Local Government
Gosnells
Region
Metropolitan
46-62 Bullfinch St Huntingdale
Gosnells
Metropolitan
Constructed from 1942, Constructed from 1921
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Gay’s is significant for the long-term associations with generations of the Gay family, and the development of a part-time ’backyard’ nursery business into an operation with worldwide markets.
Expansive nursery site with large scale sheds. The house is located on the other side of the road.
John Gay, with wife Dorothy and two sons, Spencer Fox and Bernard John, arrived from Canada in 1912. They established a dairy on Sutherland’s 9-acre farm, adjoining the farm of George and Alice Lander. Bernard Gay enjoyed gardening and he established Gay's Sunnyvale Nursery in 1921 as part of a mixed farm operation on his soldier settlement block in Bullfinch Street, initially growing pansies, which he sold to Bairds and later to Woolworths. In 1927 Bernard married Dorothy Lander. They lived first in Bullfinch Street, but moved into Gosnells to the corner of Southern River Road and Hicks Street when their children started school. The Nursery developed at the back of their block. Later they moved back to Bullfinch Street and the expansion of the Nursery commenced in earnest in 1942. Bernard died in 1956 and his sons George and Robert, and their sons Trevor and Kevin, continued the business. Sunnyvale Nursery developed into a highly mechanised and specialised production process providing some 5 million plants for market gardeners and another 6 million for the retail trade, mainly in WA. Water was obtained from an artesian well. The company had some 36 employees (c.1980s) who were mainly local women, and an almost negligible staff turnover. In 2002, the nursery, then known as Sunnyvale Plants, launched 'Peacock Plume', a blue-green variety of kangaroo paw that the company had developed from seed in collaboration with Curtin University botanical researcher Dr Beng Tan. From a backyard part-time operation, Sunnyvale has grown into an operation with world-wide markets and continues to be managed by the Gay family.
Integrity: High degree Authenticity: High degree
Good
| Ref ID No | Ref Name | Ref Source | Ref Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| AusIndustry Innovation Success Story. | |||
| Gosnella Local Studies Collection;"Gay Family History". |
Individual Building or Group
| Epoch | General | Specific |
|---|---|---|
| Present Use | COMMERCIAL | Shop\Retail Store {single} |
| Original Use | FARMING\PASTORAL | Other |
| Type | General | Specific |
|---|---|---|
| Roof | METAL | Other Metal |
| Wall | METAL | Other Metal |
| General | Specific |
|---|---|
| OCCUPATIONS | Rural industry & market gardening |
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