Sometimes beauty can emerge from our darkest places. For Cam Lynch the creation and development of his shops, When Polly Met Murphy, have been the lifeline that brought him out of his darkest days. Can was born and grew up in Bayswater, at the foothills of the Dandenong Ranges. At the age of 19 he completed an apprenticeship in horticulture through a landscape construction company and, after 5 years, took the leap to start his own business “Cameron Lynch Horticulture” in Melbourne. In 2018 Cam and his family decided to move to Ballarat, after closing down his Melbourne horticulture business in search of a lifestyle change. After buying and renovating a house in central Ballarat, Cam went to University to study Building Surveying and took a job with Langdon as a Building Supervisor. With a wife, two young children and a good job, life seemed to be on track. Unfortunately lots of change and pressure took a toll on Cam’s mental health and he descended into the darkness that, for some, is hard to break free from. With the help of Ballarat and Geelong based mental health rehabilitation services Cam was able to effectively manage his mental health journey and put into process a plan to move forward. After sharing a stall at the Ballarat Begonia Festival, Cam took the leap to open his indoor plant business ‘When Polly Met Murphy’ in its current space in Doveton Street and, after less than a year in Ballarat, opened a second shop in Daylesford. With a name dedicated to his two young children and a mantra of intention to bring calm, decrease stress and anxiety in our homes, Cam’s shop is a well loved feature in Ballarat and has successfully navigated through the multiple lockdowns of coronavirus to again open its doors to the public.
