Tony Mackay tells The Halvorsen Story
Like the lecture given by Douglas Brookes which we posted a few weeks ago, the presentation below is a more sausage than sizzle. However if you love your classic motorboats, (and 1950s & 60s yachts for that matter) then there is some wonderful content.
It comes from a talk at this year’s Australian Wooden Boat Festival symposium. Work is well underway planning for the 2025 Symposiam with experts in their fields already booked to come to Hobart to talk on themes based around “The Pacific”
From humble beginnings on the south coast of Norway, farmer Halvor Andersen learned to build boats to help pay for his growing family. His son Lars Halvorsen made it his career, working in the United States, his homeland of Norway and eventually taking his skills and family to South Africa and then on to Australia. His five sons and family created what became the largest and most famous Australian boatbuilders of their era, later taking their skills to Hong Kong and China, with exports all over the world. The story is one of hardship and passion, stoicism in the face of great adversity, and the culmination of wonderful vessels born from a highly skilled designer’s eye and the determination to maintain the highest quality standards.
The Presenter:
Tony MacKay has been on board Halvorsen boats all his life, having owned nine substantial cruisers, all of which were significantly and lovingly restored. Through his involvement with the Halvorsen Club, he has passed some of this passion and energy to like-minded owners of these beautiful craft, also assisting with the improvement of skills and historical information. He has also represented the family for significant events at the Australian National Maritime Museum, exhibitions, on water parades, birthdays and even eulogies. It has been a lasting passion.