Proud descendant of the Awabakal people Rebekah McLean has taken over The Niche Nursery with her brother Mathew. Photos: Region.
Tucked between Two Mountains Merchant and Pickle Poet, a quiet ownership change is planting the seeds for a community revival at Thirroul’s The Niche Nursery.
For Rebekah, the journey back to plants, soil and culture feels like a return to something deeply familiar. Growing up, she split her time between homes, including her dad’s place in Wombarra, building a natural connection to the coast and the land around it. Taking over the nursery last year wasn’t just a business decision — it was a chance to rebuild something meaningful.
“When we first stepped in, it was basically just agaves, cacti and a whole lot of weeds,” she says. “It was very overgrown. We’ve been working hard to make it more inviting.”
What followed was months of hard yakka — clearing, learning, experimenting and diving headfirst into business coaching and a crash course in plant propagation. The result is a nursery that is rapidly evolving into something far bigger than a retail space.
The new vision centres around an ever-expanding range of native edible and ornamental plants, which Rebekah reckons reflects a broader shift happening in Australian kitchens and gardens.
“I think native edible plants are having a moment,” she says. “More and more people in culinary circles are incorporating native ingredients into their cooking. There’s this growing appreciation for what’s always been here.”
As a proud descendant of the Awabakal people, that shift carries extra meaning.
“I feel like this is an opportunity to deepen my connection to my roots while offering this beautiful community more access to native plants and knowledge around them.”
Soon, The Niche Nursery will be the place for the people of the Illawarra’s northern suburbs to discover the culinary, medicinal and aesthetic power of Aussie bush tucker and native plants. Customers will find everything from lilly pillies to native plums lining the nursery shelves. Native sarsaparilla — one of Rebekah’s personal favourites for its medicinal qualities — is already proving wildly popular.
“I can’t seem to keep it on the shelves very long,” she says.
Her love for edible natives first took root in the Hunter Valley, where two established lilly pilly trees in her backyard produced more berries than she knew what to do with.
“At first I’d just nibble on them, but they were so prolific I started making jams,” she says. “I hope to discover the many uses for our Illawarra natives, and take the community along for the journey.”
But plants are only part of the vision.
Rebekah and Mathew want The Niche Nursery to become a hub — a place where everyone from professional landscapers to weekend gardeners feels welcome.
“It doesn’t matter if you’re a horticulturalist or just someone who likes getting dirt under their fingernails; your insights, input and participation are welcome here,” she says.
Workshops for both kids and adults are already in the pipeline. While Rebekah will facilitate some, the bigger goal is to create space for others in the community to share their knowledge, too.
In the short time since taking over, Rebekah says one thing has stood out above all else: the strength of local community spirit.
“Everyone here just wants to support each other,” she says.
That spirit is already translating into action, with plant swaps underway with the local community garden and early conversations with local businesses. Longer term, Rebekah hopes to see them joining forces to host shared crop swaps and knowledge sessions.
The Niche Nursery is located at 368-370 Lawrence Hargrave Drive, Thirroul.
