r/BuyAussie

A user in r/RedditAlternatives suggested I post here since Topicle is Australian-made. I also saw a thread here a while back where someone wished for Australian alternatives to big tech and the reply was "I don't know of any social media." So here's one.

I'm a Melbourne-based software dev and I've been building a social discussion platform as an Australian alternative to Reddit. It's at topicle.com.

Built and hosted in Australia with servers in Melbourne. Registered Australian company (Topicle Pty Ltd), self-funded with no VC money. Software is one of the few areas of tech we can genuinely build here without importing parts from Shenzhen, so this is coded, designed, hosted, and run entirely in Australia. Analytics are self-hosted, there's no Google or Facebook tracking, and user data is stored under Australian jurisdiction.

With Reddit now a US public company licensing user data to AI companies and a new appetite for non-US options, it felt like the right time to build something locally that puts users first. A few things that set it apart:

• Moderator accountability - mod actions are logged publicly on every community, every action can be appealed to site admins, and accepted appeals automatically restore removed content. Communities can't be run as fiefdoms.
• No ads, no algorithmic feed - no promoted content or engagement-optimizing algorithm. The default sort ("Depth") promotes articles and discussion over memes and image posts.
• Country flags and no private profiles - flags are displayed next to all posts and comments based on where you're posting from. All user history is public. Makes it much harder for bots and astroturfers to blend in.
• Privacy first - IP addresses are hashed before storage, self-hosted analytics, no third-party trackers, full account deletion and data export. Designed with Australian privacy law in mind.

There's a full feature list at topicle.com/about and the longer story behind why it exists at topicle.com/why.

It's early and the community is still small, but the platform itself is full-featured and actively developed - I'm working on it daily.

If anyone has questions about the site or the tech behind it, happy to answer.

Earlier this week I asked for some recommendations for Australian Produced clothing, and I got some great recommendations across a few posts. I thought I'd share the businesses I've gotten so far with a little about them.

Manufactured with Fabric Sourced from Australia:

This is a bit more niche. There appears to be a fabric producer in Melbourne that is used for some items, but this is about all I've found so far.

Australian Stitch - Australian Made Basics (Melbourne) "Australian Made Clothing, Ethically Produced in Melbourne. Designed, sampled, knitted, dyed and sewn locally within a 15km radius, every piece passes through the skilled hands that keep Melbourne’s historic Rag-Trade alive." And true to what they say, it's basics. A big argument people make against 'local' production of fashion is price. The t-shirts here are $50, which is not expensive. $43/each in a 3 pack. I bought a 3 pack myself today, and I will update everyone on the quality.

Citizen Wolf - Custom Made Basics (Sydney). Certified B Corp. Depending on the item you go for, there is Australian-Made Fabrics. For example for the organic cotton shirt "We use premium, GOTS-certified organic cotton, knitted locally in Melbourne" The price reflects the custom made nature, as they seem to tailor to your size. It's also got to account for the possibility of sending you the wrong size. If they send you the wrong size, or a bad fit, you keep the shirt, and they send you a new one for free. Apparently, according to a user, its "just around the corner from Hawkes Brewery - perfect excuse to pop to Sydney to get fitted and put in an order."

Smitten Merino - Produced in Tasmania and Victoria from Victorian-spun-Tasmanian-wool. What a mouth full. Merino Wool clothing for men and women.

Manufactured in Australia with Internationally Sourced Fabric:

Fashion Brands:

Informale - (Melbourne) "Artisan-made menswear, influenced by vintage and utility silhouettes for enduring elegance." My Notes: It appears that all of the clothing is made in Melbourne, with fabric sourced abroad (UK, Japan).Melbourne Very Australian style fashion.

Bandsome - Sydney "Since the beginning, Bandsome has prioritised Australian production at every stage. Wherever possible, an Australian made option is considered first before looking offshore. Still today, the majority of our garments continue to be produced in Sydney and Melbourne" Japanease / Australian fashion style. This is what originally brought me into this search. I bought their iki jaket for $389. Which is not cheap, but not expensive when compared to other 'fashion' brands. I really really liked the quality of it, so much that I wont buy anything that's worse in places like Myer.

Bassike - Australia. Certified B Corp. "Wardrobe essentials for the minimalist, underpinned by a dedication to timeless design and sustainable production. Imbued with a quintessentially Australian sense of refined ease, discover fashion basics that are designed to last for years to come."

Denim Smith - Melbourne Denim Clothing (Jeans, Jackets etc). "Every piece is created from the finest denim which comes directly from our Melbourne makers skilled hands and hearts." Production facility located in Brunswick East.

Kerrin co. - "A ‘surf luxe’ aesthetic is informed by a clear casual sensibility that exemplifies a life best lived outdoors." A range of products that largely appear to be made in Australia (I haven't checked every product, but some are made overseas so YMMV). Materials & Details section explicitly states origin of fabric, and location of garment production.

The Lair - Newcastle It looks like they stock a variety of options, and some of them appear to be Australian made, if they are labelled. Their speciality (Leather goods) are made in Newcastle from leather from NZ and Italy.

Jimmy Stuart - Sydney Relaxed yet bold surf style clothing. "In a world where nearly everything is made overseas, we are very proud to still be making our shirts, shorts, swim shorts, knitwear, pants, jeanos, waistcoats, boxer shorts & bucket hats right here in Australia."

pseushi - Australia. "Pseushi clothing is designed to be worn-in, aged-in, lived-in. Utilising high end fabrics & traditional processes. An amalgam of culture, meditations & memories, Pseushi is a travel journal of the times." A cursory look shows T-Shirts are made in Australia, some other garments don't indicate their country of origin.

everwear - Victoria. Australian, hand made denim items, with garments from other countries of origin in their store.

flux - Melbourne. "FLUX is a Melbourne based menswear label, making quality denim & tees in Australian since 1999"

Macrae Studios - Brisbane. A small Brisbane-based brand that focuses on slow fashion and makes everything in house with vintage sewing machines. They also offer custom measurements for their chore coats and some shorts. The origin of fabric is not specified, though mention is made of the deliberate environmental-conscious choices the producer makes when deciding fabrics.

Pass~Port - Sydney. A large selection of Australian produced goods: hoodies, polos, pants, belts, hats, gloves and bags. Timeless casual styles. Australian produced section linked, though they sell other items.

Accessories:

R.M Williams - Adelaide The boots are still proudly Australian made, but as these things go, lots of the clothing is labelled "Imported."

Mongrel Boots - Sydney. "Mongrel Boots has been manufacturing footwear in Australia since 1930" Recently (2018) adding first-of-its-kind manufacturing equipment to its Sydney factory.

Akubra - Kempsey NSW A variety of classic, Australian made, hats.

Wootten - Ballarat Australian made leatherwear, including boots, aprons, belts and some bags. Custom, hand-made to order, with fairly long wait times.

Socks - Multiple Brands in a List

Sportswear:

Regarding these, there appears to be a manufacturing facility called "Ethical Edge Collective" in Brisbane that is paired with "Birds on Bikes" (the clothing brand) that produces garments for sellers in Brisbane. The following are just a few examples, but I'm sure there are more...

Scody - Brisbane "Australian Made Performance Apparel. Designed & Made in Brisbane" Specializing in Triathlon, cycling, running and team clothing. Regarding this, there appears to be a few athletic brands

Birds on Bikes - Brisbane "Birds on Bikes focuses on comfort, inclusive sizing, practical design and local Australian manufacturing. Our cycling apparel is designed specifically for women who want confidence, support and performance on every ride." I know this is MFA, but because these are the apparent original producers of many of these products in the segment, I thought it appropriate to include them in the list.

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I will add to this from any comments that I see with brands that fit the Australian-produced exclusivity of this list. If I've missed something, please add it in the comments and I'll try to update this thread.

I've also ordered a few things myself from bandsome, and australian stitch, that I will link review threads to when the things arrive.

A proud Australian shoe company, made in Dandenong.

Website: beta.net.au

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-05-14/bosistos-new-eucalyptus-oil-distillery-to-triple-production/106678224?utm\_source=abc\_news\_app&utm\_medium=content\_shared&utm\_campaign=abc\_news\_app&utm\_content=other

Australian company Bosisto's has opened a new distillery in country Victoria, expanding its local production of eucalyptus oil.

The $10 million purpose-built facility near Wedderburn, north-west of Bendigo, triples the amount of oil the company can produce.

Eucalyptus oil is extracted from the leaves of blue mallee trees native to the area, using steam.

Hey everyone :-)

Saw a post in here promoting dog products the other day, so thought I would share something, that is actually Australian made haha

I also have, what I believe is the most Aussie dog toy every made!! A dog tug toy, made from a Kangaroo scrotum, The Tug A Roo!

Curious what people here look for when buying dog gear.
Is it the Aussie-made bit that matters most, the materials, durability, or just whether your dog actually likes it?

Was on a flight from ADL>MEL and was disappointed to see this. Where on earth is it coming from?

Back in 1995, the idea was simple: add shock absorption to a dog lead so walks felt easier on both sides. 

The early leashes were handmade in Palm Beach on the Gold Coast and sold at local markets.

30 years later, the Cujo Leash is still in the range.

Do people here like seeing the original product behind an Aussie brand, or do you mainly look at the current range?