Tragic fatal quad bike accident victim revealed as pioneering Darwin businessman

THE tragic victim of a fatal quad bike accident east of Darwin has been revealed as one of Darwin’s foremost pioneering businessmen

Such was his skills as a horticulturist, Helmut Schimmel even sold palms to the country synonymous with palm trees – Saudi Arabia. Picture: Patrina Malone

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THE Northern Territory has lost one of its best known horticulturists, Helmut Schimmel, the former owner of Ironstone Nursery at Knuckeys Lagoon.

Helmut Schimmel, 80, died in a tragic quad bike accident on his cattle station west of Marrakai last week.

Like so many long term Territorians his Territory story is an amazing one.

The Northern Territory has lost one of its best known horticulturists, Helmut Schimmel, the former owner of Ironstone Nursery at Knuckeys Lagoon. Picture: Clive Hyde

He came to Australia as a young backpacker, with his flight landing in Darwin, where he stayed for a short time before continuing to his destination Melbourne.

But he decided to return to Darwin and then never left.

Eventually he bought a parcel of land in Berrimah where Ironstone Lagoon nursery now stands.

Helmut Schimmel started working on Darwin gardens a decade before Cyclone Tracy and he saw Darwin change from a brown town to a green city.

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He and Cyclone Tracy had a lot to do with bringing that change about.

On the night of Cyclone Tracy, Helmut and wife Joy, lived in a Lagoon Road tin donga.

Joy was seven-and-a-half months pregnant with their son, Hardy.

They rode Tracy out in a wardrobe. inside their tin home, which was lifted off its foundation into the air, but settled down again.

Helmut started the popular family nursery Ironstone, about two years before the cyclone and it played a big role in the lush green tropical city we now enjoy.

Over decades Ironstone won awards and was the premier nursery in Darwin.

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In fact such was his skills as a horticulturist Helmut even sold palms to the country synonymous with palm trees – Saudi Arabia.

Helmut is survived by wife Joy and son Hardy.