Blackall Range Woodies, Maleny, Woodworkers

Our ever-smiling Life Member Ray was born in 1932 at Lake Barrine on the Atherton Tableland where his parents operated a tourist business. When the “Brisbane Line” was declared during the Second World War, Ray and other members of his family were evacuated to Brisbane. His father, who was originally a surveyor with the Forestry Department stayed in the North and was one of a group of timber specialists who selected the Queensland Maple logs used for the airframes of the famous Mosquito bombers built in Australia.

Ray attended primary and secondary school in Brisbane and was then apprenticed as a fitter and turner. He married Beth in 1954 and the result has been 3 children who are spread far and wide. One son lives in Hobart, the other in West Papua and his daughter lives in the UK.

He and Beth moved back to Lake Barrine in 1954 to assist with the running of the family business. His training as a fitter was soon called on as they had to maintain their own lighting plant as well as speed boats for the water ski school. They also built their own boats and fitted them out for scenic trips around the lake. Ray took on the job of foreman when the road past the lake and through the National Park was rebuilt.

Photo Left: Ray Curry.

As a hobby he started making water skis using selected timber such as silver ash and Queensland maple, and with a ready market satisfied, extended that to sales all around Australia. He also learned to fly and held a unrestricted private pilot’s licence for a number of years. 1966 saw a move to Cairns where Ray signed on as Second Engineer on a Danish cattle ship. This ship operated out of Cairns and shifted all sorts of livestock around the Pacific rim. Lots of trips to New Guinea with breeding stock for the DPI and trips to the Philippines were fairly regular.

In 1968 Ray changed jobs and sailed on small coastal cargo ships as Chief Engineer servicing such ports as Thursday Island, Weipa and settlements on the Gulf of Carpentaria and Northern Territory. In 1970 he accepted the position as Chief Engineer on tugs operating in the port of Weipa where the family stayed until 1983 when Ray transferred to Mackay to set up and operate the towage operation for the Dalrymple Bay Coal Export Terminal. He retired in 1993 due to ill health and moved to Palmwoods in 1994.

Ray was a member of the Mackay Woodturners’ Club where he honed those skills which he so ably demonstrates to us. Before moving to Palmwoods Ray and a mate, the late Lou Brimblecombe, were avid collectors of both red and Mackay Cedar. They obtained permits to enter the forestry areas behind Mackay and collect timbers after the timber getters had been through. This resulted in Ray requiring a very large shed to complement his house at Palmwoods. He didn’t do what most of us would have done—collected a few pieces of timber— he collected a couple of containers full!. If you have had a look at Ray’s shed you’ll understand. Ray has unselfishly been a source of good quality timber for club members over the years and many of the turning blocks have come from his shed.

As President of our Club in 1998, in the old shed, Ray managed to advance the interests of the club and increase membership considerably. While he still enjoys turning, his skills lie in all aspects of woodcraft. As one of our ‘senior’ woodies he is a fund of great knowledge which he is only too happy to share with members; many a club project has been finished well thanks to the advice offered by Ray.