Southern Sky
As the sky fades from purple to black and a million stars appear, the crisp night air descends and sitting by a smoky campfire in the Australian bush is the only place to be.
THE INSPIRATION
Inspired by bush poet, Henry Lawson’s poem ‘A May Night on the Mountains’, and captured by Blue Mountains photographer, Liam Foster, Southern Sky is a tribute to the Milky Way and the sparkling mystery of the vast southern sky.
THE POEM
’Tis a wonderful time when these hours begin,
These long ‘small hours’ of night,
When grass is crisp, and the air is thin,
And the stars come close and bright.
The moon hangs caught in a silvery veil,
From clouds of a steely grey,
And the hard, cold blue of the sky grows pale
In the wonderful Milky Way.
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The voice of ordinary Australians, Henry Lawson was known as the poet of the people. With his keen, sensitive eye and dry, honest tone, he wrote of the hardships of life in the Australian bush, the plight of the poor in the city, the fight for a republic, the strength and bravery of women, the mateship and larrikinism of men, all ‘for the sake of the truth’. His poem, A May Night On The Mountains, is part of the inspiration behind our candle Southern Sky and is featured on the glass.
Selected Stories by Henry Lawson is available here.
Read our interview, A yarn with Liam Foster here.
THE SCENT
Sparkling top notes of ground spice and a dark amber accord are underpinned by smoky notes of oakmoss, evoking nights spent around a campfire under a sparkling night sky.
AT HOME
Lumiére Lodge in West Hobart, Tasmania, is a perfect example of an 1890s Victorian weatherboard restored to it's original beauty. A new extension echoes the period with all the comforts of the 21st century and a colour palette of smoky blues, deep blush and dark olive greens complete the air of mystery and romance. Watch the seasons whisper in through the homes antique windows, indulge in whiskey by the fire under the gaze of past lodgers, or slip into the clawfoot bath and bathe under the light of the stained glass window as the sky darkens and night descends and shadows dance to the flickering light of a smoky Southern Sky Candle.
IN THE WILD
Once you leave the lights of the city behind and head over the Great Dividing Range, one is treated to the spectacle of a southern night sky in all it’s glory. Our converted woodshed, also known as the Southern Wild Co ‘shedquarters’, near Oberon in NSW, is the perfect place to view the Milky Way and many wonderful hours have been spent around the campfire with friends and family.
A favourite childhood memory is camping out under the stars with our parents and siblings, gathering sticks to throw on the fire, wrapping spuds in tin foil and cooking them over the coals, then squishing them open and smothering them with butter and salt; all part of a happy childhood connected to nature and the elements in the Australian bush.
Southern Sky is a tribute to all those starlit, smoky campfire memories. Images here are by Liam T Foster.
THE SONG
And it's something quite peculiar
Something shimmering and white
Leads you here despite your destination
Under the Milky Way tonight
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The Church
The Australian anthem, Under The Milky Way catapulted band, the Church onto the world stage in the late 80s and since then, has never drifted far from the airwaves – or the campfire. Steve Kilbey, the band's frontman, co-wrote the song with bassist and then-girlfriend Karin Jansson. The pair were visiting Kilbey’s mother in New South Wales when an after-dinner ‘smoke’ under a blanket of stars inspired the ethereal tune and continues to connect with new generations of Australia.
