17 June 2020

Non tacky Australian gifts?

| Emily Morris
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I need to send a few small gifts to family in England and want to get something Australian, whilst avoiding the tacky nastiness around. I will unfortunately miss the Kingston Markets today, but does anyone have any suggestions of somewhere selling nice locally made gifts for kids and adults (not too $$$ or heavy…)?

If you’re also looking to buy a gift, check out our recently updated article on the best places to buy gifts in Canberra.

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grumpyoldpom8:38 am 27 May 14

Small tubes of Lucas Papaw are always popular with my female friends in UK.

morethanmumma3:40 pm 26 May 14

Thank you! I hadn’t thought of the galleries and museums.

stormboy – I actually have a footy ready to go for my nephew – great minds.

Genuine Sherrin AFL football. Not cheap, not very small, but certainly not tacky

la mente torbida2:01 pm 26 May 14

Maya123 said :

la mente torbida said :

Yes, many of our institutions in Canberra have gift shops….but take a close look where they are made…probably not in Australia…and probably tacky.

Alternatively, go to our many local markets for something that is genuinely Australian (locally) made.

If that is not not genuine enough …. go with the Tim Tam and Vegemite care package.

Have you checked out the The National Museum of Australia gift shop? I’m guessing not.

You’re right, my bad for generalising

PoQ said :

the souvenir shop in the Canberra Centre, and vegemite, tim tams and (of all things) dried apricots.

I’ve bought a mug from that shop with hand painted, slightly abstract, local designs of Canberra scenes. The one I bought; each mug is individual, even if several have the same scene, as they are hand painted. A good suggestion.

However, tim tams are very overrated. There are far better chocolate biscuits available.

I’ve sent my sister and nephew in the UK tea-towels from the National Museum (“…quirky local designs…”); fridge magnets (of Monet and Matisse) from the ANG (my sister’s in the arty set); ANU t-shirts; t-shirts from Questacon for my nephew; side plates with native-animal motifs from the souvenir shop in the Canberra Centre, and vegemite, tim tams and (of all things) dried apricots.

Airmail is expensive – usually the postage is more expensive than the gift, but oh well, that’s the way it is.

la mente torbida said :

Yes, many of our institutions in Canberra have gift shops….but take a close look where they are made…probably not in Australia…and probably tacky.

Alternatively, go to our many local markets for something that is genuinely Australian (locally) made.

If that is not not genuine enough …. go with the Tim Tam and Vegemite care package.

Have you checked out the The National Museum of Australia gift shop? I’m guessing not.

I suppose the toy koalas made in China and the boomerangs from the production line in Taiwan are out of the question?

la mente torbida11:03 am 26 May 14

Yes, many of our institutions in Canberra have gift shops….but take a close look where they are made…probably not in Australia…and probably tacky.

Alternatively, go to our many local markets for something that is genuinely Australian (locally) made.

If that is not not genuine enough …. go with the Tim Tam and Vegemite care package.

Go to an art gallery. Often there are small Australian gifts for sale. Many of the institutions here in Canberra often have gift shops. Check some of them out. The National Museum of Australia has a good gift shop with Australian things to buy.

http://www.designeropshop.com.au/ have quirky items, you could stumble across something, or go out to gold creek heaps of traders selling wares!

Holden Caulfield7:41 pm 25 May 14

Send them a care pack: Tim Tams and Vegemite!

Try shop handmade in the city, or why not some local wine or olive oil. A bit heavy maybe

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