Our Story
Richmond Peonies is a partnership between Chris Wisbey and Sally Dakis. Both came to farming via careers in the media.
Sally spent more than 30 years with ABC Rural working across many states of Australia reporting and presenting the Country Hour and Rural Reports. It was inevitable that Sally would end up farming. Her extended family has deep horticultural roots, from citrus, wine and table grapes in Sunraysia, to landscape design, cut flowers and nursery production.
A love of gardening was instilled at a young age, her mother was a knowledgeable and creative gardener and flower arranger, ‘Sunday drives’ and family holidays around Victoria always included visits to influential nurseries, there was always room in the station wagon for one more plant to be squeezed in amongst the luggage and the picnic basket.
Since then Sally has studied Environmental Science, Horticulture, Horticultural Masterclass and Business Management.
Chris hosted many national and local radio and television programs on the ABC in Australia and overseas. Described as a ‘Veteran broadcaster’, in 2017 Chris won the MEAA peer nominated Keith Welsh Award for Outstanding Contribution to Journalism.
Chris now hosts a series of documentaries produced by the Tasmanian Old Ships Company, available on YouTube, exploring the passionate restorers of heritage vessels around the world.
https://www.oldshipscompany.com/videoreels
Now retired, Chris can still be found on his hands and knees in the mud repairing leaking irrigation pipes, straining a broken cherry net cable, replacing an oil-soaked shock absorber or wrapping a bunch of peonies at Farm Gate Market.
