Oakdale originated from a need of local parents who wanted fulfilling employment for their children with disabilities once they finished school. With limited options, families and the community worked together and the Retarded Citizen’s Welfare Association (RCWA), as it was then known, was formed.

The first Oakdale enterprise opened, where it still operates at its current site today as Oakdale Timber.

After the success of Oakdale, a second enterprise is born, Walkabout. Named after the ‘Walkabouts’ or fundraising walkathons that funded the creation of the site over the years, Walkabout diversified to many products and services, including the shredding, mail and pack, sewing, garden and wood heating enterprises we operate today.

Our training division was established.

The RWCA became Oak Enterprises, with a chairman, board of directors. Our disability support services grew substantially in this period.

We became a Registered Training Organisation (RTO), offering certificate based training for our employees and other businesses in Tasmania.

We merged with Optia Limited (trading as Possability) to create OAK Possability, Tasmania’s largest disability services provider. The merger has further enhanced opportunities for our clients and employees, and positions us strongly for the new NDIS environment.

Oakdale Enterprises was born, uniting all of our enterprises together under one banner.

We are proud to be one of the biggest disability employers in Tasmania and are continuing to seek new ways to provide work opportunities to people with disability through partnerships with commercial businesses.