Oscar Press

2023

Shipwright and Boat Builder

In honour of Tom Gunning

Moving overseas and working towards sustainability are two life-changing decisions that require immense dedication and financial support. This scholarship provides me with the means to pursue my dreams while making a positive impact on the world.

Firstly, moving overseas offers an opportunity for personal growth and cultural immersion.

Experiencing different cultures and perspectives will broaden my horizons, enhance my adaptability, and foster a global mindset. By immersing myself in diverse communities, I can learn from their sustainable practices and implement them in my work.

Secondly, working towards sustainability is crucial in today's world.

As our planet faces environmental challenges, it is imperative to find innovative solutions that promote eco-friendly practices. I truly believe this is something we need to start doing better especially in my line of work. This scholarship would enable me to acquire the necessary knowledge to pursue my desire of making this world and my field of work a more sustainable place.

This scholarship will allow me to grow personally while making a positive impact on the environment through sustainable practices learned abroad. Through this scholarship program, I am confident that I can achieve my goals in sustainability and strive to contribute significantly towards creating a greener future for our planet.

A Global Footprints Scholarship is your opportunity to do more of what you love. What have you done at work that you are proud of or passionate about?

At my workplace, I work with timber the majority of the time. I find myself truly lucky to be doing this work as not only is timber a renewable resource that can be sustainably harvested but the craftsmanship and attention to detail required in building timber boats are unparalleled. I am very passionate about my work.

I love taking on a job that I didn’t think I could do at the start, and then, weeks later, look at it knowing I just made that. Working with timber boats is something so unique from its varieties of timber to the fine, detailed work we do. I am no pro just yet but seeing how much I am enjoying it in Australia, I have always thought to take my skills overseas, and when I heard about this scholarship I could not believe it.

A Global Footprints Scholarship is for you if you are passionate about creating a sustainable future. Describe something you have done at work or are working on, that helps the environment. Why is it important to you?

Although my main work is timber there are times we will use other materials and, unfortunately, it is not the most sustainable trade. I like to take pride in myself for continually trying to implement ways to help make the job more eco-friendly.

One big problem is recycling, Many products we use are very tricky to recycle forcing them to get chucked away, and I found myself frustrated that there wasn’t anything I could do to fix this. I ended up starting to search, and I found a product called ‘Elium’ from a French company called ‘Arkema’. Resin itself is impossible to recycle as you cannot separate it from the structural fibers, but ‘Arkema’s development of their thermoplastic resin ‘Elium’ can not only be used in the same way as conventional boatbuilding resins but it can be fully recovered at the end and produced into fresh material.

I have been pushing this amazing creation not just in my workshop but to many other people. It is a tough sell as people are comfortable with what they already have but I won’t stop until people realise the benefits of this product and hope from this I can create a snowball effect which leads to many more sustainable products and techniques applied.

Everyday across the globe, people make breakthroughs for a more sustainable future. What have you seen or heard about that you find inspiring, and why?

There are so many people that are helping create a more sustainable future, not just in my work field but everywhere. One breakthrough that caught my eye was a London company called ‘Notpla’ that found a solution to the plastic waste problem. The product is a plastic alternative made from seaweed and plants. It is 100% natural, completely biodegradable and can be used to make a range of packaging. The company’s founders won the Earthshot Prize in the Build a Waste-Free World category, receiving 1 million pounds to continue their efforts. I wondered, after hearing this, if there is something like that which could be used in my line of work.

These companies do not realise this but not only are they helping the environment but they are giving thoughts, ideas and most of all inspiration for others to go out there and find sustainable ways to integrate into our daily lives.

As a Global Footprints Scholar, you can choose to go anywhere in the world. Where are you hoping to travel with your scholarship and why?

One city I would like to travel to is Stockholm, Sweden. It is renowned for its rich maritime history and sustainable practices. As a boat builder, I am captivated by the opportunity to work in Stockholm and learn their traditional boat building techniques. The city's commitment to sustainability aligns perfectly with my values as I believe in preserving our environment for future generations. Working in Stockholm would not only allow me to enhance my boat building skills but also expose me to a culture deeply rooted in sustainability. It is my dream to combine craftsmanship with environmental consciousness, and Stockholm provides the perfect platform for this pursuit.

I also have Italy in mind. I’ve been very fortunate to have a lot of Italian colleagues at my work who bounce back and fourth from Italy to Australia. I’ve made friendships with a few. They also believe in a sustainable future and have projects such as redoing a yacht to travel around the world and picking up rubbish from our oceans. I look forward to exploring further which places would be the best option for me so I could do my part.