Marsh's Nursery

The Ipswich Nursery located at the corner of Thorn and Short Streets opened for business in 1891. William Marsh and his brother were proprietors who lived on the property. The nursery was established on 2 allotments (about ¾ acre or 3035 square meters) with a large nursery building. That first year of operation the brothers cultivated begonias, Cyprus pines, coffee trees, staghorns, loquat trees, azaleas, dahlias and more.

By 1903, the Ipswich Nursery had 3 and a half acres under cultivation having purchased adjacent properties on 3 separate occasions over the intervening years. The firm’s reputation was now extensive and orders came from as far afield as Tasmania. In 1908 three more acres were acquired for growing tomatoes, and a showroom added to the nursery buildings where pot plants and staghorns were housed. By the end of that year it was announced that Walter Darker, who already had an established stationery business in Brisbane Street, was adding a floristry department to his shop and that fresh flowers from Ipswich Nursery would also be available there. This joint venture between Darker and Marsh was named City Florists. They supplied wreaths, bouquets and other floral arrangements. Marsh & Co. raised fruit trees and grew fruit so successfully that local fruiterers sold some of the produce and some supplied country areas. They also contributed large numbers of trees for Arbor Day celebrations, and in 1904 when Ipswich was proclaimed a city they supplied 100 trees for street plantings to mark the occasion.

By 1918 the company was known as W. Marsh and Son after William’s son Robert G. Marsh joined the business. Later his son-in-law E.W. Neale, who lived in Quarry Street, would be admitted as a partner with the name then changing to W. Marsh and Sons. In 1918 they opened a new florist shop in Brisbane Street a few doors from Mr. Darker’s establishment after taking over his floristry business.

W. Marsh & Sons were a part of the Ipswich landscape for many more years and in 1961 were still advertising their floristry business at 105 Brisbane Street.

William designed the gardens at Brynhyfryd for Lewis Thomas.