Meet +61 Studio: Sydney Souvenirs with Real Local Attitude

Sydney has never been short of beautiful views. But the city is more than a Harbour Bridge silhouette and a perfectly framed Opera House. It is also a cockatoo announcing sunrise before anyone asked, a seagull inspecting your chips and a light rail carriage that suddenly feels far too intimate at 8am.

+61 Studio captures these less polished—and far more relatable—parts of Sydney life through magnets, keychains, postcards and stickers. Designed in Sydney and available from 9to5 Studios in Haymarket, the collection offers Australian-designed souvenirs with humour, colour and a personality that feels distinctly local.

Sydney, But Make It Honest

The most memorable souvenirs do more than prove where you went. They remind you how a place felt.

A conventional Sydney souvenir might show the harbour at sunset. +61 Studio asks a different question: what happened five minutes before or after that photograph?

Perhaps a seagull stole part of your lunch. Maybe the train line was closed, the bus did not stop, or your peaceful ferry trip to Manly included a very determined cockatoo. These small moments rarely appear in traditional souvenir displays, yet they are often the stories people remember.

+61 Studio is a Sydney-based Australian design studio inspired by everyday wins, minor frustrations and recognisable local characters. Its illustrations turn those moments into objects that feel playful rather than overly polished. The humour is dry, affectionate and unmistakably Australian.

Meet Sydney’s Unofficial Morning Alarm

Some cities wake to church bells. Sydney often wakes to cockatoos.

The +61 Studio WAKE UP! Magnet features three cockatoos who have appointed themselves the neighbourhood’s unpaid—and unwanted—morning alarm. Loud, fearless and entirely pleased with their own performance, they capture one of Australia’s most recognisable wildlife encounters.

The magnet is made from tinplate and measures 54 × 78mm, with a printed front and full magnetic backing. It can hold photographs, reminders or shopping lists while adding a slightly chaotic piece of Australian birdlife to a fridge or magnetic board.

The same scene also appears on the +61 Studio WAKE UP! Postcard. Printed on premium 650gsm cardstock in an A6 format, it has a writable back for messages. Send it overseas as evidence that Australian wildlife does not believe in sleeping late—or keep it as a small desk print.

The Seagulls Under Sydney Harbour Bridge

For a souvenir with an unmistakable Sydney landmark, look closely at the +61 Studio SO WHAT? Magnet.

Beneath the Sydney Harbour Bridge, two seagulls ignore a “no climbing” sign while conducting another chip heist. Caught in the act and completely unbothered, their attitude can be summarised in one line: “I don’t give a chip.”

It is Sydney Harbour without the formal postcard pose. The bridge establishes the location, but the seagulls provide the story.

This design works particularly well for someone who wants a recognisable Sydney souvenir without choosing something too serious. It is playful enough for a friend, colleague or family member, yet specific enough to bring back memories of waterfront lunches, beach picnics and the constant need to protect your chips.

Sydney Public Transport, Now in Souvenir Form

Sydney transport is not simply a way to move around the city. It is a shared emotional experience.

The +61 Studio commuter series turns trains, buses, metro services, ferries and light rail into illustrated stories. “Station Closed,” “Not Stopping” and “Trackwork Alert” capture the phrases every regular commuter knows. “Peak Hour Crush” recreates the moment personal space disappears before the first coffee of the day.

The +61 Studio Light Rail – Peak Hour Crush Keychain features a cockatoo sandwiched into the morning commute and quietly reconsidering every decision that led there.

Made from premium optical acrylic, the keychain measures 58 × 73mm and includes a double-sided print with a metal clasp. It can be attached to keys, a tote or a backpack, turning an everyday object into a miniature Sydney scene.

Then there is On Time – The Commuter’s Blessing: a wizard cockatoo watching over trains, metro, buses, light rail and ferries. Whether the magic works is a matter for the timetable gods, but the hopeful ritual is familiar to anyone who has left home believing that today might finally run to schedule.

The Manly Ferry as a Pocket-Sized Memory

Not every Sydney commute is a disaster. Some feel almost suspiciously perfect.

The +61 Studio Ferry – Travelling to Manly Keychain shows a cockatoo carrying a surfboard and hurrying towards the ferry. It captures one of the city’s most joyful combinations: harbour views, sea air and the possibility of an afternoon at Manly Beach.

This is an especially thoughtful choice for someone who visited Manly, travelled by ferry during their Sydney stay or simply considers the harbour crossing one of the city’s defining experiences.

Rather than reproducing the ferry as a static landmark, the illustration creates a tiny narrative. The cockatoo is going somewhere. The day is beginning. The souvenir feels like a memory still in motion.

Choose Your Sydney Souvenir Format

The +61 Studio collection makes it easy to choose a format according to the person and the journey.

Keychains for everyday carry

The optical acrylic keychains feature double-sided illustrations and metal clasps. They are a practical choice for keys, backpacks and totes, particularly for someone who wants a Sydney reminder that can travel with them.

Magnets for small, useful gifts

The collection includes both illustrated tinplate magnets and commuter-themed acrylic designs. They work as compact gifts for colleagues, international visitors and family members without requiring suitcase space or complicated packing.

Postcards for sending or displaying

The A6 postcards are printed on premium 650gsm cardstock with writable backs. They can be posted, added to a gift or displayed as mini art prints.

Stickers for the smallest Sydney detail

The transport series also appears as stickers, including Ferry – Travelling to Manly, Bus – Not Stopping, Metro – Trackwork Alert, Train – Station Closed and Light Rail – Peak Hour Crush. They are an easy way to add Sydney character to notebooks, suitable personal items or travel journals.

Who Is a +61 Studio Souvenir For?

This collection is not only for international travellers.

It can be for the friend moving away from Sydney, the colleague who survives trackwork every week, the visitor who lost a chip to a seagull or the local who has been personally victimised by a 6am cockatoo.

It also works when you want an Australian gift that feels specific rather than ceremonial. The products are compact, expressive and connected to real city experiences. There is no need for an explanation when the recipient immediately says, “That is exactly Sydney.”

Find +61 Studio in Sydney

The best souvenirs are often the ones that make you laugh before they make you nostalgic. +61 Studio captures Sydney through the characters, commutes and tiny daily dramas that exist between the famous landmarks.

Explore the full +61 Studio Sydney souvenir collection online, arrange Click & Collect, or visit 9to5 Studios at Suite 403, Level 4, 35–39 Liverpool Street in Haymarket.

Choose the cockatoo, seagull or transport disaster that feels most familiar—and take home a version of Sydney with a little more attitude.