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Graham Blair was born in Guildford and grew
up in Midland, the eldest of four children.
Graham had been interested in
plants since the age of 12 when he first began
growing his own plants in the backyard of his
parents Swanview home. At the age of 16, Graham
began selling plants to the local Woolworths
supermarket. (Image of first invoice below.)
With aspirations of becoming a
horticulturalist, Graham completed grade 10,
achieving his Junior Certificate, which then
allowed him to enter the Perth Technical
College and complete a three year
Certificate of Horticulture and Park
Administration. The course included a range
of work experience including street tree
pruning, construction of passive and active
reserves and turf wickets. He then completed
a four year traineeship with the City of
Perth.
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At the age of 18, in 1972,
Graham purchased his first piece of land, a six acre
disused poultry farm, which was situated in the
Perth foothills, approximately 16kms from the city
centre.
This purchase was to set the scene
for the current family business.
Over the last thirty years, with
the help of his wife Diane, Graham has transformed
and expanded the "old poultry farm" into a
successful and quality wholesale nursery.
Swanview Plant Farm specialises in several species
of plants including Hydrangeas and
Fuchsias,
Fuchsias being one of the original species Graham grew in his parents backyard.
Swanview Plant Farm is one of the largest and leading growers of both these
species in Western Australia. Other specialties include Hibiscus and
Bougainvilleas as well as a range of shrubs, ground covers and potted colour.
Over the years
Graham has shared his knowledge with the community
in various ways including opening the nursery to
educational institutions and plant clubs, speaking
at various clubs, events and on radio, submitting to
gardening magazines and being a judge for various
gardening and landscaping competitions.
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