The Dahlsens Garden Centre
is proud to be here, right where Dahlsens first began!

Our history

Dahlsens has been run by the Dahlsen family for over 140 years.  Our unique story began five generations ago when founder John Christian Dahlsen arrived in Bairnsdale, Gippsland, a long way from his homeland of Denmark. He had grand ambitions to find gold, and when his dreams of gold came true, these were the very beginnings of the hardware business that stands today.  Back in September 1877, J C Dahlsen took delivery of a large consignment of timber and at the same time, advertised his intention of commencing a timber yard business.  The rest is history!

Dahlsens has evolved in many shapes and forms.  There was a Dahlsen shipping fleet that enabled a means of transport between Bairnsdale and Lakes Entrance. There was contract building during the inter-war years and a Nicholson Street department store that brought new fashion to the region.  The family went on to focus on serving the Gippsland building industry with the supply of building materials, before going on to grow our network all the way up the line, into Melbourne and throughout other parts of regional Victoria.

Today, Dahlsens is owned by John Dahlsen, who employs over 1000 team members to distribute building materials to builders across many parts of Australia.   Please say g’day to John or any of the other locally residing Dahlsen family members who proudly pop in to their local garden centre to choose some seasonal blooms. Home is where the heart is, and there’s no better place to start than in your garden!