‘Meet the Maker’ 2a Essence Interview - Living Off the Grid, Creating True Sustainability

Owen at Distilling Workshop

This week in our Meet the Maker series, we’re excited to introduce the husband-and-wife duo behind Snowy Mountains Eucalyptus Oil. Living off-grid in the pristine Snowy Mountains, they handcraft pure essential oils and hydrosols using a fully circular process that gives back to the land. Their story is one of passion, sustainability and authenticity — proving that business can thrive in harmony with nature.

Their eucalyptus oils are more than just products; they are the result of a genuinely sustainable way of living. By hand-harvesting fallen peppermint gum leaves and using mountain rainwater for distillation, they ensure nothing is wasted — even the by-products are returned to nature or shared with local artists. Their story is proof that true sustainability goes beyond business practices; it’s a way of life.

Let’s dive in!

Can you tell us a bit about yourself and your journey?

We are a husband-and-wife team who some years ago moved to an off-grid property in a remote area of the Snowy Mountains, where we are surrounded by fragrant eucalypts.

As our property borders designated NPWS Wilderness and a Nature Reserve, we were mindful that any business venture we considered would have to preserve the pristine natural country surrounding us.

With previous careers in tourism and environmental management, both in PNG and remote communities in Australia, we appreciate the importance of protecting natural resources to ensure viable, long-term sustainability.

So, with this in mind and an abundance of peppermint gum growing on the western slopes of our property, we began research into potential and ethical uses of eucalypts.

What inspired you to start your eco-friendly business?

Initially, we were inspired by the particularly aromatic scent of the Eucalyptus radiata (narrow-leaved peppermint) species growing on our property, which differs noticeably from the more widely available broad-leaf species most people are familiar with. The crushed leaves smell just like a walk in the bush!

Owen, with a background in chemical engineering, had the knowledge and skillset to understand the process of extracting essential oil and hydrosol from plant material, and today we find ourselves with a micro business, specialising in the production of small-batch, handcrafted essential oil products.

We selectively hand harvest windfall and naturally occurring leaves, then process them through a hydro-distillation process, using mountain rainwater to produce entirely pure essential oils and hydrosols. The remaining tannin is donated to artists for inks, eco-dyeing and watercolour production, and finally, mulch is returned to the ground. Our process is entirely circular.

Tell us about the products you make. What makes them unique?

We believe the pristine alpine terroir of our location, and the species of peppermint gum we harvest, makes our small-batch eucalyptus products unique.

Our supply chain and business practices are completely transparent, and we don’t use ‘greenwashing’ to make misleading claims of eco-credentials.

Our eucalyptus products are sustainable, aromatic and distinctly of the Australian bush. Since 2017, our philosophy has been to ethically produce bespoke essential oils with integrity, authentic provenance and just a touch of ‘Alpine Alchemy’.

Our range includes 100% pure essential oil, hydrosols, furniture polish and bush balm, lip balms, liquid and bar soaps. We also produce seasonal botanical essential oils and showcase eco-dyed silk scarves made by neighbours using tannin from our still.

How do you source your materials?

We harvest small batches of naturally occurring leaf material from our property in the Snowy Mountains, generally from the western slopes where the peppermint gum grows prolifically.

Plant material is collected by hand and processed through hydro-distillation, being one of the oldest methods of extracting oil from plant material. Our organic eucalyptus products are guaranteed to have authentic provenance and, in most instances, travel less than one kilometre from tree to bottle.

What does sustainability mean to you and your business?

We live and work in a remote, off-grid location where natural resources are valuable, and sustainability is the reality rather than a choice. Water is collected from rain and snow melt, energy is generated by the sun, and our business is entirely self-sufficient. Sustainability is inherent in our business practices.

Trees are monitored for healthy regrowth by quarterly charting and retained samples of essential oil are catalogued by location to monitor any possible climatic impacts.

Our entire 1300-acre property is dedicated to conservation through The Wildlife Land Trust (https://hsi.org.au/sanctuary/box-ridge/), with a voluntary agreement that no commercial logging or harvesting of timber products will occur, nor any activities that would destroy wildlife habitat. We believe it's an important sustainability initiative to operate a business that can coexist with nature, and to harvest leaf material without the use of polluting machinery that may disrupt the environment and threatened species habitat.

We also consider knowledge a sustainable resource to be shared, and facilitate workshops at events with a similar focus, in particular Lost Trades Fair, Off-Grid Living Festival and The Botanical Bazaar. These events attract thousands of visitors and are a great platform to promote the viability of following sustainable business practices in a remote location.

What challenges have you faced in building a sustainable brand?

Of concern to genuine Australian producers is the misinformation surrounding ‘therapeutic’ oils, and the abundance of imported eucalyptus oil. Particularly those branded Australian that often contain nothing but synthesised chemicals. Whilst striving to follow sustainable practices, questionable imports present local stakeholders in the eucalyptus and general essential oil industries with real challenges to consider.

As with many rural and remote area producers, we find the high cost of mail and freight makes it difficult to remain competitive.

What are you most proud of in your journey so far?

Authenticity is at the heart of our business, with ethical environmental credentials leading to Snowy Mountains Eucalyptus Oil being selected as the ‘scent of Australia’ at prestigious exhibitions.

In 2023, our eucalyptus essential oil was stocked at Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh during Keg De Souza’s thought-provoking ‘Shipping Roots’ Exhibition.

Our eucalyptus oil was stocked at The Powerhouse Museum during the ‘Eucalyptusdom’ Exhibition, with the title taken from a text by Edward F. Swain, one of Australia’s earliest conservationists.

And in March 2024, Snowy Mountains Eucalyptus Oil was selected for the Parliament House National Showcase. Selection criteria was merit-based and awarded to Australian-made products displaying design excellence, and businesses demonstrating ethical and sustainable work practices.

We exhibit and run workshops at the Artisans by invitation only, Lost Trades Fair, and are proud to be included in this prestigious event which celebrates rare trades and heritage crafts being demonstrated by makers from Australia and across the world. The Fair encourages visitors to consider the longevity and ethical consequences of what they consume, and to value products made by real people rather than machines.

Following the event last year, our eucalyptus oil travelled to some far-flung places, including the Arctic Circle, America, Japan and the Australian Lithuanian Pavilion in Vilnius.

Any tips for customers who want to live a more eco-friendly lifestyle?

A good place to start are the many off-grid living online forums and websites which feature ‘green’ initiatives and tips on how to live a more sustainable life. There are also festivals and events where people can meet with eco-friendly businesses to discuss how to identify authentic products.

Ask questions. If a seller is unwilling or unable to verify the source of their products, they may not be authentic. Look at ways to reduce your footprint, and be mindful of wasting natural resources, particularly water.

Where can we find you or learn more about your work?

Further information is available via our website, social media and various festivals, events and markets we attend, with details at: www.smso.com.au

We can also be found on the Australian Made (Grown and Owned) website at: https://australianmade.com.au/licensees/snowy-mountains-eucalyptus-oil-company/eucalyptus-oil

Finally, what does the future hold for your brand?

We enjoy partnering with artists and eco-dyers and look forward to continuing these activities into the future, focussing on the circular harvest of our process. It’s satisfying to know nothing is wasted – the leaf material produces essential oil and hydrosol, residual tannin is used by artists and finally, remaining mulch is returned to the earth.

Following collaborations with local Ngarigo Elders, Wurundjeri Rangers, Balbarda and Taungurung peoples, we hope to conduct further research and distillation trials in partnership with Aboriginal cultural educators into the potential use of endemic plant material.

In the longer term we are working to produce a range of entirely natural inks utilising tannins from endemic Snowy Mountains plant material, in conjunction with running distillation trials of lesser-known alpine species.

We also plan to expand our seed bank, geotag oil producing eucalypts so customers can see exactly where their oil has come from, progress our bottle refilling and recycling projects, and work towards eliminating all but the essential plastics from our business.