|
Allen Richards has had a fascinating career woven from the dual
strands of engineering and boats. Allen was born at Newcastle, NSW
on 25 May 1945 but spent his early life in the Northern Rivers
region of New South Wales. He returned to Newcastle in 1960 and
joined the State Dockyard as a Marine Engineering trainee and
simultaneously completed tertiary engineering studies. In 1966
Allen made a move into the booming coal mining industry and over
the next 12 years worked at
well known collieries in the state: Lambton, West Wallsend No2,
Newstan and Avon.
Also in 1966 Allen married his first wife, Wendy, who died at an
early age in 1987. Allen and Wendy had three children who all live
in Newcastle. Dean 33, is an electrical consultant; Kerrin 31, is
a bank loans officer and Megan 29, is a stay at home mother.
Kerrin and Megan each have two children – thus Allen has four
grandchildren, Alexander and Jack who are five, Kane 4 and newly
arrived Molly, five weeks.
In 1978, Allen and his partners set up an engineering workshop,
initially to service the Electricity Commission power stations and
collieries but later the heavy
engineering industry that was a feature of the Hunter region of
the time. Allen’s company was involved in projects as diverse as
the offshore platform development in Bass Strait and the aluminium
smelter at Tomago.
In 1989, Allen sold out to his partners, married Lesley, and made
his third major career change and went back to farming at Newrybar
on the Northern Rivers.
Lesley has three children – Megan 26, married and working as an
accountant at Lismore; Stacey, who works at RPA Hospital as an
Accident/Emergency nurse and Christopher, married and studying
electronic engineering at Griffith University, Brisbane.
During all his career changes Allen retained his deep interest in
things ‘marine’ and was actively involved in boats and boating
so last year when he was looking for another career that was more
conducive to a relaxed lifestyle he naturally turned to boats. He
scoured the country for a suitable vessel, found it at Pittwater
in Sydney – a yacht built by Mastercraft Marine. It is a 12m (40
feet) motorsailer designed by Paul Stanyon. Thus he and Lesley
came to the Gold Coast to commence a boat chartering business.
Allen was inducted as a member of the Toronto Rotary Club in 1982
with the classification of Component Manufacturing. In 1990 he
joined the Ballina-on-Richmond Club with the classification of Macadamia
Production. He was the Club Service Director of that Club
for 1991/92 and served as President for 1992/93. He again served
as Club Service Director in 1994/95 and Community Service Director
for 1999/2000. On 15 January 2002 Allen and Lesley were welcomed into
membership of the Parkwood Rotary Club.
Allen’s ultimate aim is to go cruising for a couple of years.
(March 2002) |
