Sometimes the people closest to us are the hardest to buy for. And with Father’s Day nearly upon us, you might be asking yourself, ‘What should I get for a Father’s Day gift?’ To help take out the guesswork, we spoke to three dads who shared what they’re hoping to unwrap on their special day. So, whether the father figure in your life loves picking up new hobbies, playing with the latest gadgets or is just hoping for a day of R&R, put down those patterned socks and pick up what he really wants for a Father’s Day gift.

Father’s Day Gifts for the Practical Dad

A family photo of Jarrad and Michael Duggan-Tierney, of the Real Dads of Melbourne, each holding a brown dachshund with their son Reid sitting between them.

‍For married couple Jarrad and Michael Duggan-Tierney, also known as The Real Dads of Melbourne, Father’s Day has always been about spending time together. “Our first Father's Day was the most special, having wanted to have a child for so many years… I never thought we would be celebrating a day where we actually are fathers,” says Jarrad. “It also started a kind of tradition; Michael and I were flight attendants at the time and we made sure that we were both off and we spent the day together. That’s where it started and we’re lucky enough in our jobs now that we can still make that happen.”

Fourteen Father’s Days have now passed and their son Reid, 14, makes sure he makes his dads feel special. “Now Reid is older he’ll say, ‘Everyone gets a Father’s Day present. I want to buy you something,’” says Jarrad. “We’re big on cards; I keep every card Reid’s ever given us. Now he’s older, he is articulate and has his own thoughts he puts in writing and we think that’s special.” Paired with a relaxing day of time with family and a homemade card, this is what Jarrad would like to receive this Father’s Day.

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  • Cygnett Boost 20K Gen4 Powerbank Black: Help them stay connected when out and about with a portable charger. “I’ve always got a flat phone these days with [so many] apps always on,” says Jarrad.
  • Canon 645/646 XL Ink Cartridge Value Pack: Bring a touch of calm to a busy parent’s day with this practical gift idea. “It would be a dream to have [printer cartridges] on backup rather than waiting for the printer to run dry and needing to do the panic dash to Officeworks.”‍
  • Smash Recycled Fold Up Lunch Bag Black/Grey: Make their day with a delicious home-cooked lunch and a lunch bag to pack it in. “New lunch bags that fold up flat when they are empty [are] perfect for both of us in our work bags,” says Jarrad.‍
  • St John Ambulance Large First Aid Kit: “I love these for the car, as both Michael and I are first-aid trained, but when we need supplies we never have them available other than a few bandaids in our centre console.”‍
  • Sharpie Ultra Fine Permanent Markers Black 2 Pack: These handy markers can be used on many surfaces, including wood, plastic, glass and ceramic, making it a useful tool for any parent or caregiver. “These would be ideal for labelling items so they don’t get lost,” says Jarrad. 
  • ‍Collins A4 Day to Page Vanessa FY24/25 Diary Blue: “I do all the finances old school with everything on paper and swear by a financial year diary. I will also keep them for years after.”‍
  • J.Burrows Stick-It Notes 76x76mm Assorted Ultra 12 Pack: “I’m a massive fan of ‘the sticky note’ and don’t think we ever have enough; I use them for notes on school lunches or for page keepers,” says Jarrad.‍
  • BenQ Eye-Care ScreenBar Monitor Light: “We have a computer in our living space that needs light, but hadn’t found a lamp we liked the look of till but this one.”‍
  • Bon Voyage Universal Outbound Travel Adaptor Kit: If Dad loves to travel, grab this handy powerpoint adaptor. “Tech has come a long way since our early days of travel, so USB ports are a must on that adaptor you travel abroad with,” says Jarrad.

‍Hot Tip: Need a last-minute gift with a personal touch? You can create, order and pick up a custom greeting card for Dad all in the same day with Officeworks’ Same Day Printing service. Simply order by 2pm, online or at selected stores, and you’ll have a special present ready to go by the end of the day.   

Father’s Day Gifts For The Tech-Loving Dad

A family portrait of Robert Leong, sitting in the middle, with his wife May and son Terence.

Robert Leong, of TikTok lip-syncing husband and wife duo Robert and May, looks forward to his Father’s Day traditions every year. The day often begins with “big hugs” from May and their sons, including Terence, pictured. “The boys come over with presents and we have pancakes and tea [for breakfast]. Then we normally go out for lunch to yum cha and in the afternoon May makes my favourite banana cake, then soy sauce chicken for dinner,” says Robert. “Getting to spend time with my family and having the day all about me and no-one else, that’s very important… you only get one Father’s Day!” Though family time and delicious food (and being the centre of attention) are the highlights of Robert’s Father’s Day, he’s still made a wish list for Father’s Day gifts, just in case...

A GIF series of Father’s Day gifts including a Ring doorbell, Dymo label maker, Joby telepod with a smartphone and a WD portable hard drive on a light blue background.
  • JOBY Telepod Mobile for Smartphones: An essential for dads who love content creation or are obsessed with getting the perfect family selfie. “We’re currently using a stool to take our videos or a selfie. Having a Telepod would really be helpful for us to create our video content or just taking a hands-free selfie of our family,” says Robert.
  • Ring Battery Video Doorbell Plus and Chime: “We might not be very quick on our feet to answer the door so this doorbell will really help to make sure we can answer the door from anywhere and never miss a visitor or postal delivery.”
  • NETGEAR Orbi AX1800 WiFi 6 Dual-band Mesh System 2 Pack: “Currently, our devices are a bit slow if we step too far from our Wi-Fi router. I’d like to improve the coverage around the house so that there’s no lag.”
  • Samsung 27” FHD 75Hz 5ms Monitor S31: If they work from home or love an evening scroll, a monitor might be the perfect gift for Dad. “[I’m] hoping to upgrade from our current monitor for clearer picture and colour,” says Robert.
  • Canon PIXMA TS3460BK Home Printer & Canon PG 645 Ink Cartridge Black: “Our current printer is over 10 years old and is always breaking down. We really need an upgrade, and this printer looks to fit what I need and is good value.”
  • WD 5TB Elements SE Portable Hard Drive: Keep Father’s Day photos safe on this portable hard drive. “Knowing that all my old photos and videos are safely stored on an external drive is great in case something were to ever happen with our PC,” says Robert.
  • Brighton Mesh Back Chair Black: Every tech-loving dad needs a comfy desk chair to complete their setup. “I’d like to be able to sit more comfortably for longer periods on the computer watching YouTube, so it would be great to have this chair to provide me with more support,” says Robert.
  • DYMO LetraTag 100H Handheld Labeller Black: “We have a lot of old photo albums and folders and this personalised label maker will be very helpful for us to organise everything.”
  • Otto Recycled Organiser Kraft: Help them keep track of hard copies of files with an organiser. “Our receipts, letters and stamp collection can sometimes leave our desk feeling very cluttered. This organiser will hold all our essentials and keep everything neatly arranged,” says Robert.
  • Parker Jotter Ballpoint Pen Bond Street Black  “I love a nice pen to write, plan or scribble with and this one looks perfect.”

Father’s Day Gifts For The Gadget-Loving Dad

An image of Harry Pavlou sitting on a white couch with his daughter Natasha standing next to him.

Harry Pavlou, who starred in the 2020 series of ‘The Block’ with his daughter Tash, will be spending this Father’s Day with his wife, Andrea, on holidays. “We used to go over to Europe once a year [but] with COVID, everything got out of whack. So this year we’re off to Europe, just my wife and I, for about five weeks and we’re actually going to be away for Father’s Day,” says Harry.

Instead, Harry, Andrea, their two kids, Natasha and Jake, and grandkids, two-year-old Archie and six-month-old Ella, are planning a Father’s Day for when he returns home. “The tradition changes yearly. Normally, Andrea and I would go for our daily walk with our dog, who is part of the family, of course. Then we’d obviously arrange to catch up with all our kids at a local cafe, but sometimes we’ll have them all over at our house for a late lunch or an early dinner and then exchange presents,” says Harry. “It’s about getting together, having a meal and having a good conversation.”

Though his family is what completes his special day, Harry has made a Father’s Day wish list for things he’d love to open when he returns home…

A GIF series of Father’s Day gifts including a Garmin watch, Beurer massage gun, Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 FE, Sony noise cancelling headphones and two Smash water bottles on a light blue background.
  • Sony WH-1000XM5 Wireless Noise Cancelling Headphones Black: “Both my wife and I do work from home, so it’s good to immerse myself in music while doing some work on the computer. For me, it’s all about quality and cancelling out noise that tends to be around.”
  • Canon MegaTank G3670 Multifunction Printer: “I’ve got a Canon printer, but I hate constantly changing the cartridges. With the MegaTank, you actually fill it up with ink rather than continually changing cartridges, so I thought that’d be a good one to actually own and replace my old one.”
  • Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 5G 8GB/128GB Graphite: Surprise them by upgrading a piece of well-loved tech. “I’m ready for an upgrade of my current tablet so I think the natural progression would be to get the Samsung Galaxy with 128GB memory,” says Harry.
  • Faber-Castell E-Motion Mechanical Pencil 1.4mm Pure Silver (online only): “I like to draw on paper with something quite fine. This will hold a special thing in my mind that it was bought by one of the kids.”
  • Garmin vivoactive 5 Fitness Smartwatch Black: “My kids keep telling me I need to exercise and I need to get my steps up and everything else. I’m in my early sixties, so it’s all about being aware of my health and the amount of exercise I do.”
  • Jackson Frameo 10.1" WiFi Digital Frame Black: What’s better than a framed family photo? Lots of family photos! “You can actually download an app and the kids can upload new photos [to the frame] themselves, so I can have my grandkids and my kids constantly rotating as I’m working away in my office,” says Harry.
  • Smash Blue Triple Wall Chugger 1L Black: “I’ve been told I need to drink more water, so I thought something that’s got a little bit more volume looks quite good.”
  • Dymo LetraTag Bluetooth Labeller 200B Black: “I’ve just got a home office, so I’ve got a lot of files [to label], but even my wife can use it to label her spices. I think it would be a good addition to my repertoire of little gadgets.”
  • Belkin BoostCharge Pro 15W Qi2 3-in-1 Wireless Charger White: “Most devices now need to be charged a lot, whether it’s a Garmin, your phone or a headset, so I thought this would be a good addition to my office.”
  • Beurer MG185 Deluxe Massage Gun: He’ll feel pampered everyday with this self-care gadget. “You know what it’s like when you get older; you get a little sore, so a gun massager is good for the muscles,” says Harry.
  • Otto Travel Bottles 4 Pack: With stickers for easy labelling, Dad’ll love these handy bottles for toiletries, especially when he takes that well-deserved holiday. 
  • J.Burrows Half-Strip Stapler Pastel Green: “I’m always looking to keep my work documentation in order. This stapler is a great little present I’d love for my home office.”