Great Ocean Road Gifts

While many of us claim to love our town, few can say that they’ve started a businesses based around it. After realising there wasn’t a spot for local creatives to showcase their wares, Andrew and Katherine’s business minds set to work to create Great Ocean Road Gifts, an online store stocked with homewares, jewellery, beauty products and more.
“We were just discovering after going into shops along the Great Ocean Road that a lot of it is locally made, but they don’t get the recognition. I bought a pair of earrings and it wasn’t until a lady was in the store and said her daughter does those that I knew they were local, otherwise I would never have known,” Katherine says.
“We wanted to set up an online store where every piece would have its place in a designer giftware shop. We also wanted to find people that were ready to propel themselves further than just being a local supplier,” Andrew adds.
Andrew, with a background in graphic design and marketing, and Katherine with strong skills in retail, gave the couple the perfect background knowledge to start a business.
What started with the discovery of Loosha soy candles – based in Torquay – soon jumped to 12 suppliers, all found through word of mouth, the help of social media and each a product that Andrew and Katherine respected in some way or another.
“We do sort of have a strict policy where if it’s not something we’d buy or think is of value then we don’t want it on the site,” he says.
“We really want to keep the quality up there. Some of the things we wouldn’t necessarily have in our home but we’re still really attracted to them, and obviously the more passionate you are about a product the more likely you are to sell it.”

As it’s a business, there is a lot of ‘talk’ from the couple, though looking deeper there is a clear passion for what those around them are creating. As Katherine sips her coffee and answers questions a brightly coloured The Little Mill necklace bounces around her collarbones – one of their first stockists.
“The people that we’ve been working with have just been fantastic,” Katherine beams.
While Katherine is a clear supporter of their stockists, she goes on to tell me that her mother loves the Loosha soy candles – all her friends have been gifted them – and Katherine and Andrew’s son is a lover of the Peggy & Fin wooden bow ties, even taking to modelling them for the supplier.
That’s part of the beauty about Great Ocean Road Gifts, they want more than just locals to enjoy in what their region has to offer. Each item on the site serves as the perfect souvenir for the Great Ocean Road, and something you’re bound to still cherish later on. Or even an ideal gift for those outside Victoria, and you’re still buying local and giving local – a phrase that stems from the heart of what the couple do.
As for the wrapping – after much Pinterest-ing later – Katherine has that covered, and your beautiful parcel will be sent off by her – the stress of gifting completely taken out of your hands.
Now with local chocolatier on board El Grande Chocolato, the couple are hoping to introduce hampers to their website – another gifting possibility for family and friends.
Though another goal for Andrew, lies all in the space that they’re creating: “I kind of hope that if we can set up the right kind of space for people to sell their products that it can actually encourage some people that are creating amazing things but people don’t know about them. And for them to see that there’s an avenue for them to sell their stuff via our site.”
To purchase gifts and products visit gorg.com.au, but to simply stay in touch visit facebook.com/greatoceanroadgifts or their Instagram.
Written by Amanda Sherring