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bob's story...
My working life spans over forty years
and during that time I’ve worked with the poor and the wealthy, many
of whom I call friends. I was earning a man’s wage at the age of
fifteen, working during the school holidays on the wharves in Sydney
and from there went into banking, accounting and school teaching.
After achieving mediocre results at school I duxed Teachers College
and spent my first three years teaching in the Northern Territory.
Only five of us completed the three years we were bonded to teach in
this area and I could write a book on each of these years.
While holidaying in
Sydney after my second year of teaching I met the girl I would marry,
and following a whirlwind courtship we became engaged. After
conversing by mail only for the next four months we were married.
Barbara then accompanied me as I returned to complete my final year in
the Northern Territory on an outback aboriginal settlement 200klm west
of Ayers Rock. We’ve now been married for 35 years, have five children
and to date, six grandchildren.
As a teacher I was
unique. Continually operating outside the conventional frame, doing
things and initiating programmes nobody else had done, but I knew this
was not my life’s work. After fourteen years I left teaching amid the
concerns of many colleagues who thought I was crazy! Barbara and I
pursued a business in direct selling but it wasn’t my niche. In
desperation I resorted to casual teaching, even teaching at the school
I had left. My ex-colleagues were wonderful but I felt a failure until
one day an idea flashed into my mind and with it I marched into the
Reptile Park at Gosford owned by Eric Worrell, the world famous
herpetologist. I confidently told him that as they did not have an
educational facility I would set one up and quadruple the number of
children coming into the park. It worked and finally I felt I had
found my niche. I loved every minute of my job which saw me not only
presenting shows for children but also presenting many of the displays
for the general public. It was here I discovered my ability as a
showman, an educator and an entertainer. I also discovered I had an
uncanny ability to be calm and focused during the most dangerous of
situations. Being a showman meant that the boundaries were constantly
being pushed and Barbara was called to the hospital twice following
bites from venomous snakes, but despite these incidences my love of
the job remained unchanged.
After three years
as an employee Barbara and I formed our own company….Bob Turner
Wildlife and contracted to the Reptile Park. I was paid according to
my ability to attract patrons and according to my reckoning I was the
highest paid education officer in Australia.
Before Mr Worrell
died he paid me a compliment I still treasure. He walked up to me in
the office and said “you were a one in a million find” then he walked
out. His wife looked at me in astonishment and said “you can take that
as a compliment, for I have never heard him say that to anyone”.
Not long after this
Barbara and I decided that for us to progress we had to leave the park
and thus once again we jumped into deep water. That was over fifteen
years ago and during this time our business has gone from success to
success.
I have performed in
front of every possible group imaginable and I estimate we have
conducted over 15,000 shows in front of audiences ranging from a dozen
to 2,500.
Everybody’s life
reads as a book and we bring our book to you. It’s all been a
wonderful journey and learning experience. We’ve chased our dreams and
we’ve learned what is necessary to realise those dreams, not just in
the business world but in all aspects of life thereby achieving a
sense of fulfillment, happiness and peace.
All of this
requires certain ingredients, certain laws of life that must be
followed. These we impart to you during a wonderfully entertaining
show using a collection of very interesting wildlife.
You can be a better spouse or partner, a better parent, a better
employee and even a better employer if you follow these principles but
more than anything you can learn of the power that is within you to be
a more productive person. There is an almost imperceptible voice that
guides all people through this life and when we learn to tap into this
voice our fondest dreams and our greatest potential will be realised.
My
goal is to influence lives in a positive way. |
