Brett was born in Buchanan St, Devonport and grew up just a stone’s throw from Duder’s Beach.  Back then Devonport was a very different place and most people that lived here earned a living working with their hands. He remembers when just about everybody in the neighborhood had a home workshop where all manner of things were made and repaired and boats were built in people’s front yards.  

Brett enjoyed making and repairing or just taking things apart from a very young age and spent most of his pocket money at the local hardware store.  He wanted to be a builder but ended up going to university and working in corporate and consulting roles in New Zealand, Australia, and the US.   Wherever he went though he always had a workshop of some kind and a project or two on the go, be it a boat, a classic car or house restoration or a piece of furniture in build.  He also continued to spend significant sums of money at tool stores.

Brett remembers the Claystore from his teenage years when he would often visit the workshop to pick the brains of the volunteers who had such a wealth of knowledge and experience.  After retiring and returning to Devonport from the US he found himself at the Claystore so often he decided to become a volunteer. He enjoys the varied projects he gets to work on and helping others develop their skills and comfort level in the workshop.

Brett is building a dedicated workshop at his house in Narrow Neck but due to all the other projects he has on the go it is taking longer than he would like.