Armidale Men's Shed

When did you first start coming along to the Men’s Shed?

About 3-4 years ago. I joined the Armidale Men’s Shed primarily to use their panel saw. I enjoyed the social aspect and am now the Treasurer.

What do you enjoy spending time doing when you’re here?

Talking to the members, having lunch and socialising.

What one thing would you like people to know about the Armidale Men’s Shed?

We would love to have more active members. The Men's Shed has all the equipment to do any wood working projects and expert advice is available.

AND A FEW GET-TO-KNOW-YOU QUESTIONS…

You volunteer a great deal of your time to the Men’s Shed. Do you volunteer with any other organisations?

I have been a member of the Lions Club for 16 years, transferring from the Lions Club in Williamstown where I held the positions of President, Zone Chairman and Regional Chairman. For the last 6 years I have been a member of the Armidale Dumaresq Lions Club, and Treasurer for the last 3 years. I am also a regular volunteer at the New England Regional Art Museum (NERAM).

Did you pursue a particular career path?

Engineering. I grew up in Austria and after finishing my engineering studies I did my national Service in the Austrian Army.

where have You lived and travelled around the world?

I was born in Czechoslovakia (now Slovakia). I attended primary school in a country town in Austria and my first few years of secondary school in a monastery, then finishing secondary school and my engineering studies in Vienna. The company I worked for in Vienna organised a job in Australia. I worked on the construction of oil rigs in Bass Strait. During this time I met Maria, whom I later married. We decided to go back to Austria, travelling by ship via Tahiti, Panama and Curacao, landing in Portugal, then travelling by train to Vienna. There I project managed two gas works in Slovenia, then transferred to Innsbruck to take over as Technical Manager.
We then decided to return to Australia and I resumed my position on the construction of the oil rigs. Once the construction was finished, I took senior positions in another company on various projects which took us to Melbourne, South Gippsland, LaTrobe Valley and further afield to Thailand, Indonesia, China, Taiwan, Philippines and Israel. I also travelled extensively, once a month to our site offices in Asia and to clients in USA and Europe.
In 2000 we bought our own business - commercial maintenance in building, plumbing, electrical and automatic doors - and this business is still going.
From mid 2000’s we set off again, this time to New Zealand, Norfolk Island, Cook Islands, Antarctica, Peru, Chile, Argentina, Brazil, Bolivia, Norwegian Fjords, St Petersburg, Moscow, Amsterdam, Budapest, New York, Las Vegas & San Francisco.

How did you end up in Armidale?

Through more travelling. In 2005 I was consultant to an Austrian Company on one of the largest conveyor systems capacity-wise in Thailand. A few years later we bought a large motor home and travelled around Australia. Six years ago through our motor home travel we discovered Armidale and settled down.

DO YOU HAVE HOBBIES or interests OUTSIDE your volunteer work?

In Vienna, it was compulsory to have subscriptions to the opera, theatre and concerts - which were heavily subsidised - and developed an appreciation of the arts.

With all that travel, Do you have a favourite place?

South America. We went to the Amazon which was amazing. Although the people there are very poor they don’t think of themselves as poor and get on with their lives. That’s amazing in itself - a completely different culture. Also the Rio Carnivale - the dancing of the Samba. And Argentina - the tango!

IS THERE A QUOTE OR SAYING THAT HAS STAYED WITH YOU OVER TIME?

‘Do the best you can!’

What makes you laugh? 

My grandkids! Our 4 children and 10 grandchildren keep us busy and we enjoy every moment with them.

What did you want to be when you were young?

I had always wanted to be an engineer. Always been handy with my hands and good with mathematics.

During your years of traveling and working in different countries, What was the most unusual or unpleasant thing you had ever eaten?

In China - sea cucumber and fried scorpions. In Israel, we went to an Arab Restaurant and I think some of what we ate there was questionable - tasted like dog sh*t!

And the big question…

THERE ARE A NUMBER OF CONTENTIOUS TOPICS OF CONVERSATION THAT CAN BRING DISCORD TO THE MOST CIVILIZED OF DISCUSSIONS, ONE OF WHICH IS THE TOPIC OF………PINEAPPLE ON PIZZA – YES OR NO?

It’s ok on a Hawaiian - it belongs there. But nowhere else.

Eddie also turns his hand to a variety

of woodworking projects

Some of Eddie and Maria’s Travels

Click on an image to enlarge

1 & 2 - Antarctica. 3 & 4 - Argentina. 5 & 6 - Bolivia. 7 - Chile, The Andes.
8 & 9 -Cook Island. 10 - Garden, Versailles. 11 - Las Vegas. 12 - New York.
13 - Peru, Macchu Pichu. 14 - Puno, Reed Islands. 15 - Russia - St Petersburg.
16 - The Amazon. 17 - USA, Hoover Dam. 18 - Vienna