Cheryl Banton

Having previously worked in insurance, retail and hospitality, Cheryl decided on a career change in early 2000 and graduated from Flowers Design School at the end of that year with a Certificate III in Floristry.  Shortly after, she shifted to the beautiful Derwent Valley in Tasmania where she purchased and renovated an historic building in New Norfolk and opened her shop, The Florist Tree in 2003, becoming an Interflora member  in 2005.  During the following years she travelled extensively within Australia and overseas in pursuit of her floral passion attending demonstrations and workshops with many top Australian and International designers.  

In 2005 she attended a Summer School in Paris with Masters Moniek Vanden Berghe, Frank Pieper, Jacques Castagne, David Denyer, Gilles Pottier and Per Benjamen.   She was a member of Gregor Lersch’s design team in Perth in 2001 and Moniek Vanden Berghe’s in Melbourne in 2008.  Her work has been featured several times in the New Zealand magazine ‘Floral Design’. 

Also a keen member of the Tasmanian, Victorian and WA Floral Art Associations, she has attended many workshops and seminars, winning many awards including Best in Shows.   At the 4th National Floral Art Seminar, ‘Floral Rendezvous’ in Perth in 2010, her Haute Couture entry was awarded 2nd prize, beaten by the Best in Show winner.

In 2009, she returned to Perth for several months to complete the floristry components of Certificate IV in Floristry and was placed 3rd in the Smithers Oasis Designz Cup at the Perth Royal Show.  At this time she was invited to join the team at Flowers Design School.

More recently, she has opened her French themed Studio, The Florist Tree in Beaufort Street, Inglewood.

On a personal level, she has bred and shown Bullmastiffs since the early 70’s and is a Life member of the Bullmastiff Club of WA and the first inductee into the National Hall of Fame, having imported 3 dogs from the UK and breeding many Australian Champions.  She has also been one of four partners in a thoroughbred horse racing and breeding stud.  Her experience in this industry saw her working for several years as a Livestock Underwriter and National Livestock advisor for a major insurance company.

Additionally, she is a Life Member of the WA Bed & Breakfast Association, of which she was the Secretary for many years.  Her very successful B&B was at Anne Hathaway’s Cottage, a replica of the family home of William Shakespeare’s wife, located in Bedfordale in the Elizabethan Village.  She  has also served as Chairman of the Heritage Country Tourism Association, Secretary of the Ord Festival Committee, is a Life Member of the Kununurra Agricultural Society, Secretary of the Kununurra Race Club and Secretary of the Tasmanian Association of Florists and was a committee member of the Tasmanian Floral Art Society.

She enjoys travel, reading, crafts, house renovation and most of all, catching up with friends and family.