Boating New Zealand — January 2018

122 Boating New Zealand

Marine engineer Don Burnnand is a sharp

and active 82-year-old, who still works

every day. His story encapsulates the

adage: “If you do what you love, you’ll

never have to work a day in your life.”

B

orn in 1935, Don was the eldest of Bill and Dorothy

Burnnand’s four children. The family lived in Auckland’s

St Heliers and, besides a well-equipped workshop, Bill

also owned boats, the mullet boat Boy Jack and the

launch Primrose. Workshops and boats would become a

huge part of Don Burnnand’s life.

“My father was a very clever man and I owe my engineering skills

and love of boats to him,” he says.

The family also owned a house at Omana Point, Maraetai, used

over weekends. Keen to get out on the water in his own craft, the

then 12-year-old Don bought an ancient 2.7m dinghy for 10 shillings

and fitted it with an air-cooled 4.5hp Villiers engine. He later sold

the boat for £30 – a profitable exercise that became another lifelong

pattern.

In 1951 he left school to take up a marine engineering

apprenticeship with Millar Samson, then located in Hobson St.

Working conditions were rudimentary, an earthen floor with

exposed overhead shafts driving the lathes and drills.

One of Millar Samson’s major clients was the Devonport Steam

Ferry Company. Then, all ferries were required to be surveyed

annually, a three-week exercise per boat.

“I’ve worked on every ferry they ever owned; Toroa, Kestrel,

with JOHN MACFARLANE

REFLECTIONS The

Don Burnnand

story

RIGHT Burnnand’s first

runabout. Powered by

a Rugby car engine it

would do nearly 20

knots.