A suburb where sharehouses are wedged between, on top of and behind bars, cafes and businesses overflowing with character, Fitzroy is the vibrant heart of Melbourne’s inner city. Home to longstanding characters and new arrivals to the country alike, it’s an intrinsic part of the stories of so many Melbourne companies – including Intrepid.
You know how they say Manhattan was ‘the fifth character’ on Sex and the City? It’s kind of like that with Intrepid and Fitzroy. Only, depending on how you look at it, Fitzroy was either the third character – after co-founders Darrell Wade and Geoff ‘Manch’ Manchester – or the hundredth, after the long line of characters that joined Darrell and Manch at their headquarters in and around Argyle St, Fitzroy, in the early ’90s. It was a period of massive growth that saw Intrepid become the organisation it is today.
Those seeds were sown early. The spirit, attitude and understanding that everything Intrepid does needs to begin and end with the local community. It drives where they travel, how they travel and it motivated their early days as a company.
Intrepid’s first office was a makeshift HQ out the back of a travel agent in neighbouring suburb Carlton, run by a fellow called Luigi and his wife. In need of ‘a real office’, Darrell returned to Fitzroy, where he’d lived in a sharehouse fresh out of Melbourne University.
‘In some respects, Fitzroy was exactly as it is now. I don’t actually think the atmosphere has changed that much. It’s still got that vibrancy and eclectic feel, like it did then. That was what drew us to the area in the first place.’
The heart of Fitzroy is Brunswick St, a main drag teeming with pubs, cafes, boutiques and relics of the suburb’s bohemian past. It’s where trends are set, tourists flock and generations of Melburnians – young and old, fresh and baked-in – have felt a pull to create for generations.
Moving into one – and then half a dozen – sites in the bustling bohemian neighbourhood wasn’t the logical or expected move for an aspiring travel business, but in retrospect it was absolutely the right one. Intrepid isn’t a suit-and-tie kind of place, it’s more hiking boots and backpacks, and back then was even a job-interview-over-a-beer kind of place. At one spot in particular.
‘I’d say 95 per cent of our staff interviews were done at The Blackcat,’ Darrell remembers, of the curbside bar that’s been open for coffee and cocktails – and everything in between – since the 1980s.
It’s front porch living; there’s nothing better than the sound of some young people having a few beers or a coffee on the front porch.
‘If we had’ve moved into the central business district (CBD) in the early ’90s, I just can’t imagine the business would have worked, because it wouldn’t have allowed that culture of Intrepid to establish. That social fabric of Fitzroy, if you could bottle that as a company, that’s kind of what Intrepid would be,’ Darrell says. ‘You’d have different people from different walks of life, true diversity, real authenticity, real genuine grassroots stuff that we are talking about. That’s where you want to be. That really does resonate with Fitzroy.’
Whether you’re a young person trying to find yourself or the entrepreneur behind a young business finding its feet, Fitzroy has long been a landing pad. It’s something Abigail Forsyth recognised when she moved to the area in her early 20s, before founding KeepCup, the sustainable reusable drinkware brand, in 2010.
‘I’ve always loved the vibe here. It’s got this history rooted in migrant and working-class communities, so there’s this whole spirit of independence and going against the grain that makes it such a great place to live and work,’ she says. ‘Most of all, it’s a community of like-minded people. It’s front porch living; there’s nothing better than the sound of some young people having a few beers or a coffee on the front porch.’
Inspired by a similar ethos, ethical brands Bellroy and Crumpler came alive in Fitzroy before expanding on the world stage. (Not coincidentally, you’ll see a lot of them strapped onto backs and suitcases and squished into overhead compartments on Intrepid trips!)
3RRR FM is a stalwart of Melbourne’s creative community that hasn’t ventured as far afield, but has certainly had an outsized impact on the city. Melbourne’s cultural milestones are reflected on the community radio station’s calendar: the best festivals are broadcast live, the most exciting new bands drop in to play songs and have a chat, and the annual fundraising drive, Radiothon, brings an entire state together in support of unique voices and under-the-radar anthems.
From 1979 until 2005, 3RRR called Fitzroy home, and the link with Intrepid was strong from the start. ‘We go back forever,’ Darrell says. ‘There’s a symbiosis … it was that same psyche: pretty grassroots, having a go, being quite passionate about what we believe in.’
For a time, listeners of the station’s countless characters couldn’t just hear them on the FM frequency – they could also travel with them. For years, Intrepid recruited 3RRR’s on-air talent to host annual trips across the world, experiences that have cemented lifelong relationships – and forged many memories.
There’s a symbiosis … it was that same psyche: pretty grassroots, having a go, being quite passionate about what we believe in.
Richard Watts, a legacy broadcaster and Fitzroy local, took a trip across northern Spain with Intrepid. Not only did their local leader show them the sights of La Grande, he made sure the culturally connected Australians stayed in the loop on a very important event.
‘Eurovision was on and he invited us over to watch it,’ Richard remembers. ‘It was halfway through the trip, and being welcomed into somebody’s home was this beautiful experience outside of just the city itself. And then at the very end of the trip, when I said goodbye to him, he thanked me for not just my company on the trip, but also that experience.’
An Intrepid trip was the embodiment of many of 3RRR’s values, Richard says. Of doing things in unconventional ways, straying from the beaten path – and doing it together.
‘Most times of the year you don’t see that community… It brought members of the community together in such a concrete and physical way. There was something palpable about it.’
It’s something Richard put his finger on during those winding, high-volume bus rides, and something Darrell could feel the day he got the keys to Intrepid’s first office on Brunswick Street. Community and culture were two foundational footings on which a strong organisation could be built. And they found both in Fitzroy.
‘That first office certainly wasn’t fancy, but it had a level of soul and character to it,’ Darrell reminisces. ‘And I guess for Intrepid as a company, it’s all about the soul of the product, that authenticity and that real feel. Fitzroy has still got that.’
Fitzroy: B Corp Central
There’s something in the water in Fitzroy. Including Intrepid, Fitzroy has become a breeding ground for B Corps – a type of for-profit businesses that meet high standards of social and environmental performance, accountability and transparency.
Bellroy: Rooted in Fitzroy’s creative spirit, Bellroy crafts minimalist bags, wallets and cases that prioritise both function and sustainability.
KeepCup: Born in Fitzroy and globally loved, KeepCup leads the movement to reduce single-use waste with its iconic, reusable drinkware.
Aesop: With its origins in Fitzroy, Aesop embraces an ethical approach to skincare, blending botanical science with timeless design.
T2: Starting from a Fitzroy shopfront, T2 infuses tea culture with vibrant flavours and a community-focused approach.
Learn more about the origins of Intrepid and what goes into becoming a B Corp.
