Gemtree is a locally owned business. Cameron and Carmel Chalmers purchased Gemtree in April 2006 with Cameron’s youngest brother, Alex, who is the IT Security Manager for IBM Asia Pacific and based in Darwin. The Chalmers family has a great pioneering history in Central Australia, stemming from Cameron and Alex's grandfather, Charles (CO) Chalmers.

‘CO’ was a teacher and taught in many outback NSW schools before choosing a pastoral life for his family. In 1921 he, his wife, Cora, and their four children left Mungindi on the NSW/QLD border and travelled more than 2300km through QLD to Central Australia. Cora drove the horse-drawn covered wagon with Jessie (3) and Donald (6), while CO drove 400 sheep, 13 horses and a few goats with the help of his older children Jean (11) and Mac (8) on horseback.

After a two-year trek they settled on land north of what is now known as the Plenty Highway, and the children in turn raised their families in the area.

Since their arrival in the 1920s, the Chalmers family have shared a close relationship with the local aboriginal people built on mutual respect and friendship.

Cameron and Carmel's son-in-law Aaron McMaster is now their right hand at Gemtree as he and their daughter Kate have moved back to live at Gemtree with their three grandsons, Will, Tom and Mac.  Son Callum now works in Queensland.  Kate has continued the legacy of her great grandfather by becoming a teacher. After a period as Principal in an Aboriginal community nearby she is now only working part time in a school in Alice Springs so she can teach Tom on School of the Air.

Cameron will be introducing family history day tours at Gemtree this year, visiting family cattle stations in the area and offering  general information about the flora and fauna, mining, pastoral and Aboriginal history of the NE Alice Springs district.