A LITTLE BIT ABOUT US
Amanda Hilditch, an Australian designer with a passion for the marine environment, founded Mornington Sea Glass. With a background in research and volunteering with the Dolphin Research Institute, a sea-change to the Mornington Peninsula inspired her to combine her love for the ocean and marine life, interest in research and enjoyment of being a part of a thriving handmade community in the region.
“Behind every sea glass gift is a family that genuinely cares about their local marine environment."
We love where we live on the beautiful Mornington Peninsula in Victoria, Australia and as a family enjoy exploring the coastline hunting for sea glass. Although Paul and I didn’t start out making jewellery and have quite different backgrounds, myself in research and Paul, the building industry, we both have always loved creating. As a hobby we joined our local lapidary club to learn how to silversmith. I have been involved with the Dolphin Research Institute for over 20 years, so the bay and its incredible marine life, means my imagination is filled with endless ideas inspired by its beauty. I love roaming the shoreline and rock pools taking photos of sea glass finds and our jewellery. It always glows just a little bit brighter down by the water!
Amanda - Founder of Mornington Sea Glass
Where it all begun...
When our daughter was very young she believed mermaids in Port Phillip Bay used to leave her little piles of treasure for her to find. She would leave them messages in the sand and little presents in return for the ‘sea gems’ they would scatter along the shoreline for her to find. In her world, it was a treasure hunt secretly left for her.
We initially got caught up in her excitement and then the more we researched the glass the more we discovered how historic some of the glass was and how extensive sea glass collecting is around the world. Our defining moment was finding a beautiful tear shaped drop of white glass one morning that I knew I had to wear somehow so I would always feel connected to the bay.
We started out, as Mornington Mermaid Sea Glass but it was a little wordy so we dropped it to Mornington Sea Glass. Our sea glass actually comes different beaches around the Peninsula, as well as from interstate and overseas travels.
First and foremost, the Mornington Peninsula is located on the traditional lands of the Bunurong people of the Kulin Nation.
The Mornington Peninsula is rich in Aboriginal cultural heritage with extensive coastal shell middens dating back some 10,000+ years ago. The sands of this treasured place tells the stories of culture, knowledge and history of traditional owners.
We would like to pay respect to the Bunurong people, the traditional custodians of the land on which we live, beachcomb and make our sea glass jewellery as well as to Elders past, present and emerging, acknowledging their ongoing, spiritual connection to Country. This incredible cultural landscape makes the peninsula such a special place of significance.
Other clues to our more recent past can also be buried in amongst the sands and shells and hidden in the rock pools along the Peninsula’s coastline. Never meant to be there in the first place, these small pieces of glass have survived sometimes well over 100 years in the Bays of Port Phillip and Western Port and the open waters of the Bass Strait.
Nature has breathed new life into discarded bottles, glassware and pottery pieces from previous eras and resurrected them as beach treasures.
Spending time on the Mornington Peninsula coastline gives you a connection to the bay, a sense of how special the Peninsula’s rich cultural history is, as well as the bay’s incredible marine life. While finding sea glass gives clues to a more recent past, the ability of nature to recycle something that had been tossed away and turn it into something beautiful, just takes my breath away. And let’s not forget the role of mermaids in the bay leaving these little gems scattered along the shoreline! Without them leaving sea glass for our little Mornington Mermaid all those years ago, we would have never started this journey. It's the story behind our logo.
So many reasons to love looking down for tiny flashes of colour in the tidelines.
We would love to thank local Mornington Peninsula mermaid, Marianna, for bringing our story to life and featuring in our photos and Tremayne Finney Green for the underwater shots. You can find out more about her amazing mermaid adventures here.
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