Sharon Webb

Gayle Pollock reckons she’s won the lottery, living in Westbury and running her business in Deloraine.

‘The community and people here are genuine,’ the owner of the Purple Thistle clothing shop said. ‘I’ve lived in a lot of places and the people here are beautiful.’

After a year at Purple Thistle, Gayle, notorious for being the woman with the signature headband, speaks knowledgably about elderly Phyllis and other locals who tap on her window and stop in for a regular chat.

‘The past year has been fantastic from the point of view of local support,’ she said. ‘I’ve been hugely embraced by the locals.’

Anyone stepping inside Gayle’s shop is hit by a blast of colour. Reds, turquoises, vivid greens and zappy yellows knock you in the eye, along with purple of course. That’s Gayle’s favourite colour, originating from the purple thistle of her home country, Scotland.

‘After living in WA for many years I didn’t think I was homesick for Scotland but the community and landscape here remind me so much of home,’ Gayle said.

‘My partner and I have lived in Westbury for two years and wish we’d moved here earlier. 

‘We researched real estate here, came for a holiday and bought our new home. We intended to rent it out but by the time we got back to WA, we said, “Why don’t we just go to Tasmania now?”’

Gayle believes Purple Thistle has fitted right in to the Deloraine clothes shopping scene. With ranges designed in Tasmania, the good news is that new Gaylibug designs are coming soon, designed by Gayle and made in Deloraine.

More good news is that Gayle intends Purple Thistle to be on Deloraine’s Emu Bay Road for a long while to come. 

‘This is a lifestyle business and one I always wanted.’