A well-known plant nursery situated on the Fitzroy River in Rockhampton’s fringe has come up for sale for the first time since it was created 70 years ago.
Fitzroy Nurseries, at 68 Edmistone Road in Pink Lily, 12 minutes west of the Rockhampton CBD, is being taken to the market via an Offers to Purchase campaign run by Knight Frank agents Pat O’Driscoll and Greg Roberts on behalf of the vendor, the Dargel family.
Horst Dargel and Wilhelm von Allmen created the nursery in February 1953 after emigrating to Australia in 1952 from Europe with very little money to their name.
They were employed as plant propagators at Langbecker’s Nursery in Bundaberg but as their friendship developed they dreamed of starting their own nursery, which led them to what was originally a 24-acre site at Pink Lily, where they, along with third partner Fred Shannon Snr, started Fitzroy Nurseries.
By 1960 the business was flourishing and over time it began to supply plants to clients all over Queensland.
While Fitzroy Nurseries’ markets are still predominantly within Queensland, a significant volume of plants is also sent monthly to Perth, Darwin, Sydney and the city of Melbourne, with export orders also supplied on a smaller scale.
The business is now the only major supplier of subtropical fruiting plants and ornamentals in Australia due to its ability to pack large numbers of plants onto pallets and coordinate transport connections with minimal loss of product or quality.
The offering for sale by the Dargel family, is for both the respected third-generation nursery business and the freehold property at Pink Lily.
Price expectations are circa $11m to $11.5m WIWO Nursery, including propagation area and freehold land.
Fitzroy Nurseries is 158.44 acres – or 64.12 hectares – including a commercial and retail nursery, propagation infrastructure and capacity for expansion.
Infrastructure on the property includes a 164sq m retail shed that adjoins nine acres of greenhouse, a 570sq m shed that includes staff facilities and the process line of packing orders ready for transport, a 131sq m reception/office and a residence plus staff accommodation.
The property has medium and high-water allocations from the Fitzroy River and established propagation areas.
Mr O’Driscoll said a buyer could purchase a well-established and profitable nursery business, while also benefitting from having a significant landholding on the fringe of a major regional city that was set for further growth.
In addition, the business is considered to have the capacity to grow with Capital investment.
“Rockhampton is a major provincial city on the Fitzroy River situated 630 kilometres north of Brisbane with a large domestic airport.
“It is a significant services hub for Central Queensland as well as the gateway to Capricorn Coast and The Keppel Islands.
“The existing propagation area is significant, but an added attraction for a buyer will be the room for expansion beyond what is already there.”
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