BigSpringMount.com.au
Title
Big Spring Mount - Australian Native Flowers
Description
In the 1920's Lorena's Great Grandfather David Arthur Winfield was a horticulturalist exporting Granny Smith Apples to London and marketing his fruit and vegetables to the local Green Grocers. David became a good friend with many of them, in particular Mr Herb Miller of Horsham. In the late 1920's land was being opened up for freehold and Mr Miller had the opportunity to purchase 1500 acres of bush land along with a great deal of mountainous rock in the bargain (the area known as Hawkers Gully). During the winter of 1929 Mr Miller invited David Winfield to have a look over his property, of course the property in question was a picture of beauty at this time of year. Native Thryptomene Calycina flourished almost throughout the whole of the property. Great Grandfather having a keen eye for a good thing saw the Thryptomene in full bloom, suggested they harvest a load of this particular flower and run it down to the Melbourne Market. Where 12 bunches fetched a then handsome 2 schillings and 6 pence (2/6) with demand for further supplies beyond expectations. This prompted David to purchase a block of land in 1932, about 1 mile from the Millers and transfer his market garden enterprise. Here he conducted trials of Thryptomene under a cultivated regime to overcome the quality variations brought about by bush grown products. Lorena's Great Grandfather was the first person to grow Thryptomene Calycina under cultivation. The initial planted area was approximately 2 acres.
In the early 1950's Lorena's Grandfather took over the business and by the mid 1950's, around 50 acres of Thryptomene was being grown under cultivation.
In 1962, Lorena's parents Geoff and Lynette Winfield purchased the property that had produced the very first bunch of Thryptomene that was sold in the Melbourne Market in 1929. The property at that time was owned by Mr Herb Miller and until Geoff and Lynette purchased the property all the Thryptomene had been exclusively bush picked.
