby and Amy Ody are well-known names. As the store manager and assistant manager of Woolworths Gove, they operate one of Australia’s most isolated supermarkets, Gove is the only one within a 1500-kilometre radius.
Welcome to Gove where community is key
2:30 min read
Gove Store manager, Bradley Bibby
The store depends on two weekly shipments from Darwin, a delicate operation Bradley has mastered over five years. Starting as a trolley collector 25 years ago in Victoria’s Swan Hill, Bradley has become a central figure in the community. “Woolworths is the topic of every conversation,” Bradley shares. “People constantly ask about the barge schedule and are excited to see it come in.”
Amy, who was appointed assistant manager in December 2023, has been with Woolworths since she was 16, starting her career in Rockhampton in 2008. She believes that building close ties with the community is key to the store’s success. Her passion for community is reflected in her ongoing work with the Clontarf Foundation, a Woolworths partner that creates job opportunities and builds bonds with young Indigenous men.
One of Amy’s proudest achievements is her work with local twins, Charlie and Luke, who joined the store through Clontarf Foundation’s youth employment program, which uses sport to help keep young people engaged in school and to develop life skills and self-esteem. A long-time partner of Woolworths, Clontarf Foundation builds mutual connections and employment pathways across its stores and sites to create positive outcomes for young Indigenous men, like Charlie and Luke, as they transition into the workforce for further education.
Local twins, Charlie and Luke
Initially shy, the brothers quickly gained confidence, becoming valuable team members. “It’s a proud moment because their confidence has grown immensely,” Amy recalls. “They were very quiet, but now they’re eager to interact with customers and the community.”
As Woolworths celebrates 100 years since its first store opening, the company takes pride in partnerships like the one with Clontarf. Amy, who is also learning an Indigenous dialect, embodies this collaborative spirit.
She is also deeply involved with Anglicare’s food diversion program, which repurposes surplus food from the Gove store. A daily highlight for Amy is when Gabby, a volunteer from Anglicare, collects food to prepare meals for homeless people and those experiencing food insecurity.
“Whatever food we’re diverting to her, she goes and makes meals for the homeless and anybody who's hungry,” Amy says. “Gabby is fantastic. It means a lot to me to be making a real difference in somebody’s life.”
Bradley recognises Amy’s commitment to the community as vital to the store’s growth. “I’m uplifted by my team,” he explains. “In a community-based town like Gove, it’s people like Amy who make all the difference. I’ve never been to a sausage sizzle where I’m the only one behind the barbecue.”
