Dick Smith (entrepreneur)
Encyclopedia
Dick Smith, AO
(born Richard Harold Smith on 18 March 1944) is an Australia
n entrepreneur
, businessman
, aviator
, and political activist. He is the founder of Dick Smith Electronics
, Dick Smith Foods
and Australian Geographic
, and was selected as the 1986 Australian of the Year
.
. In 1982, he sold the business to Woolworths
for $20 million, and the business still retained his name in the business title.
Dick Smith Electronics entered the United States
with stores in Northern California and Los Angeles, but were closed in the late 1980s.
Smith founded Dick Smith Foods
in 1999, marketed as a crusade against foreign ownership of Australian food producers, particularly Arnott's Biscuits
, which in 1997 became a wholly owned subsidiary of the Campbell Soup Company
. Dick Smith Foods only sells foods produced in Australia by Australian-owned companies.
Dick Smith Foods' products are often named to parody the items they compete with – for example, in competition with Redheads
matches, Smith sells near-identically packaged matches called "Dickheads
" with the text on the rear stating "We would have to be complete dickheads to let most of our famous Australian brands be taken over by foreign companies. Brands such as Vegemite, Aeroplane Jelly, Arnott’s, Speedo and Redhead Matches are in overseas hands. This means the profit and wealth created goes overseas and robs our children and grandchildren of a future". A chocolate biscuit called "Temptin'" competed directly with the established favourite Arnott's Tim Tam
. In 2003 Arnott's took legal action against Dick Smith Foods, resulting in an out-of-court settlement that required the "p" in the Temptin' logo to be increased in size.
In 1986, Smith founded the magazine
Australian Geographic
, a National Geographic-style magazine focusing on Australia. Smith did not want to greatly expand Australian Geographic, but his friend and CEO Ike Bain convinced him to change his mind and soon it was a thriving business.
Smith learned to fly in 1972, graduating to a twin engine Beech Baron. In 1976 he competed in the Perth
to Sydney
air race. At the age of 34 he purchased his first helicopter, a Bell Jetranger. With it he made a record-setting flight from Sydney
to Lord Howe Island
and return, 1185 km. The helicopter opened new opportunities for exploring places otherwise inaccessible. In 1978 he found the wreck of the Kookaburra aircraft, which crash-landed in the Central Australian Desert in 1929.
Smith's admiration for the early aviation pioneers led him to successfully attempt the first solo helicopter flight around the world. His flight began in Fort Worth, Texas
, on 5 August 1982, in a newly purchased Bell Jetranger 206B. On 19 August, the 50th anniversary of James Mollison's solo crossing of the Atlantic, he arrived at Balmoral Castle
, United Kingdom
where he met Prince Charles. From there he flew to London
, where, later that day, the first stage of his flight ended, after 11752 km. The second stage of his flight started in London
on 13 September, and finished in Sydney
, Australia
, 3 October 1982, 23092 km later. On 25 May 1983 the final stage of the flight started. Not being granted permission to land in USSR, he arranged to land on a ship to refuel. His journey ended on 22 July 1983, the 50th anniversary of Wiley Post
's solo aeroplane flight around the world on 22 July 1933.
In 1988/89 Smith flew a Twin Otter aircraft VH-SHW (registered after his hero, Sir Hubert Wilkins) vertically around the world, landing at both the North and South Poles. He landed the aircraft in Beijing on the night of the Tiananmen Square uprising.
In November 1995 Smith climbed the most remote of the seven summits, Carstensz Pyramid in Irian Jaya with Peter Hilary and Greg Mortimer.
Smith has been a vocal advocate for the civil aviation
industry in Australia, having been appointed by Prime Minister Bob Hawke to be Chairman of the Board of the Civil Aviation Authority from February 1990 to February 1992. He also served as Deputy-Chairman and Chairman of the Board of the Civil Aviation Safety Authority
from 1997 until his resignation in 1999.
Smith was Chairman of the Council for the Centenary of Federation from December 1996 to February 2000, a position he was appointed to by the then Prime Minister, John Howard.
In February 2000, Smith and his co-pilot John Wallington became the first people to successfully complete an east-west crossing of the Tasman Sea
by balloon, from New Zealand
to Australia against generally-prevailing winds.
On 7 January 2006, Smith flew his Cessna Grand Caravan
from Sydney to Hari Hari on the West Coast
of New Zealand's South Island
to mark the 75th anniversary of the first solo trans-Tasman
flight by Guy Menzies
in 1931.
On Tuesday 26 August 2008, Smith with his wife, Pip completed a two and a half year drive by vehicle around the world of over 40,000 kilometres.
s, including the "attempt" to tow an iceberg
from Antarctica to Australia to obtain more fresh water. In the early 1980s Dick Smith served as the conductor aboard a London double decker bus
which jumped 15 motorcycles. The bus, driven by Hans Tholstrup, was a humorous poke at Evel Knievel
who had visited Australia in 1979 and jumped his motorcycle over buses. Dick Smith's presence on the bus was a last minute decision by himself.
Honours of 1999, for his services to the community, charity and business.
Dick Smith was awarded Australian of the Year
in 1986.. At Smith's Australian of the Year Presentation he suggested that publisher Rupert Murdoch might like to take a year off, come back to Australia and share some of his expertise by heading the Treasury or the Reserve Bank.
Smith was awarded the Baden-Powell Award in 1966, the highest award in the Rover Section
, after 14 years in the Scouting movement.
Smith gained his amateur radio
licence at the age of 17 and holds call sign
VK2DIK.
In 1992 Dick Smith received the United States’ Lindbergh Award. The Award, “is given annually to individuals whose work over many years has made significant contributions toward the Lindbergh's concept of balancing technology and nature.”
Dick Smith was named an Australian Living Treasure
in 1997.
In 2000, Dick Smith was named the 2000 Adventurer of the Year by the Australian Geographic Society, after he made a trans-tasman balloon trip from New Zealand to Australia.
In 2010, Smith was the Patron for the 100th Anniversary of the Wireless Institute of Australia
, including being the major speaker at the annual general meeting
in Canberra
on 27 May 2010. The next day, he hosted AGM attendees at his country property near Gundaroo, New South Wales
.
On 29 June 2010 Dick Smith accepted the commission of Rear Admiral of the Lake Eyre
Yacht Club.
. Qasim was released later in 2005 by the Australian Government after seven years in detention. This support included the offer to visit India
seeking evidence of Qasim's claims.
He paid a large share of the ransom to free Australian photojournalist Nigel Brennan and Canadian journalist Amanda Lindhout who were both being held hostage in Somalia
.
Smith is a founder and a patron of the Australian Skeptics
. In July 1980, Smith collaborated with renowned skeptic James Randi
to test water divining
, offering a prize of $40,000 for a successful demonstration.
In June 2008, he offered a $50,000 award for investigative journalism into the Government purchase of Super Seasprite helicopters, after the contract was cancelled at a cost of A$1.1 billion.
In response to a large increase in pertussis
cases during a 2008/09 outbreak
, Smith funded a national ad in The Australian
encouraging parents to "Get The Facts" and derided the Australian Vaccination Network
as an anti-vaccination organisation.
who had been held in a U.S. military prison in Cuba's
Guantanamo Bay for five years. Smith said he wanted Hicks to get "a fair trial, a fair go". Fresh charges, including attempted murder, had been filed against Hicks earlier that month. Hicks pleaded guilty to a lesser charge in March 2007 as part of a plea bargain, and was released from custody in December 2007.
Smith financially assisted Australian Greens
leader Senator
Bob Brown
after he was left with a $240,000 anti-logging court bill after losing a case he brought against Forestry Tasmania
. A failure to pay would have resulted in Brown having to declare bankruptcy, and therefore lose his seat in the Senate.
, and alternatives to an economic growth
-based economy. He produced and appeared in the feature length documentary, Dick Smith's Population Puzzle broadcast by public network ABC
, questioning the desirability of Australia's rapid population growth. In the documentary, Smith calls the campaign the most important thing he has ever done in his life.
In August 2010 he announced the Wilberforce Award of AUS$1 million to a person under 30 who attracted his attention by advocating alternatives to population
and consumption
growth.
In May 2011, Dick Smith published his book on the subject, Dick Smith's Population Crisis: The dangers of unsustainable growth for Australia.
Order of Australia
The Order of Australia is an order of chivalry established on 14 February 1975 by Elizabeth II, Queen of Australia, "for the purpose of according recognition to Australian citizens and other persons for achievement or for meritorious service"...
(born Richard Harold Smith on 18 March 1944) is an Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n entrepreneur
Entrepreneur
An entrepreneur is an owner or manager of a business enterprise who makes money through risk and initiative.The term was originally a loanword from French and was first defined by the Irish-French economist Richard Cantillon. Entrepreneur in English is a term applied to a person who is willing to...
, businessman
Businessperson
A businessperson is someone involved in a particular undertaking of activities for the purpose of generating revenue from a combination of human, financial, or physical capital. An entrepreneur is an example of a business person...
, aviator
Aviator
An aviator is a person who flies an aircraft. The first recorded use of the term was in 1887, as a variation of 'aviation', from the Latin avis , coined in 1863 by G. de la Landelle in Aviation Ou Navigation Aérienne...
, and political activist. He is the founder of Dick Smith Electronics
Dick Smith Electronics
Dick Smith is an international electronics retailer, founded in 1968 by Richard "Dick" Smith. Today, it is a subsidiary of Woolworths Limited, incorporating Tandy, and the remaining Dick Smith Powerhouse Stores...
, Dick Smith Foods
Dick Smith Foods
Dick Smith Foods is a food brand created by Australian entrepreneur Dick Smith to provide Australian owned and produced alternatives to products from foreign-owned food companies....
and Australian Geographic
Australian Geographic
The Australian Geographic is a quarterly geographical magazine-style journal created by Dick Smith in 1985. It focuses mainly on stories about Australia, or about Australian people in other countries...
, and was selected as the 1986 Australian of the Year
Australian of the Year
Since 1960 the Australian of the Year Award has been part of the celebrations surrounding Australia Day , during which time the award has grown steadily in significance to become Australia’s pre-eminent award. The Australian of the Year announcement has become a very prominent part of the annual...
.
Electronics
In 1968, Dick Smith founded electronics retailer Dick Smith ElectronicsDick Smith Electronics
Dick Smith is an international electronics retailer, founded in 1968 by Richard "Dick" Smith. Today, it is a subsidiary of Woolworths Limited, incorporating Tandy, and the remaining Dick Smith Powerhouse Stores...
. In 1982, he sold the business to Woolworths
Woolworths Limited
Woolworths Limited is a major Australian company with extensive retail interest throughout Australia and New Zealand. It is the:* largest retail company in Australia and New Zealand by market capitalisation and sales...
for $20 million, and the business still retained his name in the business title.
Dick Smith Electronics entered the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
with stores in Northern California and Los Angeles, but were closed in the late 1980s.
Australian products
Dick Smith Foods
Dick Smith Foods is a food brand created by Australian entrepreneur Dick Smith to provide Australian owned and produced alternatives to products from foreign-owned food companies....
in 1999, marketed as a crusade against foreign ownership of Australian food producers, particularly Arnott's Biscuits
Arnott's Biscuits Holdings
Arnott's Biscuits Holdings , is a subsidiary of the Campbell Soup Company of the United States.In Australia Arnott's is the largest producer of biscuits and the second-largest supplier of snack food.-History:...
, which in 1997 became a wholly owned subsidiary of the Campbell Soup Company
Campbell Soup Company
Campbell Soup Company , also known as Campbell's, is an American producer of canned soups and related products. Campbell's products are sold in 120 countries around the world. It is headquartered in Camden, New Jersey...
. Dick Smith Foods only sells foods produced in Australia by Australian-owned companies.
Dick Smith Foods' products are often named to parody the items they compete with – for example, in competition with Redheads
Redheads (matches)
Redheads is an iconic Australian brand of matches originally manufactured in Richmond, Victoria by Bryant and May but now manufactured in Sweden by Swedish Match. It is the top-selling brand in the country....
matches, Smith sells near-identically packaged matches called "Dickheads
Dickheads matches
Dickheads were a brand of matches released by Australian businessman Dick Smith in 1999.The name is a pun on the Redheads brand of matches....
" with the text on the rear stating "We would have to be complete dickheads to let most of our famous Australian brands be taken over by foreign companies. Brands such as Vegemite, Aeroplane Jelly, Arnott’s, Speedo and Redhead Matches are in overseas hands. This means the profit and wealth created goes overseas and robs our children and grandchildren of a future". A chocolate biscuit called "Temptin'" competed directly with the established favourite Arnott's Tim Tam
Tim Tam
Tim Tam is a brand of chocolate biscuit currently manufactured by Arnott's in Australia. A Tim Tam is composed of two layers of chocolate malted biscuit, separated by a light chocolate cream filling, and coated in a thin layer of textured chocolate....
. In 2003 Arnott's took legal action against Dick Smith Foods, resulting in an out-of-court settlement that required the "p" in the Temptin' logo to be increased in size.
Publishing
In 1983 Smith published the book "The Earth Beneath Me" which described his solo helicopter flight around the world. Two documentaries were also filmed during the flight, and a third one soon after.In 1986, Smith founded the magazine
Magazine
Magazines, periodicals, glossies or serials are publications, generally published on a regular schedule, containing a variety of articles. They are generally financed by advertising, by a purchase price, by pre-paid magazine subscriptions, or all three...
Australian Geographic
Australian Geographic
The Australian Geographic is a quarterly geographical magazine-style journal created by Dick Smith in 1985. It focuses mainly on stories about Australia, or about Australian people in other countries...
, a National Geographic-style magazine focusing on Australia. Smith did not want to greatly expand Australian Geographic, but his friend and CEO Ike Bain convinced him to change his mind and soon it was a thriving business.
Aviation and adventures
In 1964, Smith sailed with a group of Rover Scouts to Balls Pyramid in the Pacific Ocean – the highest sea spire in the world. He and the group failed to climb the Pyramid, however in 1980 Smith returned and climbed to the top.Smith learned to fly in 1972, graduating to a twin engine Beech Baron. In 1976 he competed in the Perth
Perth, Western Australia
Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia and the fourth most populous city in Australia. The Perth metropolitan area has an estimated population of almost 1,700,000....
to Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
air race. At the age of 34 he purchased his first helicopter, a Bell Jetranger. With it he made a record-setting flight from Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
to Lord Howe Island
Lord Howe Island
Lord Howe Island is an irregularly crescent-shaped volcanic remnant in the Tasman Sea between Australia and New Zealand, directly east of mainland Port Macquarie, and about from Norfolk Island. The island is about 11 km long and between 2.8 km and 0.6 km wide with an area of...
and return, 1185 km. The helicopter opened new opportunities for exploring places otherwise inaccessible. In 1978 he found the wreck of the Kookaburra aircraft, which crash-landed in the Central Australian Desert in 1929.
Smith's admiration for the early aviation pioneers led him to successfully attempt the first solo helicopter flight around the world. His flight began in Fort Worth, Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
, on 5 August 1982, in a newly purchased Bell Jetranger 206B. On 19 August, the 50th anniversary of James Mollison's solo crossing of the Atlantic, he arrived at Balmoral Castle
Balmoral Castle
Balmoral Castle is a large estate house in Royal Deeside, Aberdeenshire, Scotland. It is located near the village of Crathie, west of Ballater and east of Braemar. Balmoral has been one of the residences of the British Royal Family since 1852, when it was purchased by Queen Victoria and her...
, United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
where he met Prince Charles. From there he flew to London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, where, later that day, the first stage of his flight ended, after 11752 km. The second stage of his flight started in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
on 13 September, and finished in Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, 3 October 1982, 23092 km later. On 25 May 1983 the final stage of the flight started. Not being granted permission to land in USSR, he arranged to land on a ship to refuel. His journey ended on 22 July 1983, the 50th anniversary of Wiley Post
Wiley Post
Wiley Hardeman Post was a famed American aviator, the first pilot to fly solo around the world. Also known for his work in high altitude flying, Post helped develop one of the first pressure suits. His Lockheed Vega aircraft, the Winnie Mae, was on display at the National Air and Space Museum's...
's solo aeroplane flight around the world on 22 July 1933.
In 1988/89 Smith flew a Twin Otter aircraft VH-SHW (registered after his hero, Sir Hubert Wilkins) vertically around the world, landing at both the North and South Poles. He landed the aircraft in Beijing on the night of the Tiananmen Square uprising.
In November 1995 Smith climbed the most remote of the seven summits, Carstensz Pyramid in Irian Jaya with Peter Hilary and Greg Mortimer.
Smith has been a vocal advocate for the civil aviation
Civil aviation
Civil aviation is one of two major categories of flying, representing all non-military aviation, both private and commercial. Most of the countries in the world are members of the International Civil Aviation Organization and work together to establish common standards and recommended practices...
industry in Australia, having been appointed by Prime Minister Bob Hawke to be Chairman of the Board of the Civil Aviation Authority from February 1990 to February 1992. He also served as Deputy-Chairman and Chairman of the Board of the Civil Aviation Safety Authority
Civil Aviation Safety Authority
The Civil Aviation Safety Authority is the Australian national aviation authority , the government statutory authority responsible for the regulation of civil aviation.-History:...
from 1997 until his resignation in 1999.
Smith was Chairman of the Council for the Centenary of Federation from December 1996 to February 2000, a position he was appointed to by the then Prime Minister, John Howard.
In February 2000, Smith and his co-pilot John Wallington became the first people to successfully complete an east-west crossing of the Tasman Sea
Tasman Sea
The Tasman Sea is the large body of water between Australia and New Zealand, approximately across. It extends 2,800 km from north to south. It is a south-western segment of the South Pacific Ocean. The sea was named after the Dutch explorer Abel Janszoon Tasman, the first recorded European...
by balloon, from New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
to Australia against generally-prevailing winds.
On 7 January 2006, Smith flew his Cessna Grand Caravan
Cessna 208
The Cessna 208 Caravan is a single turboprop engine, fixed-gear short-haul regional airliner and utility aircraft built in the United States by Cessna. The airplane typically seats nine passengers, with a single person crew, although with a FAR Part 23 waiver, it can seat up to fourteen passengers...
from Sydney to Hari Hari on the West Coast
Westland District
Westland District is a territorial authority on the west coast of New Zealand's South Island. Its population is - Government :The Westland District is governed by an elected Council, headed by an elected Mayor. The Mayor is elected at large. The current Mayor is Maureen Pugh. Councillors are...
of New Zealand's South Island
South Island
The South Island is the larger of the two major islands of New Zealand, the other being the more populous North Island. It is bordered to the north by Cook Strait, to the west by the Tasman Sea, to the south and east by the Pacific Ocean...
to mark the 75th anniversary of the first solo trans-Tasman
Trans-Tasman
Trans-Tasman is an adjective used primarily in Australia and New Zealand, which signifies an interrelationship between both countries. Its name originates from the Tasman Sea which lies between the two countries...
flight by Guy Menzies
Guy Menzies
Guy Lambton Menzies was the Australian aviator who flew the first solo trans-Tasman flight, from Sydney, Australia to the West Coast of New Zealand, on 7 January 1931....
in 1931.
On Tuesday 26 August 2008, Smith with his wife, Pip completed a two and a half year drive by vehicle around the world of over 40,000 kilometres.
Stunts
Smith has also attempted a number of well-publicised practical jokePractical joke
A practical joke is a mischievous trick played on someone, typically causing the victim to experience embarrassment, indignity, or discomfort. Practical jokes differ from confidence tricks in that the victim finds out, or is let in on the joke, rather than being fooled into handing over money or...
s, including the "attempt" to tow an iceberg
Iceberg
An iceberg is a large piece of ice from freshwater that has broken off from a snow-formed glacier or ice shelf and is floating in open water. It may subsequently become frozen into pack ice...
from Antarctica to Australia to obtain more fresh water. In the early 1980s Dick Smith served as the conductor aboard a London double decker bus
Routemaster
The AEC Routemaster is a model of double-decker bus that was built by Associated Equipment Company in 1954 and produced until 1968. Primarily front-engined, rear open-platform buses, a small number of variants were produced with doors and/or front entrances...
which jumped 15 motorcycles. The bus, driven by Hans Tholstrup, was a humorous poke at Evel Knievel
Evel Knievel
Evel Knievel , born Robert Craig Knievel, was an American daredevil and entertainer. In his career he attempted over 75 ramp-to-ramp motorcycle jumps between 1965 and 1980, and in 1974, a failed jump across Snake River Canyon in the Skycycle X-2, a steam-powered rocket...
who had visited Australia in 1979 and jumped his motorcycle over buses. Dick Smith's presence on the bus was a last minute decision by himself.
Awards and honours
Smith was awarded an Officer of the Order of Australia in the Australia DayAustralia Day
Australia Day is the official national day of Australia...
Honours of 1999, for his services to the community, charity and business.
Dick Smith was awarded Australian of the Year
Australian of the Year
Since 1960 the Australian of the Year Award has been part of the celebrations surrounding Australia Day , during which time the award has grown steadily in significance to become Australia’s pre-eminent award. The Australian of the Year announcement has become a very prominent part of the annual...
in 1986.. At Smith's Australian of the Year Presentation he suggested that publisher Rupert Murdoch might like to take a year off, come back to Australia and share some of his expertise by heading the Treasury or the Reserve Bank.
Smith was awarded the Baden-Powell Award in 1966, the highest award in the Rover Section
Rovers (Australia)
Rovers, formerly Rover Scouts, is the fifth and final section of Scouts Australia, and began in 1918. Rovers are aged between 17 and 26 years of age and are organised into local Crews, which can be associated with a Scout Group or operate as a stand-alone Crew. Crews accept anyone interested in...
, after 14 years in the Scouting movement.
Smith gained his amateur radio
Amateur radio
Amateur radio is the use of designated radio frequency spectrum for purposes of private recreation, non-commercial exchange of messages, wireless experimentation, self-training, and emergency communication...
licence at the age of 17 and holds call sign
Call sign
In broadcasting and radio communications, a call sign is a unique designation for a transmitting station. In North America they are used as names for broadcasting stations...
VK2DIK.
In 1992 Dick Smith received the United States’ Lindbergh Award. The Award, “is given annually to individuals whose work over many years has made significant contributions toward the Lindbergh's concept of balancing technology and nature.”
Dick Smith was named an Australian Living Treasure
Australian Living Treasures
Australian Living Treasures are people who have been nominated by the National Trust of Australia. The first list of 100 Living Treasures was published in 1997....
in 1997.
In 2000, Dick Smith was named the 2000 Adventurer of the Year by the Australian Geographic Society, after he made a trans-tasman balloon trip from New Zealand to Australia.
In 2010, Smith was the Patron for the 100th Anniversary of the Wireless Institute of Australia
Wireless Institute of Australia
The Wireless Institute of Australia was formed in 1910, and is the first and oldest national amateur radio society in the world. 2010 is the 100th anniversary of its formation...
, including being the major speaker at the annual general meeting
Annual general meeting
An annual general meeting is a meeting that official bodies, and associations involving the public , are often required by law to hold...
in Canberra
Canberra
Canberra is the capital city of Australia. With a population of over 345,000, it is Australia's largest inland city and the eighth-largest city overall. The city is located at the northern end of the Australian Capital Territory , south-west of Sydney, and north-east of Melbourne...
on 27 May 2010. The next day, he hosted AGM attendees at his country property near Gundaroo, New South Wales
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
.
On 29 June 2010 Dick Smith accepted the commission of Rear Admiral of the Lake Eyre
Lake Eyre
Lake Eyre is the lowest point in Australia, at approximately below sea level, and, on the rare occasions that it fills, it is the largest lake in Australia and 18th largest in the world...
Yacht Club.
Involvement in public affairs
In 2005, Dick Smith gave public support to the asylum seeker Peter QasimPeter Qasim
Peter Qasim was the longest-serving detainee within the Australian immigration detention system, having resided there for over seven years . He had not been deported because he was stateless. He had applied to over 80 countries for asylum, but had not been accepted.His case has been publicised by...
. Qasim was released later in 2005 by the Australian Government after seven years in detention. This support included the offer to visit India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
seeking evidence of Qasim's claims.
He paid a large share of the ransom to free Australian photojournalist Nigel Brennan and Canadian journalist Amanda Lindhout who were both being held hostage in Somalia
Somalia
Somalia , officially the Somali Republic and formerly known as the Somali Democratic Republic under Socialist rule, is a country located in the Horn of Africa. Since the outbreak of the Somali Civil War in 1991 there has been no central government control over most of the country's territory...
.
Smith is a founder and a patron of the Australian Skeptics
Australian Skeptics
The Australian Skeptics is a non-profit organisation based in Australia which investigates paranormal and pseudoscientific claims using scientific methodologies.-History:...
. In July 1980, Smith collaborated with renowned skeptic James Randi
James Randi
James Randi is a Canadian-American stage magician and scientific skeptic best known as a challenger of paranormal claims and pseudoscience. Randi is the founder of the James Randi Educational Foundation...
to test water divining
Dowsing
Dowsing is a type of divination employed in attempts to locate ground water, buried metals or ores, gemstones, oil, gravesites, and many other objects and materials, as well as so-called currents of earth radiation , without the use of scientific apparatus...
, offering a prize of $40,000 for a successful demonstration.
In June 2008, he offered a $50,000 award for investigative journalism into the Government purchase of Super Seasprite helicopters, after the contract was cancelled at a cost of A$1.1 billion.
In response to a large increase in pertussis
Pertussis
Pertussis, also known as whooping cough , is a highly contagious bacterial disease caused by Bordetella pertussis. Symptoms are initially mild, and then develop into severe coughing fits, which produce the namesake high-pitched "whoop" sound in infected babies and children when they inhale air...
cases during a 2008/09 outbreak
Outbreak
Outbreak is a term used in epidemiology to describe an occurrence of disease greater than would otherwise be expected at a particular time and place. It may affect a small and localized group or impact upon thousands of people across an entire continent. Two linked cases of a rare infectious...
, Smith funded a national ad in The Australian
The Australian
The Australian is a broadsheet newspaper published in Australia from Monday to Saturday each week since 14 July 1964. The editor in chief is Chris Mitchell, the editor is Clive Mathieson and the 'editor-at-large' is Paul Kelly....
encouraging parents to "Get The Facts" and derided the Australian Vaccination Network
Australian Vaccination Network
The Australian Vaccination Network , formerly known as the Vaccination Awareness Network, is an Australian anti-vaccination lobby group registered in New South Wales. It is dedicated to the idea that one's health can be maintained without the use of pharmaceutical drugs and vaccines...
as an anti-vaccination organisation.
Political activism
Smith donated A$60,000 in February 2007 towards a campaign to secure a fair trial for then Australian terrorism suspect David HicksDavid Hicks
David Matthew Hicks is an Australian who was convicted by the United States of America Guantanamo Military Commission under the Military Commissions Act of 2006, on charges of providing material support for terrorism...
who had been held in a U.S. military prison in Cuba's
Cuba
The Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city...
Guantanamo Bay for five years. Smith said he wanted Hicks to get "a fair trial, a fair go". Fresh charges, including attempted murder, had been filed against Hicks earlier that month. Hicks pleaded guilty to a lesser charge in March 2007 as part of a plea bargain, and was released from custody in December 2007.
Smith financially assisted Australian Greens
Australian Greens
The Australian Greens, commonly known as The Greens, is an Australian green political party.The party was formed in 1992; however, its origins can be traced to the early environmental movement in Australia and the formation of the United Tasmania Group , the first Green party in the world, which...
leader Senator
Australian Senate
The Senate is the upper house of the bicameral Parliament of Australia, the lower house being the House of Representatives. Senators are popularly elected under a system of proportional representation. Senators are elected for a term that is usually six years; after a double dissolution, however,...
Bob Brown
Bob Brown
Robert James Brown is an Australian senator, the inaugural Parliamentary Leader of the Australian Greens and was the first openly gay member of the Parliament of Australia...
after he was left with a $240,000 anti-logging court bill after losing a case he brought against Forestry Tasmania
Forestry Tasmania
Forestry Tasmania is a Tasmanian state government-owned corporation. It runs the state-owned forestry for tourism and logging including the Tahune Airwalk and Upper Florentine Valley.-Controversy:...
. A failure to pay would have resulted in Brown having to declare bankruptcy, and therefore lose his seat in the Senate.
Population policy activism
In August 2010 Smith announced he would be devoting himself to questions of global population, overpopulationOverpopulation
Overpopulation is a condition where an organism's numbers exceed the carrying capacity of its habitat. The term often refers to the relationship between the human population and its environment, the Earth...
, and alternatives to an economic growth
Economic growth
In economics, economic growth is defined as the increasing capacity of the economy to satisfy the wants of goods and services of the members of society. Economic growth is enabled by increases in productivity, which lowers the inputs for a given amount of output. Lowered costs increase demand...
-based economy. He produced and appeared in the feature length documentary, Dick Smith's Population Puzzle broadcast by public network ABC
Australian Broadcasting Corporation
The Australian Broadcasting Corporation, commonly referred to as "the ABC" , is Australia's national public broadcaster...
, questioning the desirability of Australia's rapid population growth. In the documentary, Smith calls the campaign the most important thing he has ever done in his life.
In August 2010 he announced the Wilberforce Award of AUS$1 million to a person under 30 who attracted his attention by advocating alternatives to population
Population growth
Population growth is the change in a population over time, and can be quantified as the change in the number of individuals of any species in a population using "per unit time" for measurement....
and consumption
Consumerism
Consumerism is a social and economic order that is based on the systematic creation and fostering of a desire to purchase goods and services in ever greater amounts. The term is often associated with criticisms of consumption starting with Thorstein Veblen...
growth.
In May 2011, Dick Smith published his book on the subject, Dick Smith's Population Crisis: The dangers of unsustainable growth for Australia.
Further reading
- Davis, Pedr. Kookaburra: the most compelling story in Australia’s aviation history, Lansdowne books, Dee Why, 1980, ISBN 0-7018-1357-1
- Smith, Dick. The Earth Beneath Me : Dick Smith's epic journey across the world, Angus & Robertson London 1983, ISBN 0-207-14630-6
- Smith, Dick. Our Fantastic Planet : circling the globe via the poles with Dick Smith, Terry Hills N.S.W. Australian Geographic, 1991, ISBN 1-86276-007-1
- Smith, Dick. Solo Around The World, Australian Geographic, Terrey Hills, 1992, ISBN 186279008X
- Gott, Robert. Makers and Shakers, Reed Educational & Professional Publishing, Melbourne, 1998, ISBN 1-86391-878-7
- Smith, Dick and Pip. Above The World: a pictorial circumnavigation, Australian Geographic, Terrey Hills, 1996, ISBN 18262760179
- Bain, Ike. The Dick Smith Way, McGraw-Hill, Sydney, 2002, ISBN 0-07-471160-1
- Smith, Dick. Dick Smith's Population Crisis: The dangers of unsustainable growth of Australia, Allen & Unwin, Sydney, 2011 ISBN 978-1-74237-657-8