Our Story
Two Women. One Shared Journey.
Women of the Well began with Mary Top and Mary Deng — two South Sudanese women whose journeys eventually brought them together in Ballarat, Australia.
Both women understood what it meant to leave home, begin again and build a new life far from the communities they had known.
Mary Top grew up as the youngest of seven in Ethiopia and arrived in Australia in 2006 after a difficult journey through Egypt. She arrived having never been to school and without speaking English.
“It was very challenging,” Mary recalls. “But here, God has made a strong path for me. I have a better life, I am a better person and I am blessed to be here.”
Mary Deng also grew up in Ethiopia, in a refugee camp, before arriving in Australia in 2003. Everything felt new — from cooking and shopping to navigating everyday life — but she remembers the kindness of the people who helped her find her feet.
For both Marys, one thing remained deeply important: community.
“In Africa, we did life together,” Mary Deng recalls. “We ate food together, we danced together, we fought together. We did everything together and there was a strong sense of community.”
That understanding of connection, sharing and supporting one another would eventually become the foundation of the business they built together.
Women of the Well also draws inspiration from the biblical woman at the well, whose life was transformed when she found hope and a new future. Her story reminds us that no matter where we come from, there is always hope ahead.
Today, Women of the Well is more than a boutique. It is a celebration of culture, creativity, and community. We proudly offer beautiful fashion, handcrafted products, gifts, and homewares that reflect the richness of African heritage and contemporary style.
Every product has been carefully selected with purpose, and every purchase supports a small Australian business committed to empowering women, celebrating culture, and creating meaningful connections.
Thank you for supporting our journey and becoming part of our story.
Women of the Well — where culture, beauty, community, and hope come together.
Where it began
Mary Top and Mary Deng met through their community in Ballarat and discovered that they shared more than similar backgrounds. They shared a desire to create, to support other women and to build something meaningful for their families.
“We met and we had the opportunity to start this business together because we are in the same community,” Mary Top said. “Sharing and collaborating is something we just know how to do.”
Their beginnings were humble.
With a sewing machine, determination and a willingness to learn, they asked themselves one simple question: What can we make that people will use every day?
Their answer was an apron.
“We only started sewing two years ago,” Mary Top said in those early days. “But we thought, ‘What can people use every day?’ And our answer was an apron! So we followed instructions on YouTube, we bought patterns from Spotlight, we visualised it and we created it.”
Using upcycled denim and beautiful traditional African fabrics, the two Marys began making their aprons by hand. People connected with them, and the aprons soon became one of their most loved products.
But their vision was always about more than selling something.
They wanted to show their children what was possible. They wanted to celebrate their culture, create opportunity and encourage other women to recognise what they carried within themselves.
Mary Top put it simply:
“We knew that two hands can do more than one. Even under the most difficult circumstances, we all have something to give. We all have something amazing in us.”
“If we can create this business that people love, when we came from nothing, imagine what our children can do with the opportunities they have. They can go beyond.”— Mary Deng
From a Dream to Women of the Well
In those early years, Mary and Mary dreamed about where their little business might one day lead.
The handmade aprons were only the beginning. They imagined creating different kinds of clothing and products and, one day, opening a shop of their own.
Mary Deng said something at the time that feels especially meaningful today:
“I want people to walk in and think, ‘wow!’”
What was once a dream is now something people can actually walk into.
Today, Women of the Well is a beautiful boutique in Ballarat, bringing together thoughtfully selected fashion, African hair braiding, handwoven African baskets, accessories and handmade pieces.
The name Women of the Well reflects something that has been present since the very beginning — women gathering, sharing, supporting one another and building community. It also carries our faith and the hope represented by the biblical woman at the well: a story of transformation, dignity and a new future.
The business may look different from those early days of learning to sew and making aprons, but its heart has never changed.
It is still about community.
It is still about women.
It is still about culture and creativity.
And it is still about showing the next generation what is possible.
What began with two women joining hands has grown into a place where others can walk through the door, feel welcomed and become part of the story.
We're so glad you're here.
Thank you for supporting our journey and becoming part of the story of Women of the Well.
Have a question or just want to say hello? We'd love to hear from you — reach out at info@thewomenofthewell.com.au.