Thomas Draper Email & Phone Number

I come from a family engineering tradition going back to the 1850's in Melbourne. Dad sent me to Saint Patricks College, Strathfield, Sydney. My curiosity extended to ancient history, world geography, geology and woodwork. I studied classical violin for 5 years receiving honours in 2 or 3 of those years. I had just turned 16 so my father had me apprenticed for 5 years with Frank G Spurway in Sydneys' Alexandria. There I learned machinery design, and qualified through TAFE as a Tool and Die Maker, winning prizes; in my fifth year enrolling in a six year Production Engineering Certificate Course at Sydney TAFE in Ultimo. The 6th, (Post Graduate year), was at Kensington Uni of NSW where I studied statistics, metrology and metallurgy. I excelled. My sporting interests during those years were primarily cave exploring and skiing. I led many caving expeditions and did cave surveying and photography. My ski instructor Johnny Mueller at Perisher said I should go to Europe to become a ski instructor which I promptly did in Dec. 63. I met Professor Hoppichler in Oberguegl Austria and was fortunate in being included in the 1965 and 70 Austrian ski instructors courses. (Hoppichler created the Austrian Ski technique). I went on working as an engineering manager and living close to the Alps teaching mainly Germans how to ski for fourteen years in most of my spare time. I worked for the US Forces for 14 years years in administration; Chief of Buildings and Grounds at Engineer Command Stuttgart, where I excelled, and was promoted to Headquarters United States Army Europe, receiving a Scroll of Appreciation from the Commanding General, United States Army Europe in June 1972 at Hq USAREUR Heidelberg for my services as a Civil Engineering consultant under General Penny at GS11 equivalent. On returning to Australia in September 1981 I was hired by Halliburton Brown and Root as Area Construction Manager for the $50 Million mining town of Tieri. At the end of the mining boom I bought a failing Brisbane art gallery trading successfully in Queen Street Brisbane for 8 years. There I represented primarily Victorian artists. Moving to Noosa in Jan 93 I traded in art for many more years. Thirty years later, here in 2023 I have put 5,000 hours in to a concept for revolutionary half billion dollar Noosa town infrastructure which includes a 7 star hotel convention and cultural centre, an overhead tramway and additional alternate means to overcome a severe traffic and parking problem in Noosa CBD which has occurred through tourism and questionable planning common to most cities. QED.

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  St Patrick'S College, Strathfield

  Ancient History