Multi talented Magnetic Island resident Terry Bridges, above, regrets having not learned how to play a musical instrument , yet recently finished what is believed to be the only copy of a famous Stradivarius violin made from Silky Oak and is contemplating making another in Tasmanian Huon Pine .
How come a Stradivarius came to be built on the island? Some years ago, a friend , retired schoolteacher Chic Osgood , of Bermagui, NSW, who made cellos as a pastime and had a holiday home on the island , visited Terry , plonked down a copy of a book on violin making for amateurs by American Bruce Ossman, and suggested he make one .
Taking up the challenge, reading more about Stradivarius , and 150 accumulated hours of work later the violin was born , valued at $10,000.
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Taking up the challenge, reading more about Stradivarius , and 150 accumulated hours of work later the violin was born , valued at $10,000.
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If you are not in the market for an Australian Stradivarius , Terry can paint you a tropical bird or scene , build you a house and is into making distinctive, sturdy USA Adirondack chairs . Another example of his passion for and skill with wood is the 20ft long strip planked kayak, below , made from Kauri , on which he spent 750 hours .
Its construction incorporated a technique used by one of the team in Alan Bond's America's Cup challenge . Terry and his wife, Glenwynne , designed and built their cool , open plan house , which withstood Cyclone Yasi's ravages , surrounded by a garden with many tropical plants and orchids.
Examples of Terry's handmade furniture and paintings are visible throughout . His paint encrusted artist's palette is a work of art in itself. In a real North Queensland touch , he incorporated fretwork panels above doors which were the trademark of a carpenter from Charters Towers , at times examples of his work found in old Townsville homes . A rolltop writing desk based on an old English design is another of Terry's productions .
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PM Holt spearfishing .
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An electrician by trade , he spent three years in the Army, including one in Vietnam . When Prime Minister Harold Holt went missing off Cheviot Beach, Victoria , Terry was stationed at the Watsonia Army Barracks and he was part of the large military contingent sent to search for the PM, both day and night. At the time, Terry said , there was a strong swell, the rocks were so sharp boots were cut to pieces and there was much kelp in the water . The PM would have had no chance of surviving under those conditions .
In his trade as an electrician he has worked on major construction sites in Papua New Guinea and Australia , such as the Ok Tedi mine in PNG, Roxby Downs , South Australia .
His affection for timber with its various qualities comes through loud and clear ... Silky Oak from which much early Queensland furniture was made , Queensland Maple and Kauri . Special mention is made of Cooktown Ironwood , known as the Poison Camel Tree, because it killed camels which ate its leaves , used to make early lawn bowls . This, he said was the densest timber in the world , used to bed the drive shafts of steamships on the international trade.
The Bridges are leaving the island after 23 years to take up residence near Geelong, Victoria . The distinctive kayak is remaining on the island .
His affection for timber with its various qualities comes through loud and clear ... Silky Oak from which much early Queensland furniture was made , Queensland Maple and Kauri . Special mention is made of Cooktown Ironwood , known as the Poison Camel Tree, because it killed camels which ate its leaves , used to make early lawn bowls . This, he said was the densest timber in the world , used to bed the drive shafts of steamships on the international trade.
The Bridges are leaving the island after 23 years to take up residence near Geelong, Victoria . The distinctive kayak is remaining on the island .
