Banksia Gifts Australia™ is a family owned and operated business, established in 1985. Banksia Gifts Australia™ are very proud to offer a range of giftware made from the Australian Native, Banksia Grandis seed pod.

Founder and Craftsman, Tony Hansen first started experimenting with Australian Native Timber at the early age of 15 years old. His love of developing Australian made products quickly transformed when he discovered the Banksia Grandis and what he was able to create with it. It was out of pure curiosity that Tony’s wife, Liz, suggested that he carve a small circular Banksia pod with a drilled centre for her to place essential oils in. Shortly after discovering the porous nature of the Banksia Seed Pod, the Aroma Pod was born.


Banksia Founder - Anthony Hansen

The Founder

Anthony Hansen is one of Australia’s leading and award-winning craftsmen. His transition from metal to wood took place in 1983 while he was living in a rainforest environment on the south coast of New South Wales. It was here that Tony fell in love with plant earth's most heartwarming and longest living material - wood.  His ability to transform a piece of wood into a work of art comes from his committed love of the materials he uses, mainly Australian native timber. He has had many successful exhibitions over the years both in Australia and Internationally. 


Banksia Plant - Grandis

The Plant

The Banksia Grandis, commonly known as the Bull Banksia, is a prolific and distinctive Banksia tree found in the South West of Western Australia. This variety grows particularly large at a height of 5 - 15 metres. The large cylindrical yellow flowers reach up to 35 cm long.

It takes 24 months from the time the tree produces the flower to the time the Banksia nut reaches maturity and is suitable for picking. The fact that the tree re-grows its pods over and over again makes the Banksia an incredibly renewable resource.


Responsibility & Sustainability

The collection of the Banskia Grandis is highly regulated by the Department of Parks and Wildlife Western Australia. It is Banksia Gifts Australia™ responsibility to ensure that the landscape is undisturbed and that the Banksia trees continue to thrive in the Australian bush. 

The seed pods collected have expelled their seeds and have completed the lifecycle of the plant. They are carefully handpicked to ensure no damage is done to the tree itself or the Australian bushland. The collectors go in to the bush on foot, careful not to disturb any surrounding plants or wildlife and no heavy machinery is used during this process. 

A royalty is paid to the Western Australian Forestry per seed pod, which goes to aid in forest management and conservation. The pickers are designated certain areas to collect the pods, and these are constantly changing to ensure no one area is ever depleted. Only 10% of the Banksia Seed Pods can be collected in any one area at a time. It is also Banksia Gifts Australia™ mission to support other Harvesters in their endeavours to regenerate Australian bushland.


The Process

Once the Seed Pods are delivered to Banksia Gifts Australia™ Head Quarters on the Gold Coast, the manufacturing process begins. The experienced tradesmen use a traditional form of woodworking called woodturning.

Each pod is cut into sections and put on a woodturning lathe. A chisel is then used to shave away the outside of the seed pod revealing its unique pattern. The products are hand sanded with up to three grades of paper, then polished with 100% Australian Canola Oil to enhance the Banksia pod's natural colour.