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Sending a bit of Australia to someone overseas is lovely right up until you’re standing at the post office wondering whether the honey will be seized, whether the chocolate will melt, and whether the whole thing is worth the postage.
This guide is for the gifts that are worth it. Each one comes from a maker that says it makes the product in Australia, and we link to where they say so. We’ve also flagged the ones that might need a customs check at the other end.
How we pick
- The maker’s claim, linked. We only describe something as Australian-made when the maker or merchant says so, and we link to that statement so you can check it. If it’s unclear, we leave it out.
- Built for the post. Things that are light or tough, and that keep well.
- Customs-aware. We flag food, honey, wood and animal-fibre products that some countries restrict.
- Feels like home. Gifts with a real story behind them, not just a kangaroo printed on a tea towel.
- No prices. Postage and prices change, so check the merchant before you buy.
Quick picks
| Gift | Best for | Customs check? | Where to look |
|---|---|---|---|
| R.M. Williams boots | Someone who’ll wear them for years | Usually fine (leather; check if unsure) | R.M. Williams |
| Akubra hat | The outdoorsy one, or the homesick one | Check: rabbit-fur felt | Akubra |
| Haigh’s chocolates | Anyone with a sweet tooth | Food: check destination | Haigh’s |
| Australian honey | Foodies and tea drinkers | Often restricted: check first | Etsy |
| Lucas’ Papaw Ointment | Expats who grew up with it | Usually fine (cosmetic) | Lucas’ Papaw |
| Print by an Australian artist | Anyone, at any budget | Fine | Etsy |
| Merino knitwear | Cold-climate friends | Usually fine | Etsy |
The picks
R.M. Williams boots
If you want one gift that says “Australia” without a single koala on it, it’s a pair of elastic-sided boots from R.M. Williams. The company traces its bootmaking back to the early 1930s. Check the product page on its official site for where your pair is made.
Why it works overseas: boots are tough, they don’t spoil and they post well in their box. Sizing is the risk, so buy a gift card or check their size guide together over a video call.
Good to know: returns from overseas can be slow and costly, so check R.M. Williams’ international shipping and returns pages before you order.
An Akubra hat
Akubra says it makes its hats in Kempsey, on the New South Wales mid-north coast, from fur felt. It’s a gift that gets worn, gets battered and somehow looks better for it.
Customs check: fur felt is an animal product. Most countries are fine with a finished hat, but some have rules on animal-derived goods, so check before posting to places with strict biosecurity.
Tip: hat sizes vary more than people expect. If you can, find out their head measurement in centimetres before you buy.
Haigh’s chocolates
Haigh’s is an Adelaide chocolate maker that has been going for more than a century. It says its chocolates have been made bean-to-bar in South Australia since 1915. The Frogs are the classic. A mixed box is a safer bet if you don’t know their taste.
Getting it there: chocolate and hot weather don’t mix. Haigh’s online store delivers within Australia only, so you’ll need to post it yourself. If you’re posting it yourself, avoid sending into a northern summer heatwave, and use express post.
Customs check: it’s food. Most countries allow commercially packaged chocolate, but check the destination country’s rules.
Australian honey
Australia has honeys you won’t find in many other places: leatherwood from Tasmania’s rainforests, plus a long list of eucalypt honeys such as yellow box, ironbark and jarrah. A small jar from an Australian beekeeper is a beautiful thing to send, if it’s allowed in.
Customs check (important): honey is one of the most restricted foods worldwide. Several countries ban or limit it in personal parcels. Check the destination’s biosecurity rules first. If it’s banned, a beeswax candle or wrap from an Australian maker is a good substitute.
Browse Australian honey on Etsy · Search leatherwood honey on Amazon.com.au
Whichever seller you choose, check the listing says the honey is Australian and where it was packed.
Lucas’ Papaw Ointment
Ask an Aussie overseas what they miss from the bathroom cabinet, and there’s a fair chance it’s the red tube. Lucas’ Papaw Remedies has been making its ointment for decades, and says it’s made at Acacia Ridge, Queensland. It’s small, light and cheap to post, so it’s an easy add-on to a bigger parcel.
We’re not going to tell you what it’s good for: read the label and the maker’s own information. It’s here because it’s a familiar bit of home.
See Lucas’ Papaw · Search Amazon.com.au
A print by an Australian artist
Paper is the easiest thing in the world to post. A print of banksia, waratah, wattle or a favourite stretch of coast, by an Australian illustrator, takes a bit of home and puts it on their wall. Many artists sell unframed prints that post flat or in a tube.
Look for: sellers who say they’re based in Australia and print locally, and who describe the paper and inks. Avoid shops reselling generic stock art.
Indigenous art: if you’d like to give a work by an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander artist, buy from an art centre or a dealer that signs up to the Indigenous Art Code, so you know the artist was treated fairly. Don’t buy “Aboriginal-style” designs with no named artist.
Browse Australian botanical prints on Etsy
Merino knitwear
Australia is famous for merino wool, though most of it is exported raw for processing overseas: Australian Wool Innovation reported that 96.5% (by weight) of the 2023/24 wool exports left in greasy, raw form. If you want a merino beanie or scarf that was actually made here, look for small knitters who state where the wool was grown and where the item was knitted. It’s warm, light, and flat enough to post cheaply.
Browse handmade merino on Etsy
Posting tips that save heartache
- Check the destination’s rules first. Search “[country] customs personal parcel food” or go to the country’s biosecurity or customs authority website. Food, honey, seeds, wood and animal products are the usual trouble spots.
- Declare honestly. Write a clear description on the customs form, such as “chocolate, commercially packaged” rather than just “gift”.
- Use tracking. Australia Post says its International Standard service includes tracking.
- Think about the season at the other end. Chocolate posted into a Northern Hemisphere summer, or honey into a freezing sorting centre, may not arrive the way you sent it.
- Order direct where you can. Many makers ship internationally themselves, and they know how to pack their own products.
More from Gumnutly
- Christmas gifts for Aussie expats missing home
- Australian souvenirs that aren’t tacky
- Australian-made gifts from Margaret River
- Sending Aussie food overseas: what the US, NZ and UK let in
Written by our editors. Origin claims are the makers’ own, linked where stated. Last checked: 31 October 2026.