Our Story
Hello, Bonjour from Isabelle & Melanie.
Welcome to La Source Australia - The Source of Inspiration!
We are an eco-friendly Australian Made + Owned family business, inspired by Australia’s rich landscape and our French heritage. Through our bold and playful style, we seek to express and share the joy we feel when connecting with nature and the world around us. Our collection includes limited edition prints and eco-conscious gifts—perfect Australian souvenirs and mementos of the places we love. These include tote bags, greeting cards, enamel pins, fans, height charts, lens cloths, playing cards, wooden ornaments, and more!
Since 2010, we have been creating art together as a mother-and-daughter duo based in South Sydney. Our work reflects our passion for life, the natural world, and our commitment to sustainability. Most of our products are Australian-made or at least designed, printed, and hand-finished locally in our Sydney studio. We take pride in offering light, easy-to-send gifts for nature lovers and travellers alike.
Our respect for the environment drives everything we do, from using sustainable art practices to supporting causes close to our hearts, and contributing to bush regeneration on our property near Braidwood, NSW.
At La Source Australia, we believe in creating thoughtful, sustainable gifts that are both beautiful and eco-friendly. Thank you for supporting our dreams and helping us care for this beautiful planet.
Isabelle & Melanie xx
La Source Australia acknowledges the Dharawal people as the traditional owners of the land upon which our studio stands, and recognise their continuing connection to land, waters and culture.
Isabelle Boreham (the mother)
Parisian born Isabelle, spent time painting in Paris, London and New York as a textile designer before moving to Australia in the 1980s. After working at Bonds Australia which included designing for the Sydney 2000 Olympic games, she decided to follow her heart and founded La Source Australia in 2010.
Isabelle now divides her time between her Sydney residence and her bush property near Braidwood NSW. Much of her inspiration is drawn from her immediate environment and the bountiful life that coexists there.
Her appreciation of the Australian bush is “pas en pas” with the French post-impressionist, Henri Rousseau, and English romantic, William Turner, as influences for her diverse practice. Isabelle’s own art process begins by taking the time to observe and sketch the natural world around her. Her love of bold colours and textures becomes evident as she then merges reality with her own musings. Once her ‘characters’ have been created she incorporates them into unique stories. Some cheeky birds chatter amongst the native flowers, whilst others remain solitary guardians of iconic sites.
Melanie Beresford (the daughter)
Melanie was born in Australia and has been a practicing artist since 2007. She completed a Masters of Fine Arts in Painting/Drawing at CoFA, UNSW and has exhibited in over 40 shows around Australia. Her practice has been quite diverse from painting, drawing, video, installation and sculpture.
In 2013, she joined her mum in the La Source Australia art studio. Together they create their collections from start to finish - this includes painting, drawing, printing, packaging, managing orders & deliveries, and having FUN! Her biggest inspiration comes from her two beautiful daughters Juliette & Florence who bring sunshine and laughter into the studio.
Eco-Friendly Art Studio
At La Source Australia, we’re committed to reducing our carbon footprint and operating as sustainably as possible. Our collection is proudly designed, printed, and packaged in Australia, with a strong focus on environmentally responsible practices.
Here are some of the positive changes we’ve made to protect the planet:
- Sustainable Materials: Our greeting cards and envelopes are created with 100% recycled paper.
- Locally Made with Recycled Fabrics: Our microfibre tea towels and lens cloths are created locally using recycled fabrics and water-based inks, ensuring minimal environmental impact.
- Plastic-Free Packaging: Our tote bags and tea towels are now 100% plastic-free, and we’ve significantly reduced our use of cello bags for protective packaging.
- Sustainable Wood Products: Our wooden magnets and hanging ornaments are printed on sustainably sourced wood using Greenguard GOLD certified inks.
- Minimizing Waste: We produce small print runs to reduce potential waste, and all printing is done locally to support the community and reduce transportation emissions.
- Reusable Design: Our greeting cards are designed to have a second life—they can be reused as bookmarks.
- Eco-Friendly Packaging: We use recycled brown paper for gift-wrapping and biodegradable, recyclable bubble cushioning when needed.
We’re always open to improvement. If you have any suggestions for how we can further enhance our sustainability efforts, we’d love to hear them! xx