Caring Canary

“It’s quite cathartic creating a package for someone else,” says Georgia Harley, the creator of Australian gift company Caring Canary. “These little packages can connect people in a small way and I get a lot of heartwarming affirmations as to why I do this.”

Harley creates gift boxes for occasions like weddings, new babies, Valentine’s Day and Mother’s Day. They're made for people who want to send something different from the typical box of chocolates or bunch of flowers. The idea came to her after she took time out from her job as a TV producer to care for her terminally ill dad.

“I was creating care packages for my parents, and I explored the idea of creating something that people could buy online really easily. I thought ‘why don’t I just do this thing that I really like doing’. It was a leap of faith.”

Her online store has gift package suggestions from indulgence boxes to chemo care packages, and Harley offers a bespoke service for people who want to send something more personalised, too. They range from $89 for a ‘You’re a Fittie’ box to $229 for a ‘New Family’ gift set, and prices include free express shipping around Australia (excluding Perth and Tasmania, which have delivery fees).

The best bit about Caring Canary is that Harley sources the majority of her gift items locally. Gifts include chocolates from Sydney’s Lixie Chocolaterie, handmade marshmallows from Sweetness the Patisserie and eye pillows from Queensland’s Annabel Trends. Plus scented candles made in Botany Bay by Ecoya and organic skin care products from Gold Coast company Wild Healing.

“It feels so special when someone has gone to the effort of finding these unique items,” she says, “I wanted to put Australian-made things in my packages. It supports local businesses, but also because you can’t find these things on supermarket shelves. No matter what, I want people to have that wow factor when they receive these beautiful gifts.”