Born in the late 1940's, I grew up happily on a small farm on the southern West Coast of Aotearoa New Zealand. Being the youngest in my family by 7 years and some distance from my nearest friends, I spent a lot of spare time alone, exploring streams and forested hills that were nearby. My solitary time in nature led me to become very interested in how everything is connected, one thing influencing others in various ways and on various scales. This interest in the connectedness of everything; natural forces and life, human actions and inactions; has persisted throughout my life and has enabled me (I believe) to often see the big picture when others seem not to.
After primary school, I completed the first 3 years of my secondary education at home, studying through the NZ Correspondence School. I went to Christchurch Boys High School for my University Entrance year, boarding privately with family friends. After being accredited University Entrance in 1966, I abandoned my education and directly entered the workforce. Since then, everything has been self-taught, either as needed for whatever role I was filling at the time, or out of simple self-interest.
Recruited while still studying at CBHS, my career started with a role as Production Planning Clerk at a rubber goods factory in Christchurch. Since then, I have filled a great variety of roles, from sawmill worker, to beekeeper, to industrial engineering, systems management, plywood factory manager, cement works production superintendent and finally to Systems Manager (OHS, quality and environmental systems) at Nelson Pine Industries Ltd in Richmond, Tasman. This is where I spent the final 16 years of my salaried working career, which ended in 2017.
After an earlier failed marriage I married my wife in 1974. We successfully raised two bright, intelligent and hardworking daughters who are equally successfully, along with their husbands, raising their families in Christchurch.
My current interests and concerns revolve around the sustainability of life as we know it, given the effects portions of humanity are having on the natural and socio-political world. While I have time, I want to help whoever I can to understand what they can do to minimise the harm and to be suitably prepared for coming events.
