Jim P Bryan
Gardener
Our gardener is a quiet unassuming man who desires nothing more than the quiet life. He enjoys impersonating a distiller by creating beverages and researching new ones.
Born in Dunedin NZ in 1957, his first job was in the hospital kitchen aged 13. He left New Zealand for Australia feeling that his birthplace offered few prospects and had many risks for a young man. He arrived in Toowoomba and started in the construction industry, working throughout Queensland and northern New South Wales.
Always a spirit drinker, his preference was whisk(e)y. While others drank the free beer, he would supply his own whisk(e)y - whichever variety he could afford at the time.
Always the self-starter, ready for whatever came his way and always ready to learn new things. Some jobs came with perks, like working at Day Dream Island resort. He soon developed a taste for good whiskies. This was the beginning of Whiskee, as being smarter than the average bloke, he started distilling his own.
Over twenty eight years, he developed his own methods which became the basis of the recipe which underpins Rusty Mill Distillery’s Whiskee. Quite the jack of all trades, travelling and working throughout the state, he enjoys fishing when he can.
Our business manager, born in Brisbane in 1960, has experience in government enterprises, large corporates and small to medium enterprises. He has been involved in the day-to-day operations and built nine start-up enterprises from scratch. Finding his professional home in Software Development doing everything from: feasibility, development, testing & user training, system architecture then into business architecture, risk management and business development.
Nevill’s back story is in the military, school cadets, army reserve, regular army, and later working in the civilian side of Defence. Initially blending a diverse skill set of combat intelligence, communications with field engineering and specialist training as a paratrooper. This landed him on his feet as he started developing software for Defence after working at what was Human Services & Health back in the day. He started learning about project management as a means to improve his software delivery estimates and process. In the military, Nevill was the Gopher, go for this, go for that, if it could be begged, borrowed or … he could get it.
He, believes that anyone that has never failed at something has never tried anything new. We don’t learn from success, we learn from failures, which are simply lessons to be learned. Thomas A. Edison said "I have not failed. I've just found 10,000 ways that won't work." Nevill, like Jim, enjoys the simple life, gardening, time with his wife and family. Unlike Jim, Nevill could not catch a fish if his life depended on it.
He has undertaken work for the two premier Australian science organisations (CSIRO & DSTO), as well as with RAAF, DMO, DSB, DIGO, DITR, FaCS, H&HS, DH&A, Getronics, Odinn Intelligence, Silicon Rose and many more.
Nevill J Fox
SO7 Gopher
Business Manager
Mitch Bryan
Apprentice Whiskee Taster
Born in Toowoomba in 1994, and growing up, if it had two wheels or four, he was on it and in trouble. Karate, soccer, target shooting all formed part of his informal education which he enjoyed. Father-son bonding was around a campfire, learning from the life experience of people on the Darling Downs. He openly admits in his youth, he was a part-time idiot, but weren’t we all.
When unsupervised it’s about lifting weights, mountain bikes and I can't wait to get him lifting barrels. Off the bike, he attends concerts enjoying heavy metal, in contrast with Jim & Nevill’s preferences for Rock and Roll.
Mitch, when not developing a taste for Whiskee, is a full-time parts specialist, if it fits on or falls off something with four wheels (or two) he can find it. His training to date involves: bottling, labelling & storage, when he is not sampling product. Mitch has been working in business development finding new patrons for the Distillery.