15-05-2025
TikTok content creator Bridey Drake renovates outback homes to unwind
On a mostly empty residential street in far west New South Wales, the piercing drone of power tools can be heard as a father-and-daughter duo breathe new life into an old home, one floorboard at a time.
What sets them apart, however, is their renovation project has an invisible audience in the millions through social media.
Bridey Drake, 24, started gaining an online following a few years ago during the COVID-19 pandemic, with audiences loving her down-to-earth personality and infectious laughter.
She now has millions of followers on TikTok, Instagram and YouTube, and was recently named the 2024 Australian TikTok Creator of the Year.
But it was a road trip to Bourke with her mother a few years ago which put her on a journey that now blends her love of content creation and time with family.
"I said I wanted to see where my family came from so I just got in the car with my mum and we drove to the outback," Ms Drake said.
Ms Drake's spontaneous purchase and decision to renovate the house herself came as a surprise to her father Casey, who also became involved in working on it and two further houses his daughter has since bought in the Silver City.
Updates on the renovations and the pair's associated adventures become a major source of content for the young creator whenever she visits.
Mr Drake, a recently retired schoolteacher who had always lived on the coast, said he was initially sceptical but realised it presented an opportunity to regularly connect with his daughter.
"The driving force was largely from Bridey's mum. I think she also looked up the rental returns out here which are very good," Mr Drake said.
"The town's really grown on me. But I can't drive home and spend two weeks there and come back out."
Ms Drake credits her father with much of the labour-intensive tasks but has not completely shied away from the tools herself.
"I can use a drill, I can use a sander, I can paint anything and little tips and tricks like how to find a stud in a wall," she said with a laugh.
She also prided herself on finding second-hand furniture at the local tip-shop and revitalising it for use in the home once it was fully refurbished.
More than anything, however, she said her semi-regular trips to the city were perfect to help her unwind away from her busy life on the coast.
"It's a place where I don't have to be anyone or do anything or show up in any way, I just get to be myself with my dad," she said.
"Having that one-on-one time with him is really beautiful and also he loves to renovate. He's really good at it so it's nice to be able to see him do what he loves."
Mr Drake said he tried to put as little pressure on his daughter as possible while on their outback trips, instead preferring to pass on life lessons.
"The best time is when we finish for the day and go and have a schnitty and a couple of drinks," he said.
