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 course. 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 B.A. of Visual Arts, majoring in Textile Design. Folio under arm I headed to Melbourne to seek employment in the Design Industry. I was quite dis-illusioned 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 Sarah 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 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 couple of 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 snapped up by QANTAS to cover the seats in their QANTAS club lounges. This was a great coup for two country girls trying to make their way in the Industry.
My sister Sarah left the business to start a family and I have continued on exhibiting at Fairs in Melbourne and Sydney to source suitable stores for my Australian designed and printed products. Today I have a loyal clientele and look forward to creating more designs that reflect the beautiful Australian rural landscape.
Belinda Fraser –
Creative Director of Bushbird Australia
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