Stellar Violets Privacy Policy

Privacy Policy

Effective date: April 2026

This policy applies to stellarviolets.org and to all activities of Stellar Violets, including membership, events and experiences, accommodation, digital products, and donations. It applies whether you interact with us online, in person, or through third-party platforms we use to deliver our services.

1. About this policy

Stellar Violets is committed to handling your personal information with care, transparency, and respect. This Privacy Policy explains what information we collect, why we collect it, how we use and protect it, and your rights in relation to it.

We are bound by the Australian Privacy Act 1988 and the Australian Privacy Principles (APPs). We take these obligations seriously — not merely as legal requirements, but as an expression of our values.

The Stellar Violets Psychology Clinic operates under a separate privacy policy. This document does not apply to clinical services.

2. Who we are

Stellar Violets is an Australian Registered Charity and a membership-based organisation on Bibbulmun Nyoongar Country, near Manjimup in the Southern Forests of Western Australia.

We are a living museum, library, and commons — built slowly over more than a decade through regenerative living and design, ecological gardening, heritage reinterpretation, and creative practice. At the heart of Stellar Violets is the land itself: our ecological gardens, orchards, and the living landscape we tend together. Our collection of heritage transport vehicles — including train carriages and a restored 1950s electric trolleybus — bring a distinctive magic to this place, repurposed as spaces where people can meet, create, stay, and be restored.

We offer accommodation, events and experiences, membership, digital learning resources, and the Stellar Violets Psychology Clinic — all held within an evolving regenerative practice rooted in this place over nearly 20 years.

You can contact us about privacy matters at: support@stellarviolets.org

3. What personal information we collect

3.1 Membership

When you become a member of Stellar Violets, we collect:

First name, last name, and preferred name
Email address
Birthday (day and month required, year is optional)
Postal address (optional)
Languages spoken (optional)
How you heard about us (optional)

Membership is complimentary. We collect only what is necessary to manage your membership and communicate with you.

3.2 Events and experiences

When you register for an event or experience, we may collect additional information relevant to that event, such as dietary requirements, accessibility needs, or emergency contact details. Where we collect cultural background information — including Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander identity — this will be asked separately, in the context of a specific event, with a clear explanation of why it is being collected and how it will be used.

3.3 Accommodation bookings

Accommodation bookings are made through Airbnb. Stellar Violets does not directly collect or store personal information submitted through Airbnb. Airbnb’s own privacy policy applies to those interactions.

3.4 Purchases

When you purchase a digital product through our website, our online store collects and retains your name, email address, billing address, and order details. These records are stored on our website and are used to fulfil your order and maintain transaction records.

Payment is processed by a third-party payment provider. Stellar Violets does not store your payment card details — these are handled entirely by the payment processor.

Guest checkout is available for digital products — no account is required. Order confirmations and download delivery are sent directly from our website store, not through our marketing platform. Your email address will not be used for marketing communications unless you have explicitly opted in at the time of purchase.

3.5 Donations

If you make a donation to Stellar Violets, we collect your name, email address, and donation amount. This information is managed through a third-party fundraising platform. Your payment card details are not retained by Stellar Violets — these are handled entirely by the platform’s payment processor.

Donation records are retained in accordance with our obligations as an Australian Registered Charity under the Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission (ACNC).

3.6 Website

Our website may collect standard technical information including IP address, browser type, and pages visited, through cookies or analytics tools. This information is used to understand how our website is used and to improve the visitor experience. It is not used to identify you personally.

4. Why we collect your information

We collect personal information for the following purposes:

To create and manage your membership account
To send you communications about Stellar Violets, including event information, member updates, and newsletters (via Mailchimp — see section 6)
To process event registrations and purchases
To process and acknowledge donations, and to meet our record-keeping obligations as an Australian Registered Charity
To meet insurance obligations — member numbers (not personal details) are provided to the Garden Clubs of Australia for the purpose of member volunteer insurance coverage
To provide you with a safe and culturally respectful experience at our events
To comply with our legal obligations

We do not use your personal information for any purpose not listed here without your knowledge and consent.

5. Sensitive information

Where we collect information about Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander identity, cultural background, or other sensitive information as defined under the Australian Privacy Act, we do so only:

In the context of a specific event, where a facilitator needs to understand who is in the room in order to host respectfully and safely
With a clear explanation of why it is being collected
On an entirely voluntary basis — you are never required to provide this information

This information is used only by the facilitation team for that event. It is not shared with third parties, not entered into marketing platforms, and not retained beyond the period reasonably necessary for the event.

6. Third-party platforms and overseas disclosure

We use a number of third-party platforms to operate Stellar Violets, including services for email and document management, website hosting, membership and learning management, online store and order management, member communications, online forms, workflow automation, payment processing, and donation management. Some of these platforms are based overseas, which means your information may be stored or processed outside Australia.

In particular, our member communications platform is based in the United States. By becoming a member, you consent to your name and email address being held on that platform for the purpose of member communications. You may unsubscribe at any time.

Order and transaction records from purchases made through our website are stored on our website infrastructure in addition to being processed by our payment provider. Stellar Violets does not receive or store your payment card information — card data is handled entirely by our payment processor.

We take reasonable steps to ensure that all third-party platforms handle your information in a manner consistent with the Australian Privacy Principles. Sensitive information — including cultural background data — is never passed to marketing or communications platforms under any circumstances.

If you would like specific information about the platforms we use and how your data is handled within them, please contact us at support@stellarviolets.org.

7. How we protect your information

We take reasonable steps to protect personal information from misuse, loss, and unauthorised access. These steps include:

Access to member data is limited to staff and contractors who require it for their role
All team members and contractors with access to personal data are required to handle it in accordance with this policy
Sensitive information — including cultural background data — is never stored in or passed to marketing platforms
Our internal systems are password-protected and access is reviewed when roles change or end

We are actively developing our data governance practices as our organisation grows. Our operational guidelines set out the specific procedures our team follows to protect member information.

8. How long we keep your information

We retain personal information only for as long as it is needed for the purpose for which it was collected, or as required by law.

Member account information is retained for the duration of your membership and for a reasonable period afterwards
Event registration information is retained for the period of the event and for insurance and administrative purposes thereafter
Cultural background information collected for a specific event is deleted or archived securely once the event has concluded
You may request deletion of your information at any time (see section 10)

9. Your rights

Under the Australian Privacy Act, you have the right to:

Access the personal information we hold about you
Request correction of information that is inaccurate, incomplete, or out of date
Request that we delete your information, subject to any legal retention obligations
Withdraw consent to receive marketing communications at any time
Make a complaint if you believe we have mishandled your information

10. How to contact us or make a complaint

To access, correct, or request deletion of your personal information, or to make a privacy complaint, please contact us at: support@stellarviolets.org

We will respond to all requests and complaints within a reasonable time and no longer than 30 days. If you are not satisfied with our response, you may contact the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC) at oaic.gov.au.

11. Changes to this policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. Any changes will be published on this page with an updated effective date. We encourage you to review this policy periodically. Continued use of our website or membership following a change constitutes acceptance of the updated policy.