FAQs
SHOPPING/PAYMENT FAQ
What Payment methods do you accept
Spirit Gallery offers a number of payment options to make purchasing through us as easy as possible.
All of our payment options have been designed to be as safe and secure as possible. Our site uses excellent security. You can be sure your transaction is 100% safe.
The payment options available are-
Cash
Eftpos ( Debit cards)
Credit Cards (Visa, MasterCard,, American Express,)
Direct Bank Transfers (Electronic Funds Transfers)
Cheque and money orders in $AUD
Which credit cards can i use
We accept all major Australian credit and charge cards including Visa, MasterCard and American Express. We do not store your credit card details at any stage, other than during the processing of your purchase. We can contact you to organise payment via the phone, email or fax.
We use only Australian Industry recognised transaction Encryption and Payment Gateway Technology. To help protect you, we use the international standard SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) security, which is the most secure way to send credit card details over the Internet.
Direct Bank Transfers (EFT)
Direct Bank transfer purchases are available. When you proceed to the checkout select the Bank Transfer payment option, and follow the payment option information carefully. Orders made using the Bank Transfer option will not be despatched until we have received confirmation of the Bank Transfer.
International buyers, please note that you will also need to include our swift code CTBAAU2S
Can i pay by cheque
We also accept Cheques and Money Orders made payable to “Spirit Gallery.” Cheque purchases are available for Australian customers only. Please contact us if you wish to pay by cheque
Orders made using the Cheque / Money Orders option will not be despatched until we have received the Cheque / Money Order and it has been cleared or verified by our Bank.
Do you have a layby option
Yes we do. If there is any item you wish to layby please contact us via e-mail or call us to discuss arrangements.
We generally require a 20% non- refundable deposit and full payment within 8 weeks. However, we are flexible and have been known to offer long terms for that special valuable purchase.
Do your prices include GST ( Sales Tax)
All prices are GST (Goods and Services Tax) inclusive .
For purchases made from outside Australia (or to be delivered outside of Australia) the GST tax component of 10% will be deducted at checkout so the final purchase price will be less than the actual price on the website.
Can I pick up the goods in the store
Yes, once order has been placed and “pick up from store” option selected in checkout we are happy to hold items for a long as you require.
Our address for pickup is
Spirit Gallery
Shop 8, The Rocks Centre, Argyle St
The Rocks, NSW 2000
Ph : 61 2 92475961
Our store hours are: 9.30am – 6pm, seven days ( closed Christmas day)
Do you accept phone orders
Yes, our store trading hours are 9.30am-6pm (AEST) seven days a week. If you feel more comfortable or have any queries or questions we are happy to finalise the transaction over the phone. Feel free to call us on
International +61 2 92475961
Within Australia: (02) 92475961
What is your returns policy
Please choose carefully as we have a non return policy. If you don't like the painting or didgeridoo when you receive it, please advise us within 3 days of receiving the items and we will gladly exchange the item.
All we request is that you cover the cost of returning the goods to us and send them back in the same original condition they were sent to you. We will then work with you to find a suitable replacement or provide you with a store credit.
Shipping
Shipping within Australia
All artworks and didgeridoos will be despatched within 48 hours for delivery Australia wide with our shipping partners. Delivery time will vary between 1-6 days depending on delivery destination. Large paintings (longer than 1 metre) or didgeridoos can not be posted to PO Boxes .
Paintings will be shipped Australia wide for a flat fee of $30, unrolled in a tube/box
Small/Medium paintings can be delivered with Australia post at a further discounted rate of $19.95
Didgeridoos will be shipped Australia wide for a flat fee of $50. Further shipping discounts will apply for multiple didgeridoo orders. Any paintings or additional paintings will be sent rolled up with the existing painting or didgeridoo at no extra cost.
All paintings will be delivered unstretched in a tube. Didgeridoos will be protected with a large amount of bubble inside a secure cardboard box.
International shipping
We ship to every country in the world. Our shipping rates are some of the most competitive going around. A single didgeridoo to most countries will cost $150AUD (ie most of Europe, Asia, North America and parts of South America)
Further significant discounts apply for multiple didgeridoo orders. Any paintings or additional paintings will be sent rolled up with the existing painting or didgeridoo at no extra cost.
All items will be safely wrapped and packaged and ready for dispatch within 48 hours for delivery with either DHL or Fedex Express. Delivery time will be approximately 4-8 days
DHL or Fedex Express will not deliver to international Post Office Boxes. Delivery must be to a residential or business address as a signature is required for proof of delivery.
Once your Parcel is dispatched, you will be notified via an email with a tracking number and delivery details
Will my items be insured
All items will be fully insured against loss or damage. Please notify us immediately if the item does not arrive in the specified time period or arrives in a damaged state.
Please keep all damaged boxes, packaging and items as the freight company may wish to inspect them and return the items to us .Once the damage has been confirmed we will offer you a refund,repair or exchange
Tax free sales
For purchases made in the gallery or within Australia, sales tax must be paid and is already included in the price.
For purchases made from outside Australia (or to be delivered outside of Australia) the GST tax component of 10% will be deducted at checkout so the final purchase price will be less than the actual prices on the website.
What if I am not home when goods are delivered
As all our parcels are sent as registered and insured we require a signature upon delivery. Our freight suppliers typically deliver during business hours so if you are not expecting to be home during these hours an alternative would be to provide your work address as the delivery address.
Delivery is attempted straight to your door. If there is no one available to sign for the delivery, then a card will be left in your mailbox advising you of either a post office to collect your parcel from if items were sent within Australia by Australia post or in the case of TNT, DHL or Fedex, a contact number to call to re-arrange the delivery to either the same address or an alternate address.
Import taxes and customs charges
Customs and Importation law is quite complex and varies significantly from country to country . As our items are original handcrafted pieces they generally do not attract any further import or custom charges. However, this depends entirely on each individual countries regulations and how they classify and categorise goods.
We have shipped thousands of artworks & didgeridoos all around the world with many happy customers and through this knowledge will attempt to help minimise or avoid any further charges best we can
Ultimately, it remains the responsibility of the customer for the payment of any customs duties, charges or taxes should they be levied
No customs duties and charges are applicable to packages sent within Australia
Can I pick up the goods in the store
Yes, once order has been placed and “pick up from store” option selected in checkout, we are happy to hold items for a long as you require Our address for pickup is
Spirit Gallery
Shop 8, The Rocks Centre, Argyle St
The Rocks, NSW 2000
Ph : 61 2 92475961
Our store hours are: 9.30am – 5pm, seven days ( closed Christmas day)
ARTWORKS
Authenticity and certification
Almost every painting come with a Spirit Gallery certificate of authenticity,photographs of the artist with the painting and several work in progress shots when available.
Smaller pieces are accompanied by a profile of the artists and/or story of the artwork.
All artworks from Aboriginal owned and operated community art centres are supplied with the original community catalogued certificates.
The certificates of authenticity includes details such as artist biography, story associated with painting, date painted and any other relevant information.
Which artist do you represent
We represent a core group of approximately 20 traditional desert artist who we have found over the years to be the most popular among our local and international customers. In addition, we have works from several modern contemporary Aboriginal artists .
We also represent several Aboriginal community art centres ,including Warlukurlangu Artists of Yuendumu, Keringke art centre in Santa Teresa, Buku Larrngay Art centre , Iwantja Arts and Maruku arts in Alice Springs.
Our focus is colours, workmanship and affordability as opposed high end collectable investment paintings. It is this more casual approach to artwork that makes us popular among many local and international art “novices” or first time buyers .At the same time we also have a wonderful range for the art collector.
Why don’t you have exhibitions/opening nights.
We don’t hold opening nights, exhibitions or “champagne evenings” or take all our work on consignments and pay the artist only when works are sold.
Our approach is different. We-
Purchase the bulk of our artwork upfront ensuring the artist is rewarded for their work immediately not when/if painting sold.
We put fair margins on our work and keep them affordable ensuring good turnover for artist and fair prices for art buyer. There are no inflated prices, rather a fair and honest approach. We encourage you to visit other galleries for comparison
Keep our gallery inviting and eliminate the “intimidation” factor many galleries have. We have the feel of a friendly arts and crafts store .
Encourage customers to rummage through all our arts and crafts and enjoy their time in our store .There are hundreds of paintings here of all shapes sizes, prices
Flexible in the way we operate and our open to suggestions unusual requests or can accommodate a urgent requests for delivery and framing
Can you help with stretching our paintings we purchased from you?
Yes, that is something we also do very well- we have stretched hundreds of paintings for our customers. If urgent, we can sometimes even have paintings stretched in less than 48 hours
For example, a small/medium size paintiung ( approx 60 x 60cm or 90 x 60cm) would be stretched for approximately $50-$70 whereas a larger painitng ( approx 120x 90cm or 150 x 90cm) would be closer to $150
Paintings purchased online are delivered rolled up in a tube .However, if required we can deliver paintings locally, interstate and overseas already stretched on a frame. The delivery cost would be greater but still quite reasonable.
For example, a 150 x 90 cm stretched painting could be delivered locally in Sydney for as little as $30. Approximately $60-$80 Australia wide and approximately $150-$200 internationally. If you wish to have a painting purchased online stretched and/or delivered please contact us prior to purchase
Can the artworks come off the frame
Any artwork that is already on a frame in the gallery can be taken of the frame in a matter of minutes and rolled up and put in a tube. This can make it easier for our international customers who visit the gallery or if you wish to take the paintings with you interstate.
Do you value artworks for customers
Although we are experts in Aboriginal Art we are not expert valuers. There are several licensed art valuers in Sydney that can provide you with a more accurate estimate than we might be able to do. Just search for "aboriginal art valuers sydney" on the internet and several will appear.
Do you sell other forms of artwork
We are not limited to just paintings. We have a large range of Aboriginal created crafts including carvings, bark paintings, ceramics, baskets, and have the premier collection of musical quality didgeridoo in Australia.
DIDGERIDOOS
What makes your didgeridoo different
We only sell “musical quality didgeridoos”. This means that tonal qualities and playability are the priority when we choose our instruments. We only represent recognised didgeridoo makers. Many of the countries top instrument makers are represented by Spirit Gallery , many exclusively (see section 4)
Many of our didgeridoos have a beautiful natural finish. Spirit Gallery also has many didgeridoos that have subtle art while others with quite intricate artwork. Once again, sound quality and workmanship is the priority. We don’t keep pretty didgeridoos that “do not work “or just look nice.
There is absolutely no reason why a didgeridoo can not be both a wonderful piece of art as well as a serious instrument. In fact, many didgeridoos were traditionally decorated.
Sadly, the Australian didgeridoo market is dominated by mass production, fakes, poor quality (regardless of whether they are technically authentic or not) or beautifully decorated didgeridoos where playability, workmanship and quality of instrument is not a concern.
What does a good didgeridoo cost and why
Good quality didgeridoos that have been crafted with a certain level of workmanship and with good tonal qualities can start at as little as $200AUD-$250AUD - at the more affordable end of the market.
Anything less than this and you can start to expect an inferior product. The time it takes to cut, dry, work, seal, decorate a reasonable quality didgeridoo simply can not be done for much less than this without comprising the integrity of the instrument.
In the mid range price of $300AUD- $700AUD you can expect to find a good quality instrument that has been crafted with time and patience and can be considered a serious instrument for a keen enthusiastic player.
At the upper end of the market for an instrument crafted by the countries top couple of makers or for those special or collector didgeridoos including some traditional Arnhem land yidaki or for what are often called “ concert class” instruments you could pay in excess of $1000AUD.
This may seem a lot for a “hollow log” but if one saw the careful selection process, time, patience skill and work involved to create one of these fine instruments, that are each unique and hence unable to be reproduced- it would not seem so unreasonable. Many instruments at the top end can be much more expensive than the best didgeridoo- what is the price of a very high quality guitar, djembe or trumpet?
The Australian market being dominated by fakes, little didgeridoos and non musical quality or average quality didgeridoos (whether authentic or not) creates the impression that one can buy a good instrument for $50AUD or $100AUD- this is simply not true. The best didgeridoo for under $100AUD is a piece of plastic PVC pipe from the local hardware store, cut to about 1.2metres. It is with practising with this pipe one can decide if they would like to pursue the instrument and move onto a proper quality instrument.
Why don’t you sell 2ft or 60-80cm small didgeridoos
Many people often ask us if we have “smaller” didgeridoos and we have to kindly tell them that these are not considered serious instruments. These type of "instruments" if played at all have a high squeaky pitch and are physically uncomfortable and difficult to play.
The didgeridoo has an standard length of about 1.1-1.6m.of which approximately 99% of all instruments fall in between. You can not cut an instrument to half its intended length or down to 60-80cm and expect it to function in the same way and create warm beautiful tones. There are rare exception of good quality instruments at the smaller heights of approximately 100cm but these are far and few between and may actually command a higher price because of their uniqueness and rarity and would only suit highly accomplished players.
Once again it is due to the high visibility of all these 60-80cm didgeridoos around Australia, particularly in souvenir stores, that creates the impression that this is a standard size. It is very difficult to find what would be considered a serious instrument at 1 metre but many places including recognised didgeridoo stores or Aboriginal galleries continue to sell them as beginners didgeridoos or smaller instruments.- probably just for commercial reasons
Which makers do you represent
Our highest quality instruments are supplied by the following makers- many exclusively in Australia
- Kristian Benton
- Wix Stix Didgeridoos
- Heartland Didgeridoos by Tynon
Many of the above makers have their own websites and information about them can be found all over the internet, YouTube and the like. Feel free to do your own research- don’t take our word for it!
We also have a great range of affordable quality natural or gloss finished instruments, primarily from Katherine in the Northern Territory and also decorated didgeridoos from North Queensland, painted by Aboriginal Artists Leony Roser and Lionel Phillips. This range is our most affordable type of instrument without comprising on quality and hence represent the best value for money for a good entry level didgeridoo that is still a quality crafted instrument .
Finally, our traditional instruments come from the Buku Larrnggay Mulka community art centre in North-East Arnhemd Land under the guidance of Yidaki expert Jeremy Cloake
Who is the typical Spirit Gallery didgeridoo customer
Spirit Gallery is the local hub for didgeridoo players with many of the finest local Sydney didgeridoo players regularly found in the store. We also cater for many first time didgeridoo buyers who are looking for an instrument they can learn with and is suitable for them, but who may need some advice to help to steer them in the right direction (and way from all the souvenir didgeridoos found around us).
Being conveniently located in the Rocks, downstairs from the Sydney Visitor Centre, makes it easy for interstate and international customers to visit us. In fact ,half our instruments end up leaving Sydney.
Finally, not everybody intends to be a serious player and despite sound quality being the priority on all our instruments we have some fantastically decorated didgeridoos that would also make standout display pieces .Many people like then fact that the didgeridoo is also a piece of art in addition to being an instrument and something you can proudly display whether or not you pursue the playing side.
Are all your didgeridoos termite hollowed eucalyptus
Yes 99.9% of our didgeridoo are termite hollowed. More importantly, they are hollowed properly by termites. Termites don’t take music into consideration when eating through a log and therefore create many bad didgeridoos where the walls are to thick, have heavy spots or inconsistent wall thickness creating flat and muffed tones. This is where it is up to the skill of the maker to choose a didgeridoo that has been hollowed out in a manner that will allow it to be crafted into a good instrument and why mass indiscriminate cutting of logs with a chainsaw on the back of a truck rarely creates a quality instrument.
Some of the ironbarks have been opened up on the inside slightly to improve the sound (after initially being termite hollowed).
We also stock the didjeribone by Charlie McMahon. The didjeribone is a lightweight plastic slide didgeridoo which allows u to demonstrate the whole range of notes available on a didgeridoo . It is also great for travelling and when not extended only measures 950mm.
What is difference between a plain or decorated didgeridoo
This is purely down to aesthetics as it does not really effect how the instrument sounds. Many didgeridoo players who already own instruments are not concerned about the artwork or want the price to reflect nothing but sound quality. Similarly, some people may feel a natural didgeridoo is more a symbol of an instrument and shy away from decorated instruments . On the same token many players enjoy artwork on their instruments particularly the traditional styles found on yidakis from Arnhem Land.
Even natural didgeridoos can have their own distinct beauty with a variety of finishes available including barks finishes, high gloss, matte finishes, natural knots ,sap marks and a variety of naturally occurring elements
Artwork is also an attractive option for somebody who is unsure if they will pursue with playing side of the didgeridoo and wants to make sure they also have something that is attractive and unique and can be displayed
Is it true your didgeridoos have been played in the Sydney opera house
Yes they have. William Barton who regularly performs at the Sydney Opera House and is the regular didgeridoo player for the Sydney Symphony Orchestra uses our didgeridoos when he visits Sydney to perform. We
Where can I learn more
On this website there are many places you can learn more about the didgeridoo and how it is played Starting with our didgeridoo resources page and continuing on into our blog. Even watching didgeridoo demonstrations in our product page can be off assistance and we also have a YouTube page where you can also see instructional and playing tips- follow the links from the homepage.