Cairns entrepreneur Christian Miller an accidental businessman

Conservationist Christian Miller used the simple T-shirt to help save our oceans. Now it is the oceans that are changing the way he and others do business.

ECO FRIENDLY: Shirtbox founder Christian Miller (right) with operations manager Maren Eibner (left) and production staff Steven Burns and Dea Beros. The company produces its own power, uses chemical-free printing processes and its T-shirts are made from organic cotton or recycled polyester. Picture: STEWART McLEAN

IF THERE was ever an accidental businessman, it is underwater photographer and diver Christian Miller.

The co-owner of Shirtbox in Sheridan St with partner Maren Eibner, he runs one of north Queensland’s busiest screen printing businesses with orders from across Australia and the Pacific.

It is also one of the country’s most environmentally friendly and ethically sustainable printing operations.

The company produces its own power, uses chemical-free printing processes and its T-shirts are made from organic cotton or recycled polyester.

And if suppliers can’t meet their eco-friendly needs, they switch to others who can.

UNDERWATER ROO: Christian Miller’s design of a scuba diving kangaroo was so popular it paid for his conservation work around the world and helped launch a business venture. Picture: STEWART McLEAN

Shirtbox grew out of Mr Miller’s passion for diving and the environment.

And it all started with one successful design – a kangaroo in scuba diving gear.

“That got me started. We sold it when I worked for Pro Dive and it went like hot cakes. That’s when I realised I could make a living out of it. I quit my job and started sailing around the world with (explorer and adventurer) Mike Horn and that one design supported me while I was gone,” Mr Miller says.

“I realised you can only do conservation if you have the freedom to be where you need to be. I knew I could never do conservation on a large scale if someone else was my boss.

“I had to be my own boss and the T-shirt business allowed me to do that. It allowed me to do fundraising too, because I hate asking for money.”

FUNDRAISER: Conservationist Christian Miller with Cairns Turtle Rehabilitation Centre founder Jenny Gilbert and T-shirts he produced to raise money for the turtle hospital on Fitzroy Island.

Mr Miller’s underwater images helped pay for construction of the Cairns Turtle Rehabilitation Centre, of which he is a director, on Fitzroy Island.

A talented artist who won international art awards while growing up in Germany, Mr Miller has also claimed National Geographic and other major awards with his stunning underwater photography.

He started his T-shirt business at home and expanded it to a shopfront in Aumuller St and later Sheridan St. “It took over my home, so I had to find a business location,” he says.

“But that came with a problem. If you have a business location, you need to be there. The challenge was to get the business to a level where I could employ people, and I struggled with that.”

TURTLE HERO: Christian has helped rescue and rehabilitate sick and injured sea turtles in waters around Cairns. Picture: STEWART McLEAN

He also struggled with asking other people to pay their bills, and the business nearly collapsed.

“That’s when Maren came in, because I basically printed shirts for people, sent out invoices and never checked if they were paid, and most of the time, they were never getting paid,” he says.

“I was close to going bankrupt because I was out on Fitzroy Island building the turtle hospital or I was sailing with Mike Horn on a project.”

Having run her own business, Ms Eibner soon realised the need to put the company in order. Not only was it saddled with debt, customers tried to fob her off when she asked them to settle their bills.

“Now we make sure customers sign off when they receive orders and take deposits before starting a job,” she says.

PLASTIC PERIL: Christian has used powerful underwater images of sea creatures in plastic filled oceans to spread his conservation message. Picture: CHRISTIAN MILLER

The one-man band has grown into five employees at Shirtbox and another five at Parley for the Oceans, an international charity whose Australian head office is based in their Sheridan St premises.

“We’re running clean-ups around Australia and have partnerships with companies like Corona, Adidas, the All Blacks and major tennis players,” Mr Miller says.

While coronavirus has clipped Mr Miller’s wings and put some projects on hold, explorer Mr Horn and documentary makers like the BBC are desperate to get him back in the water. He is trying to secure travel exemptions to film in the Arctic and Pacific.

But in the meantime, their business has never been busier.

“All of a sudden, these entrepreneurs have come out with their own T-shirt ranges and we’re helping new businesses emerge,” Ms Eibner says. “That has increased enormously these last two months.”

And customer thinking has also changed, she says.

“The push for Australian-made and non-offshore production has been stronger than ever since coronavirus.

“We’re getting inquiries left right and centre. People want to support local business more than ever.”

Originally published as Cairns entrepreneur Christian Miller an accidental businessman