Former high school woodwork teacher and master craftsman Brett Davis has held a lifelong passion for all things timber. But it is his connection to community and faith through woodwork that tells an even greater story.
Former high school woodwork teacher and master craftsman Brett Davis has held a lifelong passion for all things timber. But it is his connection to community and faith through woodwork that tells an even greater story.
Words Kim White Images Spencer Dungey @loveofmine.co
On most days, Brett Davis, founder of Wood Stories, can be located in a small shed on the side of his home at Coledale. With a life-long passion for woodwork, he spends his time hand-turning timber bowls in a range of sizes and native timbers and creates stunning hand-crafted modern replicas of ancient Alaia surfboards.
The boards are made from sustainable harvested Paulownia, the fast-growing Chinese hardwood, now harvested in northern NSW and Queensland. It is extremely lightweight and buoyant but strong enough to not need fibre glassing.
As interesting and compelling as Brett’s timber creations are, it would be disingenuous to tell his story without sharing what drives this richly textured human being. It is only moments into the conversation when Brett reveals his true passions and life motivation.
Brett is openly honest about his Christian faith, but he doesn’t preach, he shares with great candour how he expresses his beliefs. Woodwork and involving himself with nature and his community via various initiatives, such as offering himself as a consultant for families to build tree houses, provides him with a greater purpose. “I believe that one can build a family by building a treehouse together,” says Brett.
Brett also runs a program he calls Toolbox for Life, an activity that brings fathers or grandfathers together with their child or grandchild to build a timber toolbox under his supervision and instruction. In this process of working together, it is hoped they may learn that the tools required for life’s journey are not just made of wood, but also of wisdom and compassion.
“What started with a handful of teenagers in Cronulla, has now turned into a big, beautiful global family.”
An active surfer, 46 years ago he started, with some like-minded surfing mates, a group called Christian Surfers. Brett was the founding national and international director; and is now the founder/advisor of what has grown into a global organisation.
“What started with a handful of teenagers in Cronulla, has now turned into a big, beautiful global family. There are missions in over 30 nations and over 1,000 volunteer leaders spreading the love of God through all levels of surfing.”
Brett happily invited me into the home he had built himself 34 years ago and showed the many pieces of beautiful timber furniture created with his own hands. The timber home, nestled up against a man-made forest, that was also created by him, after removing the masses of lantana and planting what are now, well-established trees.
Enquiring about the purpose of the small single bed bungalow sitting among the trees in the backyard, I expected to be told it was once his now adult children’s cubby house, or a guest bedroom. The answer served to underline the impression I had been forming of this quietly spoken, purposeful person.
“No, we offer that to people who are seeking respite from difficult life situations,” Brett says. It was at this moment that I was reminded, in the most profound way, of how many of our community’s woes could be remedied if we all acted with kindness toward each other.
Meeting Brett is a joyful reminder, in the most emphatic way, that when guided by some of the founding principles of Christianity – honesty and to love your neighbour as yourself – we could indeed make the world a better place. Starting in his very own backyard.
As I looked around the shed at the timber bowls and the beautifully crafted surfboards, I couldn’t help but draw the comparison with the humble carpenter from 2,023 years ago. Brett lives his faith, and he expresses it through his actions, not his words, he honours his God in the temple of the natural wonder of the world we have all been gifted.
Find Wood Stories timber bowls and gifts at Thirroul + Co.
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