Our Story
19 years and going strong.
Although Whittle Waxes officially launched in Australia in 2004, our journey (and love affair) with timber started a long time before that. Company founder, Giles Whittle-Herbert, grew up on a farm in Zimbabwe, where he inherited a passion for working with wood that goes back in his family for many generations. It is perhaps no big surprise then that he went on to run a successful carpentry business in Victoria Falls, producing a range of quality furniture, as well as stairs, flooring, doors and window frames – and even fitting out one of Southern Africa’s most prestigious trains.
In early 2000 (with the Zimbabwean economy now in freefall), Giles and his family (including wife, Caroline, and two daughters, Ashley and Sarah) moved to the UK, where he started a small flooring business. Over the next few years, he restored many beautiful old floors (some of them over 400 years old!), as well as laying and finishing contemporary, bespoke flooring. Whether old or new, getting the finish right was vital and it was during this time that he learnt a lot about hardwax oils, which quickly became his preferred finish.
When Giles and his family arrived in Australia in 2004, it didn’t take him long to notice a big gap in the market for natural and safe hardwax oils. He already had an excellent working relationship with his supplier in the UK, so the job now was to draw the Australian market’s attention to the many benefits of hardwax oils.
19 years later, Whittle Waxes is proud to be leading the way in the supply of natural, high quality finishes to the Australian market, with satisfied customers across the board that include home renovators, professional polishers, flooring suppliers, timber companies, architects and designers. As the product evolves, it continues to exceed expectations and is now a firm favourite all across Australia, particularly with anyone who appreciates a quality finish that is safe, durable and environmentally friendly.
At Whittle Waxes, we genuinely love it when our customers are blown away by our products. We will continue to supply quality products to the market, including exciting new products now available abroad. We are also working hard behind the scenes to improve our operations and efficiency, including the new offices and showroom we have built in Lake Macdonald on the Sunshine Coast. The future is looking bright! Thank you for being part of this journey. Please watch this space for any new developments and be sure to shout out if we can help with anything.
Giles & Caroline Whittle-Herbert