Meet our Volunteers: Nevil Tait

He is a true Queenslander! Born in Redbank (for those of you not familiar with the local geography: the suburb before Ipswich). He is the son of a local coal miner, graduated from Ipswich State High and proceeded to study Architecture at the Central Technical College (today, the Queensland University of Technology). “In those days, one worked during the day, and studied at night and on weekends” Nevil proudly claimed. In total the study course took a full seven years.

“Why Architecture?” I asked him. Well, simply because that’s what he wanted to do, he replied. Whilst initially working with Architectural firms, including Burling Brown (the company PDG Darrell Brown formed with Ron Burling), he soon enough embarked on his own business, which he successfully ran for some 30 years. “I did everything, from single dwellings to medium high-rises” Nevil said, and in particular Home Renovations. He and his wife Josephine (whom he married some 57 years ago) would buy a “handiman’s dream” house, renovate it and sell it again. “I have always been a builder as much as an Architect”; handy with all aspects of the building trade.

Then he sold the practice to… buy a supermarket. “Just to do something different”, sold it again ten years later, to do consulting work, including major consultancy as a Building Manager and mentor, for the Brisbane Catholic Education building department, employing funding provided by the “Kevin Rudd’s ‘Building Revolution’” he quipped.

Hobbies, interests? Well, he and Josephine also ran a Santa Gertrudis Cattle Stud (something different alright!), upon retirement travelled Tasmania in a Motorhome for some 7 months, and continued travelling for some 13 years. Nev watches movies (any, as long as they are good; Kevin Costner’s Yellow Stone series is one of his favourite), listens to Country Music.  And of course, his family is written large: four sons, nine grandkids and two great-grandkids.

Great to have you as a member of our Wheelchairs team, Nev!