One of Newcastle’s OG small business collaborative venues, Muster Point, is celebrating six years of being in business. We dropped by the art deco building on Maitland Road in Mayfield to catch up with owners, Kristy and Tanille Elley, to hear all about the Muster Point journey – from building a launchpad for small businesses, creating a home environment for entrepreneurs and becoming a community icon.

Flinging open the doors for the first time in April 2017, Muster Point offered a unique opportunity to small businesses in Newcastle unseen before. The local couple have seen it all – the almighty highs, the emotional lows, and those mundane moments – all of which make up the natural evolution of running a business.

“Muster Point today is exactly what we had hoped it would be, but we didn’t think we would be at this point this quickly. Six years down the track, and basically every single corner of the building has had our touch on it,” Tanille said.

These ladies, very well-versed in carving up spaces (and making them look great) to become home to a collective of small businesses, are taking time to reflect and celebrate the businesses that assemble within Muster Point.

“It’s definitely a home base for the businesses now. They’re really wanting to put down their roots here. People used to want to just dip their toes in for six months, but there is a real transition of people wanting to do it once and do it properly,” Kristy said.

The Cutting Division

It all started with The Cutting Division, opening as one of the first 100% rent-a-chair salons and is now home to four independent hairstylists – Hair by Tahlia, Parade Hair by Lana, Amy Bottega Salon, and Hair by Sam.

Deliberately designed to allow multiple businesses to flourish, the thoughtful layout, custom-designed fixtures, and of course, the amazing art deco building it sits within all add to their warm, welcoming, and gentle industrial vibe.

“We’ve got one spot downstairs at The Cutting Division and we’ve talked about opening that up to not just hairstylists but to make-up artists and barbers too.”  

Perry The Feeder 

Brought to you by the lovely Jules, Perry The Feeder has been fuelling the Muster Point collective of businesses and surrounding locals since they joined in 2018. Serving up some of the best toasties in Newcastle alongside coffee with local beans by Josie Coffee Roasters.

Pull up a bench seat within the Muster Point courtyard or on the grassy lawn – the perfect position to relax and catch up with friends and family or a cheeky mid-day work fuel stop. 

Sun Loft Studio 

Newcastle’s sought-after fine line and hand-poked tattoo studio – Sun Loft Studio – calls Muster Point home.

“Our vision from the very beginning was to have a tattooist in the building so having Mia from Sun Loft Studio has been a bit of a dream of ours,” Tanille said.

The Cosmetic Collective 

Heading upstairs, you’ll find a specialist brow and skin clinic brought to you by Amber Burnes – The Cosmetic Collective.

Skin Muse

The upstairs offering continues with Skin Muse – the experts in vitamin infusion facials also offering face and body waxing, tinting, hybrid dye, henna, lash lifts, brow lamination, peels, skin needling, facials, and massage.

Smooth Escape

Offering an all-encompassing beauty and well-being studio, Smooth Escape treatments include skin needling, facial and body waxing, tinting, tanning, relaxation massage, lash lifts, henna, chemical & enzymatic peels, and LED light therapy.

Luxxos Artistry

Enhance your natural beauty with Newcastle’s lash queen – Daniela of Luxxos Artistry. Accredited in classic, hybrid, and Russian volume, as well as lash lifts, brow lamination, waxing, and tinting. Daniela is highly skilled, spending half her week in Sydney as an accredited lash extension educator and invited trainer at Sydney's RM lash academy.

The Health Refinery 

Launching in September on the First Floor is Jordyn Jeffery of The Health Refinery, a degree-qualified naturopath providing clients with so much more than prescribed supplements. She provides ongoing support, empowerment, and education to return them to their best and healthiest selves. 

“Watching other people and their businesses succeed is so heart-warming and is exactly what we wanted this space to offer to people.” 

Having operated as a collective of varied businesses since its inception in 2017, Muster Point’s future continues to look strong with Kristy and Tanille always looking for the venue’s next adventure.

“We will always toy around with the idea of adding another dwelling somewhere. If I won the lotto, I would probably put a bar on the roof too!

“We want to start sharing this space as an event space again too. We hate having this beautiful space all locked up on the weekend when people could be utilising it.”

From its humble beginnings, wanting to offer people just like themselves a space to create and start their business journey, Kristy and Tanille’s Muster Point has become a highly sought-after home base for Newcastle small businesses.

“We wanted Muster Point to be for people who don’t necessarily have a lot of backing and cash behind them to start their dream idea.”

As the businesses within evolve, so too does Muster Point – whether it’s their food and drink offering, or the collective of hair, beauty, and wellness businesses that call the building home, the ongoing transformation of this Mayfield venue is one to watch.