Making Canberra Gifts a Little Less Boring

It started with a mug that bit back at Canberra's boring reputation. Turns out, we weren't the only ones who thought that was funny.

If you've ever bought something from North/South, spotted one of our products in a local shop, or found yourself wondering why anyone would make a miniature Canberra bus shelter, hello! We're Andrew and Jennaya, the two people behind the business, and we're glad you're here.

North/South is a small Canberra business creating unboring gifts and homewares for people who love Canberra. Whether they've lived here their whole lives, moved here recently, or just have a soft spot for the place, we've got something for you.

But we didn't start with a grand business plan, a warehouse full of products, or a burning desire to 3D-print 1000s of bus shelter lamps.

We started with a mug.

A mug with attitude.

Our first product was the Canberra Thinks You're Boring Too mug. It was cheeky, a little bit rude, and very much our sense of humour.

We made a sample because we thought it was funny.

Then, on Canberra Day in March, a friend of ours, who also happens to be our cat-sitter and a local Canberra influencer, shared it on Instagram.

And people wanted one.

What began as a bit of a joke suddenly looked like it might be something more. There were people out there who appreciated the humour, recognised the affection behind the dig, and wanted a mug of their own.

It was a small moment, but it gave us the nudge we needed. Maybe there was room for a different kind of Canberra gift. Something a little less predictable than the usual souvenir, something with a bit of personality, and something that locals would actually want to own.

So, after the initial excitement, we decided to give it a proper go.

So, why North/South?

The name actually came before the business.

Andrew is originally from Toronto, Canada, in the Northern Hemisphere. Jennaya is from Sydney, in the Southern Hemisphere. One of the things we love to do together is take long road trips, so we made a shared Spotify playlist and named it North/South.

When we started creating Canberra-themed products together, the name felt like a natural fit. We came from opposite sides of the world, but we'd found common ground in Canberra and a shared appreciation for the city's quirks, character and very questionable reputation.

We also liked that North/South didn't take itself too seriously. It felt like us.

And so North/South became the name for a little idea that would eventually grow into a proper small business.

The album art Andrew made for our Spotify playlist.

Making gifts for people who get the joke

From the beginning, we wanted to make things that felt distinctly Canberra without being the sort of thing you'd buy as a last-minute airport souvenir.

We wanted to make gifts that made people laugh, started conversations, celebrated local places and gave Canberrans a way to show pride in their city.

That meant embracing the things that make Canberra Canberra. The in-jokes and the landmarks. The oddly specific things that locals recognise immediately. The parts of the city that might seem unremarkable to an outsider but mean something to the people who live here.

Our range has grown well beyond that first mug. We now make Canberra-themed gifts, ornaments, magnets and homewares, with new ideas regularly finding their way into the mix.

Some products are a little cheeky. Others are inspired by familiar local icons. All of them start with the same question: can we make something that feels fun, thoughtful and just a bit different?

We want our products to work as gifts for proud Canberrans, presents for people who've moved away, souvenirs for visitors, or just something for your own home that makes you smile.

From a cheeky mug to a Canberra bus shelter lamp

If there's one product that sums up how North/South has evolved, it's our Canberra Bus Shelter Lamp.

Canberra's bus shelters are a famous part of the city's landscape. Designed by architect and local legend Clem Cummings, they're one of those local icons that Canberrans recognise instantly. They might not be the first thing you'd think of when designing a lamp, but that's precisely why we loved the idea.

We wanted to take something unmistakably Canberra and turn it into something unexpected: a miniature, functional lamp inspired by the original shelters.

The result is our Canberra Bus Shelter Lamp, a product that brings a little piece of the city indoors.

It's also a good example of how we like to work. We take something familiar, look at it from a different angle, and see if we can turn it into something people haven't seen a hundred times before.

The lamp is 3D-printed, soldered and assembled here in Canberra by the two of us. Each one involves a lot more hands-on work than you might expect from a little lamp, and we're proud that the product is officially endorsed by the estate of Clem Cummings. His wife even has one in her home, which was designed by Clem! 

What started as a playful product idea has become one of the most ambitious things we've made. It's pushed us to learn new skills, refine our processes and figure out how to make a very Canberra-specific idea for a whole lot of people who want one.

It's a miniature bus shelter. It's a lamp. It's a conversation starter. And, apparently, it's something people really want in their homes.

We'll take that as a compliment.

A small business, quite literally built by us

One of the things we love about North/South is that we get to make the things we wish existed.

One of the things we perhaps underestimated is just how much work goes into making them.

We're a small team of two, which means we're involved in every part of the process. Ideas, design, product development, production, packing orders, customer service, website updates, marketing and all the little jobs that somehow multiply when you're running a business.

With products like the bus shelter lamp, that also means getting hands-on with the manufacturing process right here in Canberra.

There's something special about seeing an idea turn into a physical product, then watching someone choose it as a gift for a friend or display it in their own home. It's even better when the product celebrates a place that means something to us.

We're not a giant company with a huge production line behind us. We're a small local business figuring things out, making things ourselves and trying to create products that people genuinely love.

It's not glamorous. Most of the time, it's a lot of very repetitive work. But getting to make things that bring people joy is a pretty good reason to keep going.

Proudly Canberra, made for everyone

Although Canberra is at the heart of what we do, you don't need to have lived here for decades to enjoy our products.

Maybe you're a born-and-bred Canberran who knows every local in-joke. Maybe you've moved here from somewhere else and are still discovering the city. Maybe you've left Canberra but still miss it. Or perhaps you simply want a gift that's more interesting than another scented candle.

We want North/South to be for all of you.

Our goal is to keep creating unboring Canberra gifts and homewares that celebrate the place we call home, while making things that are fun to give, fun to receive and fun to keep.

We're always thinking about what we could make next, what local icons deserve a little more attention, and how we can turn everyday Canberra references into products that people wouldn't expect to find.

There are plenty of ideas still on our list, and we're excited to keep bringing them to life.

Thanks for being part of our story

When we made that first mug, we had no idea where it would lead. We certainly didn't expect a cheeky Canberra joke to grow into a business making everything from gifts and ornaments to a miniature illuminated bus shelter.

Every order, every kind message, every recommendation to a friend and every time someone chooses to support our little business helps us keep doing what we do.

If you've bought from us before, thank you. If you've recently discovered us, welcome. And if you've ever gifted one of our products to someone who immediately understood the joke, we appreciate you very much.

We're still the same two people behind the business, still coming up with ideas, still making things, and still convinced that Canberra deserves gifts with a little more personality.

Thanks for being here.

Andrew & Jennaya
North/South

Want to find something a little less boring?

Explore our collection of Canberra gifts and homewares and find something for the Canberra lover in your life, even if that person happens to be you.