Margaret River Incense

Margaret River Incense is a new chapter, in the maker's own words. Its About page says the maker began learning to make incense in their 75th year. The clay came long before that: the maker has worked as a ceramicist for many years, and the pottery incense holders sold on the site are the maker's own work.

The incense is cones for now, made by hand in small batches in a studio in Margaret River. The maker says they are made from real plants and botanicals, home-grown wherever possible, with frankincense and myrrh among the ingredients brought in from elsewhere. Sticks and loose incense are on the maker's list of things it hopes to add.

If you have been looking for incense that is actually made in Margaret River, this is it: the cones and the holders both come out of the maker's Margaret River studio.

Several of the blends lean on Australian plants. Karri Country is the maker's take on a South West forest, with lemon myrtle, fragonia, paperbark and boronia among its botanicals. Sandalwood Dusk is built on West Australian sandalwood, with agarwood, frankincense, vanilla and clove. Rose Gold sets rose petals against frankincense and lemon myrtle, and Palo Sunshine brings together palo santo, myrrh, orange peel and turmeric. The maker says that last one is made with no synthetic fragrance and no charcoal binders.

To use one, light the tip, let the flame catch, then blow it out and let the cone smoulder on something heatproof. The maker puts each cone at 20 to 35 minutes, and the boxes hold 7 to 12 cones, depending on the blend. The Mist and Stone holder, in a brown glaze with a white ring and made with the granite outcrops around Margaret River in mind, is a good one to start with.

Margaret River Incense sells online only, through its own shop, and posts within Australia by Australia Post. The studio has no public address and there is no shop or stall to visit, though the shipping policy offers local pickup by arrangement.