Father's Day gift ideas in Australia

Check the date

Father's Day in Australia is the first Sunday in September, not June as in the US, Canada and the UK. If dad lives overseas, work to his date and allow extra time for international post.

September is spring, which suits gifts for getting outside again: binoculars for bush walks, a rangefinder for the new golf season, the Ooni for the first warm evenings. A coffee subscription runs on through the warmer months.

Buy for a habit, not a label

Gifts labelled for dad often miss because they are built around a joke rather than what he does. Look at how he spends a Saturday. Coffee every morning points to the AeroPress Clear, the 1Zpresso, the Comandante or a Thieves subscription. Cooking points to the HexClad nakiri, the HexClad pan or the Solidteknics frypan. Golf points to the Shot Scope.

The best gifts upgrade something he already does. The Orbitkey replaces a ring of keys. The iFixit kit lets him fix the gadgets he would otherwise replace.

Common mistakes

Missing pre-order dates. Some Solidteknics pans ship on pre-order, so check the ETA against the first Sunday in September before you buy.

Doubling up on coffee gear. If he already has a good grinder, skip the Comandante and buy the subscription. The Thieves first box can take up to 30 days, so print the details for the card.

Knives need an adult buyer. The HexClad nakiri requires buyers to be 18 or over.

Gifts from the kids

Young children can still choose. Give them two or three options from this list and let them pick, then have them write or draw the card. A dad will remember who picked the gift long after it is used up.

Adult children can pool money. Splitting one good thing between siblings gets him something he will keep instead of three small things he will not.

Budgets

At the low end, the iFixit kit and the fish bottle opener. In the middle, the AeroPress Clear, the Stanley bottle, the Orbitkey, the binoculars, the nakiri and a Thieves subscription. At the top, the Comandante, the Solidteknics frypan, the rangefinder and the Ooni.

Questions people ask

When is Father's Day in Australia?

Father's Day in Australia falls on the first Sunday in September. In the US, Canada and the UK it is the third Sunday in June. If your dad lives in a different country from you, work to his date, and order physical gifts at least two weeks ahead, longer for anything crossing a border.