Icon to close after 90 years

By John Fitzsimmons

After more than 90 years, and the involvement of three generations of the one family, the distinctive Poyntons of Essendon site was listed for sale earlier this year. It was, and currently remains, an icon, a destination, and part of northwest Melbourne’s cultural and social fabric. One garden centre consultant from the USA was reported to have said that a site like this, on the side of a hill, would never work. ‘Well, how wonderfully wrong he was,’ Garden Centres of Australia (GCA) manager Lisa McCann said at an event held at this iconic garden centre on 30 April to celebrate this nursery’s longstanding contribution to the greenlife industry.

The history

During this event, which was marked by strong emotion, current Poyntons’ manager Andrew Jones first reflected on the garden centre’s history before outlining the factors that have led to its planned closure at the end of 2027.

William Poynton and his wife Christina lived in Moonee Ponds with their six children, of whom Bill was the eldest. From a very early age, Bill had a passion for growing plants. In the backyard he would grow plants in old oil tins. His father William recognised Bill’s passion and in 1935 purchased a block on the corner of The Boulevard and Vida Street in Essendon for £520. At that time the area consisted mostly of open paddocks.

At just 19 years of age, Bill took over the 0.6 ha (1.5 acres) site along the Maribyrnong River. Bill’s two other brothers, Bobby and Teddy, were also horticulturally inclined. Bobby moved to Tasmania, opening a retail nursery in Ulverstone. Teddy had a small retail nursery in Clayton where he specialised in bonsai. ‘The horticultural gene was very much entrenched in the family’, Andrew said.

Bill laid the foundations of what would become “Poyntons of Essendon”. With extraordinary energy and passion, he grew the nursery from a humble seedling operation supplying the Queen Victoria and South Melbourne markets, to the nursery it is now known as. As Bill was developing the nursery, he met Yvonne Hubert who shared his love of horticulture. They married and together they continued to build the nursery. They had five children; Isobel, Warwick, Leigh, Kenny and Ann, and all the children helped in the nursery as they grew up. ‘Up the back, behind the nursery, they used to have glasshouses,’ Andrew recalled during his presentation, ‘In those early days, the Poyntons were primarily seedling growers. Yvonne and a dedicated crew, they used to have a very small staff then, used to prick out all the seedlings and take them down to the markets.’

The site was then known as The Boulevard Nursery. In 1967, Bill Poynton’s elder son Warwick joined the business, continuing the family legacy and helping to drive its evolution. As time passed Warwick met another Yvonne (Arnold); there were then two Yvonnes in the family. ‘The front of the nursery was quite different to what we see today,’ Andrew continued, ‘It was flat with dirt and gravel paths and all these tins. Our weeping horizontal elm that you see coming up the path was a seedling that grew in an old, galvanised rubbish tin; it stayed there. Same with the poplar tree which has recently become an issue with the site’s sale because it’s heritage-listed. Bill was obviously a bit more “old school” while Warwick was wanting to push through because he’d obviously decided to stay in the business.’

In 1981, Bill died suddenly and Warwick then took complete control of the nursery. ‘Much of what we see today stems from Warwick having the freedom to pursue his own vision. Many of the changes I have seen here over the years reflect that passion,’ Andrew said, ‘Warwick was later told by a consultant that his ideas “will never work”. But nothing was going to stop him. I watched all that development happen. Every idea that he had, he always pushed through and made it happen. He wouldn’t sleep at night, then come to work the next day and say, “I’ve thought of another thing that we can do”,’ Andrew recalled.

By the late 1970s, the nursery had expanded to more than 1.2 ha (3 acres). In 1998, the now iconic multi-level site was opened, complete with a cafe boasting sweeping views of the Maribyrnong Rover and Melbourne skyline, and beautifully created retail areas including both interior and outdoor living spaces further cementing the nursery’s reputation as a true lifestyle destination.

‘Yvonne and Warwick had two sons, Dale and Scott, who worked in the nursery as well. In 2015, we lost Warwick quite suddenly, leaving the nursery in Yvonne’s hands. So, with a very dedicated team of staff present and past, we rallied together, had the conversations with Yvonne, and she agreed to let us run the nursery as it is. Eleven years on, and we still talk about Warwick as if he were here today. We now have Sarah Poynton, Yvonne’s granddaughter, back in the nursery and she will be helping us right to the very end,’ Andrew noted.

The iconic enterprise

The riverside corner site, while initially challenging, is nevertheless inevitably unique and now an iconic use of land. It rises steeply from riverbank level embracing various greenlife categories and sub-enterprises through shrubs and trees, pots and containers, interiors and homewares, bedding plants and seedlings, to indoor plants, succulents, advanced stock plus more. Throughout the garden centre well-chosen decor pieces, large and small, are strategically scattered.

However, Poyntons is just more than a garden centre. It is a destination woven into the lives of generations of Victorian families. As GCA’s Manager Lisa McCann so aptly recalled: ‘It’s my local. It’s where I came with my Nan. It’s the place where you can enjoy lunch with a view, discover something new for the garden, receive trusted horticultural advice and you create memories here as I have done as a customer for many years. From an industry perspective, Poyntons has consistently set the benchmarks and inspired us all.

‘For GCA and its members, Poyntons is a true institution, a benchmark of excellence and innovation in our industry.  As valued members of GCA over more than three decades their contribution, leadership and passion have helped shape the standards we all aspire to. Poyntons is not just part of our history, it continues to inspire our future,’ Lisa added.

The decision to close

‘When news of Poyntons’ impending closure became public, it was clear the story was a complicated one,’ Andrew explained, ‘Retirement was one factor, but the costs of operating on this site, including land tax and other expenses, have become very difficult to sustain. In the context of those rising costs and the retirement plan, the decision was made to put the business up for sale. However, no buyer came forward. Other garden centre owners will understand exactly what we mean.’

‘The heartache from the community has been overwhelming. I was warned that it would be bad, but when you literally have people crying on your shoulder, writing letters of complaint as to why they weren’t consulted, why the place wasn’t heritage listed, and we won’t go into issues of government, that is another story. I think it makes you reflect on everything that we do; all of you who are in the retail sector and what we provide the community, I don’t think we realise the impact that we really have.

‘So it is going to be with a very heavy heart that by the end of December 2027, Poyntons will have seen the end of its time. We could not have done this without the staff. They are an amazing crew. We’ve got about 75 staff here at Poyntons. It’s a big crew and I am forever grateful for the support that I get. Customers just love the place, and the connection we’ve had with suppliers over so many years has also been absolutely amazing. Our greenlife suppliers have supported us with everything we’ve wanted to do, and we’ve always had beautiful quality stock from them.

‘Tonight, we see so many people here, coming out and saying “farewell”, and seeing us at our best. We’re still running strong and intend to for the rest of this year. Midway through next year, things will begin to change’, Andrew concluded.

Yvonne Poynton and the dedicated team led by Andrew have continued to uphold the values that defined Poyntons of Essendon; exceptional customer service, premium quality plants, and an unwavering commitment to the gardening community. Poyntons’ closure is not planned until the end of December 2027, so customers and the industry can still look forward to the Poyntons’ quality and service for some time yet.

Postscript

The Poyntons Nursery site was sold in January this year. The garden centre land is zoned General Residential under the Moonee Valley Planning Scheme, making residential redevelopment the most likely future use. Retirement living may also be a possibility. Sales material for the property emphasised the site’s size, location and outlook, including its river views, access to parklands and trails, and proximity to schools, hospitals and major retail centres. The Poyntons’ car park, a 480 square metre parcel located immediately opposite the garden centre, is also zoned residential. However, it was not included in the sale.