By PETER ROWE

In Yawuru language, “Jalbi” translates to “mother’s, mother’s, mother”, or great grandmother.

And Jalbi’s collection is inspired by the bush and includes using native Australian botanicals designed for modern living.

For Mandy and Kym, who met 40 or so years ago at school, that is important.

Their story, which began as an artwork created by Mandy’s youngest daughter Ayesha, is more than just a name for the business, it’s the fabric of its entire ethos.

“Women in the community can make significant changes and that’s who we want to connect with and who we want to benefit,” Kym said.

“It’s about women working with women, to facilitate change in the community and for families.”

In producing their Jalbi products they work with a local chemist and manufacturer – both women-led, to produce a wide range of products that continues to grow to meet demand.

Jalbi Australia is a new and exciting Aboriginal brand based in Perth, Western Australia that manufactures and supplies personal and home care products inspired by the Australian bush.

They have been in business for a little over two years and have a range of retail and wholesale customers as well as an online store.

The current range includes:

Hand and Body Wash
Sanitisers with aloe vera and essential oils
Bath Salts
Face Mist
Body Mists
Candles
Room Sprays
Pillow Spray

Currently, they use commercially available essential oils, but their vision is to help create and enable a supply chain, so they can source ingredients directly from the local Aboriginal community.

“Eventually we want to work with community to develop social enterprise or enterprise more generally, so that we can purchase product directly from community,” Mandy said.

“We are a 100 per cent Australian, and majority Aboriginal owned business.”

Mandy is a Yawuru woman who grew up in Derby.

“Jalbi means ‘my mother’s, mother’s, mother’, or great grandmother, in Yawuru language,” she explained.

Stories, relationships and connection are important to everything they do at Jalbi Australia.

Their products are inspired, created, and manufactured by them, and they use Australian essential oils and extracts.

“We strive to deliver a premium product at an affordable price that we hope will exceed our customer’s expectations and keep them coming back for more.”

“Jalbi also offers organisations the opportunity to work with us to create their own custom workplace scent.

“We recently worked with Laing O’Rourke to do this as part of their Fremantle Bridges Alliance,” Mandy said.

“This will result in a range of products to support their everyday needs, all made right here in Perth with an essential oil mix that includes sustainably grown and harvested oils from the Southwest of WA.”

You can read about this powerful depiction of survival and pride on their website www.jalbiaustralia.com.au