What is your trade

[aj.lec]

I lived and worked on a farm till I got apprenticeship as an Electrician.
Started by building industrial switchboards. Worked 3 different companies for 7.5 years including a move to Brisbane for 3.5 years
Then overseas for 6 months as a break
Then back to Dubbo where I worked for a company who specialised in Industrial automation for mills, bakeries and process works , also commercial and a little domestic for the owners of the plants. That lasted 13 years
For the past 4 years work for Essential energy .First 1.5 years as general Electrical Technician
I now deal with power quality which is basically dealing with customer complaints or issues everyone else has given up on, investigating and recording problems, Repairing or designing fixes for issues and reporting to the electrical ombudsman and internal entities
Best thing about this is my area covers almost 1/7 th on NSW landmass so get to see alot of rural areas with the occasional blitz and interesting "thing" sighting thrown in

[Mike Cecil]

Worked in the family sheet metal/tinsmith shop (Cecil & Co) while an undergrad at university, then stayed at university on lecturing, etc after earning a B.Sc (Honours) and a B.A. Worked as a geologist in the State Geological Survey, then went into private practice for several years on my own and later with Geo-Eng Australia. Spent another couple of years with a government department before taking up an offer from the AWM on a short term contract as an assistant curator. Within 6 months I was on staff, and within 4 years was Head of Military Heraldry and Technology. Retired in 2010 and moved to the USA with my wife, artist Krystii Melaine.

Been researching since I was a teenager, and got serious about writing in the 1980s. First book in the early 1990s, and the rest is history, so to speak. No longer have any 'one to one' scale examples in the shed, just sticking with an ever-growing collection of paper and digital images! I enjoy the research and writing and don't know how I ever had the time for a formal job.

Mike C

[Marc van Aalderen]

Well, I grew up in a Garage. Running around in overalls at the age of 4. After high school I studied Mechanical Engineering. My father then went in the transmission business, repairing and rebuilding automatic and manual transmissions. I joined the company after graduating as a mechanical engineer. Took over the company when my dad retired and after 15 years sold it to a competitor as I'd had enough from our government, my 8 employees and lots of stress. Took a job with the buyer of my company. Started a new company for them in rebuilding valve bodies for automatics. Still enjoying my job a lot.
Been collecting fire arms and military stuff since my teens. Started with vehicles some 15 years ago. Collection keeps growing, latest vehicle purchased is a Daimler Armoured Car for restoration.
Married to a lovely wife and we have two beautiful daughters, aged 19 and 14. Life is good

[Richard Farrant]

Started off as an apprentice Agricultural Machinery engineer with a Massey Ferguson main dealer, mainly on tractors and combine harvesters and a bit of plant. After 7 years the company closed the depot so I changed jobs and went to work at a large army workshops (REME) just down the road. I had initially applied for an apprenticeship there. Worked on heavy plant, cranes, trucks, armour, rebuilding engines, you name it we did it. I worked there for 22 years, last 6 years as chargehand of my vehicle section. The workshop closed as it was in the path of a new railway so I decide to go it alone and start my own business, FV Restorations & Repairs, doing repair work on collectors military vehicles, starting off mobile and going out doing repairs. My goal was to do restoration work which I was able to start after a year or so. Have been doing this since 1996 now and it is very satisfying and you make contact with some very interesting people.
This year is now my 39th year of full time working on military vehicles.

regards, Richard

[Ryan]

After finishing high school I started working for Ford Mo Co as an engine assembler on the I6 line. During my time there I did two long stints as a Group leader in two sections of the line and as a repair operator of short blocks. Spent 17 years building I6 engines, from the EF/XG Falcons to the FG. In Ford speak thats EA77/EB2 engines to Orion.
Nowadays I'm Team leader of the FPV V8 assembly line.
Technically my trade is a vehicle builder, but engine plant is my home. 18 years and counting.