After spending more than 150 years keeping locals connected to friends and family, the old Bungendore Post Office stamped its last letter in February. Now it has a new lease on life, connecting locals in a different way as home to the town’s first florist, Hyacinth Bouquets.

Trish Massa bought the building back in 2000 knowing the work they would eventually do would be more of a restoration than making any major structural changes. When the postal service packed up and moved down the road, she began to take steps to revamp the building while also putting the feelers out for new tenants. Daniel Duvall and Dan Hines had recently moved to the area and were keen to throw their hats in the ring.

“As soon as these guys came on board, everyone was really positive, everyone was like ‘I hope they do really well’. It’s exciting; it’s something that the town doesn’t have,” Ms Massa said.

Prior to the Covid-19 pandemic, Daniel Duvall had been part of the Qantas cabin crew flying across the seas on international flights; when the flights stopped Mr Duvall was stood down. However, he saw asilver lining; having dabbled in floristry, he used the hiatus as an opportunity to enroll in a floristry course through CIT.

Being based in Queanbeyan meant he was able to operate behind closed doors when the lockdowns hit the Canberra region; business took off and many of the customers have remained loyal throughout their move to Bungendore.

“During the lockdown, couriers could still pick up and deliver to Canberra, they just couldn’t pick up from a Canberra florist, which was weird but good for us,” he said.

Mr Duvall’s partner in business and life, Dan Hines says it is important for them to give back to the community, who have been so welcoming and kind to them since they moved to town. Throughout the renovations and the new business launching, locals have been interested and supportive, many relieved that the building has remained somewhat like its old self. 

“Everyone has always got a story when they come in, like ‘I used to work here’ or ‘I used to do this’; it’s been around so long, the community is so tied to the building,” Mr Duvall said.

The three collaborated on their vision for the building and florist/gift stor; Mr Hines and Mr Duvall chose things like the wallpaper, lights, and flooring, which they would send through to Ms Massa and her team.

“Obviously, Trish loves the building but as soon as we walked in, we loved it, too. It’s been a coincidence that some of the taste is the same,” Mr Hines said.

The front counter is the perfect example of how the old has been used to create the new; the sides are part of the original post office original counter, the frame is from a workbench Mr Duvall and Mr Hines provided, and the tin on the front was found in the wall of the old phone exchange during the renovations.  

They tried to keep as true to the original building as they could; the doors and window frames remained, while adjustments were made in other areas, such as erecting a wall in the phone exchange to create separate rooms.   

“They had all the glass replaced; it was covered in wads and wads of sticky tape from 100 years of notices,” Mr Duvall said.

The exterior is yet to be completed, however, there’s less creative freedom there as parts of the building are heritage listed and certain guidelines must be followed.

“The bull nosing had been damaged through the years, so we had to replace parts of it which had to be done by a certain company down in Melbourne,” Ms Massa said.

Mr Duvall has big ideas for a room adjoining the shopfront that houses the original fireplace; he thinks it will make the perfect opulent consulting room for brides or people who require large flower arrangements.

“There will be nice lounges, the open fire and a chandelier,” he said.

“It will be for brides to have an experience, rather than just sit down and have a glass of sparkling,” Mr Hines added.

The occasional glass of sparkling isn’t the only drink they plan on serving; after some input from the parents taking their kids to sports practice at the local oval or dropping them to the nearby school, the men have decided to install a coffee window.

“If I had a dollar for every time someone told us ‘we need coffee’ I’d be rich; there’s no coffee at this end of town,” Mr Hines laughed.

They even plan to keep the coffee local, purchasing their beans from a local who roasts his own. The town vicar sells his beans at the IGA, but theirs will be the only spot in town brewing them.

“He posted on the local notice board and when we looked it up, we found out was the vicar from the church, which was quite cool,” Mr Duvall said.

The pair are already toying with the idea of expanding to a small café if all goes well with the coffee window. It is safe to say that there is still plenty of life left in this old building.

If you’re heading to Bungendore, visit Hyacinth Bouquets on Gibraltar Street, or check them out online at hyacinthbouquets.com.au

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