Grand Central, a brand-spanking-new state-of-the-art shopping mall, had landed distinctly out of place in rural Queensland like a city slicker who’d made a wrong turn. Locals didn’t know what to make of it, and hesitantly kept their distance. Like any newcomer to a country town, it had to prove itself.
Toowoomba’s pride and joy is its annual Flower Parade, and for three years Grand Central had been its naming sponsor – but most locals didn’t even realise (or care).
So this year, Grand Central would do something different by delivering what the community cares about; flowers. Endangered flowers.
In partnership with the Queensland Government’s Department of Environment and Science, Grand Central would bring back to life an endangered native flower – Rhodomyrtus psidioides (otherwise known as native guava). The seeds of this white-flowering, fruiting plant would be given out with Grand Central branding, and a campaign highlighting the initiative would put Grand Central at the forefront of every green thumb’s mind.
Native Guava would become the unofficial flower of Toowoomba. It would blossom in the town’s gardens for years to come, providing a sweet, edible fruit and a talking point over the neighbour’s fence about the newcomer who did Toowoomba proud and brought a flower back from the brink of extinction.