The Removal Brothers

Bondi, Sydney

Jose came to Australia as a backpacker. He's moved house 5 times, living all the frustrations of everything removal-related until eventually "that's enough, I could do all of this myself! I just don't have a van!" So he got a van.

Since then, along with his business partner Esteban, that one van has grown into @removalbros a removals company with over 430 top-star ratings and a well-known part of the local community in Bondi.

Although their reliability and great work is what they're known for, there's something else pretty special about them.

When one day a woman reached out to their local community group with a distressing message saying she had to leave her home with her young child "in a hurry", Jose watched as people jumped in to offer help, a fridge, a sofa... "how the hell is she going to move it all?" he thought. This woman and her child were the Removal Brothers' first experience with domestic violence.

“You just can't immagine what it means to have to grab your things and leave the place which used to be your home. That process of running from who you believed to be your other half. We had to do something... So we're there to help deal with any possible frustration points of the move. We're there to help fast, irrespective of whether someone can pay or not, and no questions asked."

The Removal Brothers use their regular top-star removal service to keep the company going whilst in the background becoming a reference point for women experiencing domestic violence who have to get out of their homes quickly. Whilst this is now their main community focus, the Removal Brothers had also other issues at heart until recently. When Covid19 hit, they helped many people move out of houses they could no longer afford, without charging. And before that they donated a big part of their moves income to bushfire relief - building all of this into their business.

I have loved seeing these guys grow over the past few months, truly inspired by how underneath a commonly known, frequently needed service like a removals company you can find stories of deep community support and generosity.

#SDG16 #peacejusticeandstronginstitutions #speakupagainstdomesticviolence