The Vision: A Future Forged in Red Dust
In 2004, in the scorching heart of Australia, Mark Provost saw a future that didn’t yet exist.
Before "glamping" was a term, Mark was importing African army tents, mounting them on raised decks, and negotiating landmark joint ventures with Traditional Owners. The result was Australia’s first exclusive Aboriginal Resort—a project so transformative it was heralded by The New York Times, TIME, and the United Nations.
It was here, through a profound friendship with the region’s last known traditional medicine man, that the seeds for Saltbush & Clay were sown. Long before the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) officially recognised the potency of the Kakadu Plum, Mark was in the scrub both in the desert and the wild parts of The Kimberley, Kakadu and Arnhem Land, learning the ancient survival intelligence of plants that thrive where nothing else can.
The Return: Purpose Over Profit
Life, like the desert, is governed by seasons we cannot control. After years of navigating corporate landscapes that valued balance sheets over the spirit of the land—and weathering destructive cyclones in the South Pacific—the desert called Mark back.
They say the desert only summons you when you have unfinished business.
Trading corporate comfort for the untamed Northern Territory, Mark founded Saltbush & Clay. It is the culmination of two decades spent pioneering a model where true value is measured by integrity, not volume.
The Mission: Bio-Engineered Heritage
Today, living in the remote Central Desert Aboriginal Community of Yuendumu, Mark’s mission has evolved into what he calls Bio-Engineered Heritage. Saltbush & Clay serves a dual purpose:
Potency: To create skincare that bridges the gap between raw Australian botanicals and sophisticated cellular science.
Legacy: To act as a catalyst for sustainable, remote industry, establishing a transparent market for rare, wild-grown ingredients sourced directly from Aboriginal land.
"Nature is the ultimate architect of resilience. I created Saltbush & Clay to honor the survival intelligence of our native botanicals.” — Mark Provost