Description
A book signed by the author Geoff Smedley, paperback, 198 pages, published in 2018
Geoff Smedley was bom into a Tasmanian family accustomed to building their own pleasures, from fine art to houses to bpats and more.
His was an era of making and making do especially during the years of World War 2, and this autobiography describes in detail the ways in which he sought to enliven his life with new adventures, new creations, and new and involving friends.
From his early passion for boats emerged a talent for racing and tuning sporting cars, which he indulged by driving his own cars mainly at the now-defunct Longford motor racing track, moving on to become the racing mechanic for some of Australia's premier drivers. His personal passion for fine classic cars led him to establish firstly a small restoration business near Launceston in Tasmania then later Tasmania's first motor museum at Waverley.
The museum shifted to central Launceston, where at the time of writing it still operates.
The tale of his inventive and original life's work is told with an impish sense of humour and a steadfast disregard for bureaucracy and incompetence, along the way making mention of his forays into building exquisite scale models of boats and sporting cars, teaching himself the rudiments of painting and drawing, enjoying playing organ music, and projects including building his own swimming pool Geoff conclusion is that he is happy he had the chance to live his life his own way. In the process he sheds light on a time of invention originality and persistent skill, the like of which our throwaway era will not see again
