Gaspen Pty. Ltd. Is a 3rd-generation family building company with over 50 years experience.
The name GASPEN comes from George [1st generation ] Anthony [2nd generation ] SPENcer the family’s surname
First half of Gaspen’s life started in Adelaide S.A. until relocating to Townsville in 1996.
After leaving Adelaide in 1995 to work in the red centre at the base of Uluru on the new Cultural Centre. The Alice Springs based builder was looking for skilled carpenter’s with precision quality
craftsmanship and this summed up Gaspen to a tee.
After leaving N.T. we moved to Townsville where we worked up and down the east coast from Cooktown in the north to Mackay in the south and out past Burketown in the west.
50 years prior George was based in Townsville while fighting in Papua New Guinea during the second World war. After the end of the war, George spent another 12mths in Townsville waiting to be
discharged out of the army. One day he and a fellow digger were standing under a shelter out of the rain when a chap offered them some work, they accepted his offer. This chap was the publican of a Pub in South Townsville, still in business today. They did painting and maintenance work to the Pub until they were discharged out of the army and sent home.
George returned to Adelaide where he planned to pack up his young wife and first born child that he had not met yet and return to Townsville. Circumstances changed, plans altered and instead of moving north George started up his new career as a painter in Adelaide in the late 1940’s.
Over the years, they had 7 children and then In the early 60’s his oldest son Tony joined him, starting up the beginning of the family business. George had 4 sons and at some stage they have all worked with George and altogether as G. Spencer & Sons.
By the 70’s we had moved into the building business as well as painting. Tony got his Building licence and in 1977 Gaspen Pty Ltd was formed.
As a young boy at primary school Shaun [3rd generation ] could often hear his father and grandfather making joinery with the machinery in the shed out the back of their house, always thinking one day I will be working alongside them.
By 1986, that dream was reality. Shaun left school and signed up as a carpenter/ joinery
Apprentice
For a short period, GASPEN was George and two of his son’s and a grandson until George retired.
After 30 plus years working together George and Tony as the father and son team, a new chapter with the new Father and Son combination of Tony and Shaun had formed. Gaspen had already put another family member through an apprenticeship, Tony’s younger brother In the early 90s, but that brother moved out of Adelaide and started his own business returning GASPEN back to father-son.
Fifty years early while painting that pub George had started on a journey down the path of a tradesman doing the best he possibly could for the people he was working for.
Pride in what you do and do the best to your ability and that was passed on to his sons, and them to there’s.
On that fiftieth year, GASPEN returned to Townsville, where it all started and continue on with its aim to please and pride in quality work.