The Mincham Award presented to the 2010 Adelaide Regional Hero

Jeff Mincham presenting the Jeff Mincham Award to John Pfitzner, 2010 Adelaide Hills Regional Hero at the Gala & Business Dinner on the 25th February 2010.   

 



John Pfitzner is the 2010 Adelaide Hills Regional ‘Hero’.

John



is a dedicated family man.  He has risen to where he is today from a working class background, carving out his own future; taking chances, having wins and a few losses, but never losing sight of what’s important; his family, his community, his talents and his passion for life.

John’s family life
John was the 2nd eldest of 9 children. He was born in Lameroo but moved around with his father’s trade of butcher and smallgoods maker
People’s lives are shaped by some unlikely events. One of these in John’s case was a serious health issue when he suffered a collapsed lung as a kid. He was advised by a doctor to either exercise or sing - John chose to sing.
He sang in St Peter’s Cathedral Choir where he became Head Chorister. From here he won a music (voice) Scholarship to Pulteney Grammar.
His schooling and his scholarship took a dive when his voice broke and John left school at 14
We talked earlier about unlikely events - soon after leaving school John went to a learner’s dancing class wearing a new suit and riding his bike. There he met Vivian who a few years later became his wife of 47 years.
Together John and Vivienne have produced two great sons Andrew and David and the Pfitzner Furniture dynasty was born
 
John’s career
John’s father wanted him to take an apprenticeship in the printing industry after he left school prematurely
But John held out to be a cabinet maker – despite his father’s wrath. So with his ears ringing, he worked through an apprenticeship with, amongst other firms, Norman Turner and Nottage
John set up his first workshop at 18 working from a small shed in his back yard with a few tools and bench made from railway sleepers. He made furniture under the brand name of Fineline Furniture
He later moved into a small place on Payneham Rd and started the brand Colonial Cottage
At age 23, John became Production Manager for TH Brown and Son, a large furniture maker employing over 130 staff. This was a culture shock for someone with only year 9 high schooling and it was another of those events that helped define John.
John and his family moved to Mt Barker 37 years ago
They settled in a old 1886 farmhouse on Henden Rd with a workshop out the back converted from an old Bulk Super Shed
For a time, John was the only cabinet maker in the district
Pfitzner furniture was established on it current site in 1983
Pfitzner furniture can now be found in all corners of the globe, from the Hotel Australia to the Australian Consulate in Japan to the Regional Development Board Mt Barker
Pfitzner Furniture employs up to 23 people

Leadership
John has always given his time freely to the industry he loves, serving on the furniture industry training council and being involved in curriculum review and training
Pfitzner’s has had over 30 apprentices over the years and John is especially keen to support the new school based apprenticeship scheme 
John employs people from all walks of life and loves to watch the mix of talents come together as a team.

Music
John has continued to sing throughout his life, spending many years with State Opera
He was featured in the Bruce Beresford movie Breaker Morant, where he played the leader of the Boer militia- he even sang in Afrikaans in the movie
His love for music and his skill working with timber came together when John learnt to make musical instruments. His greatest achievement was to make a violin from timbers of the Flinders Ranges. This violin was played by Jane Peters from the Conservatory and has been complimented for its power and true note.

Community
John has had a long term commitment to community with service in Apex and Rotary along with Football and other sporting clubs.
John had a leadership role in the development of the Linear Reserve that includes Stevenson Park and the walking trail

It is with pleasure that we recognize John Pfitzner as our inaugural Adelaide Hills regional ‘hero’.