Estelle Cornell

Estelle Cornell is the 2011 NT Telstra Business Woman Of The Year & won the Commonwealth Bank Business Owners Award for 2011.

Estelle acquired her truck driver & pilots licences and ran a transport business before a deserted Darwin nursery offered her a change of career. Launching into what she called an "adventure into the unknown". Estelle completed a plant propagation course at Charles Darwin University and created Allora Gardens Nursery. Starting with no stock on two hectatres of land, 10 years later every square metre generates income and customer orders from as far away as Melbourne and Mount Isa. As managing director of the Berrimah business, Estelle has won many national garden centre awards and recognition, joining the Nursery and Garden Industry Hall of Fame 2008 and becoming a national judge for industry awards. Estelle said she supports her eight full time employees in the same way she nurtures her plants.- Allora Gardens Nursery staff have won NT Young Leaders Awards in the nursery industry five times in the past six years.The self taught entrepreneur attributes her success to a passion for both plants and people.

It's not all about awards though. As Estelle said in a recent interview "I don't think life's about being the most successful... I think life's about, what's important in here, your happiness. (whatever you do) ...it's gotta be something you love".