BUSHBIRD AUSTRALIA is the brainchild and creative outlet of Belinda Fraser, a textile designer and lover of the Australian farming lifestyle. Growing up on the land nature and farming was her inspiration. BUSHBIRD AUSTRALIA is the manifestation of those ideas and special moments only a life on the land can inspire.

BUSHBIRD AUSTRALIA is a collective of products that I have designed and produced for sale through boutique stores Australia wide. Growing up and living in rural Australia I am constantly inspired by my surroundings. At 26 years of age, after travelling and working in seasonal jobs since leaving school, I attended Charles Sturt University to embark on a Visual Arts degree. Art had always been an interest of mine and this was an opportunity for me to explore my creative instincts. I graduated in 1989 with a Bachelor of Visual Arts, majoring in Textile Design. I then decided to move to Melbourne to seek employment within the design industry. I was quite disillusioned to learn that job opportunities were scarce and most design houses employed designers to travel overseas to source inspiration off shore.

In 1990 along with my sister we established ‘Heatherlie Handprints’ operating from the garage in the family home which was reconstructed by our father to house two printing tables and screen equipment. We designed and printed silk scarves which were sold through exhibition companies in Bahrain, Singapore, and also London. Soft furnishings were sold at country markets and a chance encounter with the buyer from David Jones department store resulted in an order of cushion covers to be supplied to the Melbourne Store.

A few years later I won a competition that ‘Macquarie Textiles’ ran and through this my design was woven in to colour blankets with the design featuring native Australian flora. Produced locally at ‘The Mill’ in Schubach Street, Albury. This beautiful pure wool jacquard fabric was purchased by QANTAS to cover the seats in their exclusive QANTAS club lounges. This was a great coup and major stepping stone for myself trying to make my way in the industry.

My sister left the business to start a family and I have continued to grow and continue exhibiting at fairs in various places such as; Melbourne, Sydney and rural parts of the country to source suitable stores for my high quality Australian designed and printed products. Today I have a loyal clientele and look forward to creating more designs that reflect the my unique values and art as well as the beautiful Australian rural landscape.

Belinda Fraser –

Creative Director/CEO of BUSHBIRD AUSTRALIA