Gilly and her husband, Chris, move to a sheep farm 2 hours South East of Perth WA, Australia with their 3 children, the family dog and their furniture.

“Gilly loved her French Polished Georgian Antiques and always polished them to prevent them drying out in the hot Australian Summers. Through the 70s she would always buy polish (and Maldon Salt - as they lived near Maldon) whenever she returned to the UK to see her parents.” - Alice (Gilly’s daughter).

1978

The Farm is sold and Gilly and Chris move to Mundaring. Shortly after arriving in Mundaring Gilly is given a recipe by a friend, when Gilly mentioned how, even the wax she was having to buy in England, was quite hard work for regular polishing.

1979

Gilly creates our first Cream Polish derived from a 150 year old English polish recipe. The recipe is fine tuned and tweaked to Gilly’s liking. Shortly after, friends and family are requesting some for their own furniture.

1983

A great friend, Gilly Amore (now Hayes), a Fine Antiques Valuer, admiring her furniture one day, asked what polish she was using. Impressed by how easy it was to use, Gilly, who had a shop behind the Rose & Crown Hotel in Guildford, took some on consignment to sell. Thus Stableyard Antiques Guildford was the first store to sell Gilly’s Australia products. They made their first order 12/11/1983.

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Gilly began hand making Lemon and Lavender Cream Polish commercially in the kitchen of their Mundaring home. Gilly names the brand 'Gilly Stephenson’s Old Fashioned Furniture Polish'. Fairly quickly a spare room is fitted out with shelving all around and becomes the workplace for the next few years.

1984

The first eastern states store to stock Gilly's products is 'Marlene’s Antiques' who make their first order on 31/07/1984. Unfortunately the truck rolled on the way over losing the entire order, they make a follow up order on the 07/08/1984 that is successfully delivered.

1984 - 1986

'Wax' is added to the range in 1984 followed by 'Restoring Wax' and "Rose Scented Cream Polish' in 1986.

Rose Cream was a personal favourite of Gilly’s as she loved Roses very much, having over 300 Roses in her beautiful garden.

1987

Sara (Gilly’s niece) designs the famous Bee, over the years the Bee has changed slightly but it is mostly the same on our packaging today.

1988

In 1988 Gilly and Chris present the range at their first antique trade show -The Giant Perth Antiques Fair by Carter’s. They continue to attend many antique trade shows leading into the 90s where they meet many antique dealers and restorers. It was a great chance to showcase their products to the trade and end users.

1989

Gilly’s first magazine advertisement appears in Carter’s Australia Antique Trader as 'Gilly Stephenson’s Old Fashioned Furniture Polish' advertising waxes and scented creams.

1989 - 1991

Gilly adds new products to the range - Wood and Leather in 1989, Polish Reviver & Cleaner, and Carnauba Polish in 1990, followed by Gun Polish and Scratch Cover for Dark Wood in 1991.

1992

After almost 10 years of operating in their Mundaring home, Gilly and Chris move the manufacturing to a factory unit in the Mundaring Industrial Area, leaving only the office and special lines to be made at the House.

1994

Orange Oil is added to the range, the first Australian made Orange Oil in Australia - formulated by Gilly and her daughter Alice, after many requests for a furniture oil. 

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Alice takes a semester off uni to work at Gilly’s while pregnant with her 3rd son Culver who now runs the Operations of Gilly’s as Co-Director with Alice. 

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The same year Gilly’s products enter BBC Hardware WA, Bunnings WA and Classique Imports who guarantee their Asian Hardwood Furniture as long as the customer uses Gilly’s Orange Oil.

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'Gilly Stephenson’s Old Fashioned Furniture Polish' registers as a company.

1994

Gilly’s daughter, Alice, registers a business, TerraFloor Care, to distribute TerraFloor Polish (larger sizes of Wood ‘n Leather)  manufactured by Gilly’s. Alice distributes it to the Terracotta Tile Company, Fremantle and other stores selling Slate and Terracotta flooring.

1998

New products are added to the range - Pine Darkener and Floor Polish.

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Gilly’s enters BBC Hardware in the Eastern states.

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Alice’s eldest daughter, Melissa, (Gilly and Chris’s eldest grandchild) begins working part time at Gilly’s at 16 years old, whilst studying part time at TAFE. She stays just under 2 years before commencing full time work elsewhere.

2000

Gilly’s daughter Alice Stephenson officially joins the business - she is still with us today as the Director.

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New products are added to the range. Coloured Waxes for Pine Furniture - Red, Blue, Green and Yellow. Beeswax Filler Sticks multi-coloured (6pks) and Woodturner Sticks (2pks) followed by Leather Care in 2001.

2001

Bunnings purchases BBC Hardware. Our products having already been in Bunnings WA and BBC Hardware nationally now move across to all Bunnings stores nationally under the new ownership.

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‘It’s so easy to use a baby could use it’ advertisement of Alice’s youngest daughter (Gilly and Chris’s granddaughter) is published in Carter’s magazine. Phoebe is pictured polishing the dining room table. We re-created this photo this in 2023 to capture Phoebe’s children (Gilly and Chris's great-grandchildren) Carter and Millie polishing Alice’s sideboard.

2002 -2003

Carnauba Wax flakes and Bushman's Gloss Stain are added to the range.

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In 2003, after 20 years growing the business, while caring for her mother, who had arrived from the UK in 1986, and battling ongoing health issues herself, Gilly retires, leaving Chris and Alice to continue the business with the help of their staff. 

2004

‘Lemon Oil’ now known as ‘Lemon Chopping Board Oil’ is added to the range.

2008

Experiments for an Orange Cream begin, but, although food safe, it doesn't have the same sheen as the other Cream Polishes. It does, however, go to market later in 2013.

2009

Gilly passes away at 68, at home in May, leaving behind her husband, Christopher, her 3 children, 8 grandchildren and 1 Great-Grandchild.

2010

June of 2010 Gilly’s husband Chris retires from the business and moves to Albany where they had always holidayed whilst living on the farm. Alice continues the day-to-day running of the business with the help of Sara, Gilly’s niece, and their staff.

2011

Alice’s son Culver (Gilly and Chris’s grandson) begins working at the business part time while studying at University.

2013

In 2013 Orange Cream is released to the market, as the company looks to form a food safe range. This would later become Food Safe Wax in 2017.

2014

Liquid Beeswax is added to the range, another food safe finish. Lemon Oil and Orange Oil were already considered food safe however it wasn't until 2013 that it was promoted as a food safe range.

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Alice flys east to attend the AAADA Sydney and Melbourne Shows in 2014, then takes the range to the Adelaide Antique Fairs in 2015 and 2016.

2015

For our current antique traders a line of products within our range is produced with the original style labelling of 32 years prior when Gilly first sold in the antique trade.

2016/17

Food safe Chopping Board Oils enter the market in 2016, available in 3 varieties: Citrus Beeswax, Orange and Lemon followed by Food Safe Wax in 2017.

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In 2017 Gilly’s food safe products land in Kitchen Warehouse stores across Australia.

2019

July 2019 Gilly’s leaves Mundaring and moves to Malaga where the office and manufacturing continues today. Culver moves into the position of Operational Manager.

2019/20

Kitchen Bench Oil and Alfresco Timber Oil enter the market in 2019 followed by Pure Tung Oil in 2020.

2020

‘Gilly’s Waxes & Polishes’ rebrands to ‘Gilly’s Australia’

2021

Gilly’s Orang Oil and Liquid Beeswax enter Thailand Hardware chain store - Home Pro.

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Gilly's adds ‘Make Beautiful sustainable’ to the packaging, written in Gilly’s handwriting. Using a variety of old sources of Gilly’s handwriting Sara creates our transformative purpose, which represents Gilly’s as a brand.

2022

Gilly’s products enter New Zealand Bunnings stores.

2023

Two new products are released: Lime Wax and Black Wax.

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Gilly’s acquires Chalk paint business Mezzie and Frank.

2024

Gilly’s products are ranged in Mitre 10 Mega stores in New Zealand.