Horticulturalist Wendy Pitches began Oaks Estate's wholesale nursery Hazelbrook Nursery more than 30 years ago, growing cold climate plants and deciduous trees.
On the junction of the Queanbeyan and Molonglo rivers, the nursery is ideal to acclimatise plants. In winter the temperature can plunge to minus 13 degrees.
Ms Pitches, who moved from Weston, lives in an old home on eight hectares which previously was an industrial site, a dairy and riding school.
She established and expanded the nursery, which annually turns over about 150,000 plants. Employing two part-time and eight full-time staff, she supplies landscapers and outlets in Cooma, the Snowy Mountains, Wagga, Goulburn, Blue Mountains and Armidale.
''Even when we first came out here 30 years ago, it was quite nice around the [since closed] abattoir,'' she said. ''From where I am on the eastern-most street, with a northern aspect, I have 180 degrees of countryside. People walk along the river, there is a feeling of being isolated from the city.''
It was unrealistic to expect Oaks Estate to remain unchanged, but she believed it was possible to progress in a similar fashion to Hall.
''You can't just lock something up and say, 'Oh well, now we are all here, we are the only ones who can enjoy it' ... We all came here because we like the country atmosphere. We can't now turn around and say we want what the other suburbs have, we will defeat the whole purpose of coming here. What does it matter if they don't sweep the streets? It's only leaves. We don't have to be so pristine.''
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