It started with a bucket of sawdust and a bit of rain.
Alan’s father was working with native woods in Broome, making spoons and small things, when rain fell and mixed the sawdust with natural resin. It hardened. Becoming something new. When Alan lit one of the first sticks in Sydney, the scent hit immediately. Campfire. Pindan. Mangroves. The West Kimberley, whole and present, thousands of kilometres away.
“It was such an emotional, almost out-of-body experience. That moment really defined everything – the power of scent to connect us to memory, place, and home.” – Alan, founder of JIMAWOOD
That is the whole story of JIMAWOOD.
Country as a teacher
Growing up in the West Kimberley shapes you. The deep reds of the pindan. The green press of the mangroves against the water. The smell of native wood in the heat. There’s a rhythm to life up there, slow & deliberate, and Alan carries it into every decision JIMAWOOD makes.
The brand’s guiding philosophy is the “slow burn”: intention over efficiency, care over speed. Every stick is handmade from sustainably wild-harvested fallen timber, gathered on Country. Nothing taken that wasn’t already given. The wood is processed into sawdust, shaped into a dough by hand, then left to dry on Broome’s schedule, not anyone else’s. Humidity, rain, and season all play a part. No two batches are quite the same.
“It’s a slow, considered process, and that variability is part of what makes each piece feel authentic.” – Alan
Ancient practices, carried forward
JIMAWOOD draws on Yawuru cultural practices, smoking ceremonies, among them, and brings them into conversation with broader incense traditions. ‘Ancient practices for the modern home.’ Alan holds that responsibility carefully.
“It’s important that everything is grounded in respect, while also creating something that helps people feel connected and present in their everyday lives.” — Alan
What smoke carries
Alan’s hope is simple: light one, go somewhere. For those who know the Kimberley, it takes them back. For everyone else, it opens a door.
“I like to think of each incense stick as a small, accessible way for people to experience that feeling. Like a quiet, and less expensive, trip home.”
– Alan
JIMAWOOD grew first through family and community. What struck Alan was how differently each person responded to the same scent, with entirely different memories. That’s the nature of the work. It doesn’t deliver a fixed experience. It opens a door, and each person walks through to something of their own.
Bringing Broome to the market
Broome is remote. For most people, it’s out of reach. JIMAWOOD makes that distance a little smaller, one stick at a time.
Find Alan and JIMAWOOD at The Finders Keepers Sydney Design Market, Carriageworks, Eveleigh on Gadigal land, 1–3 May. Just $7 daily entry. Tickets on sale now. One week before Mother’s Day.