"I owe a lot to Scouting, it had to be the most fantastic influence on my life. It taught me responsible risk-taking." Dick Smith
Dick Smith was born in Roseville on 18 March 1944. He loved the outdoors and kept snakes and lizards in his backyard. He became a cub at 1st East Roseville at age 8 which furthered his interest in the bush and outdoor adventure. Dick gained the Queen Scout Award in Venturers in 1962 and the Baden-Powell Award in Rovers in 1966.
"I began in Cubs at age 8 in 1952 and went right through to Rovers at age 23 in 1966. I was very much a loner and Scouting gave me mateship, taught me organisation and how to motivate people. That's why I was able to be the success that I am."
A big influence during Rovers was Tony Balthasar, Rover Advisor at 1st East Roseville. Tony encouraged the Rovers to challenge themselves i the outdoors, and provided money for selected Rovers (including Dick) to attend a mountain climbing course at the Kandersteg Scout Centre in Switzerland.
My first real expedition was when a group of Rover Scouts and myself organised a sailing boat and sailed to Ball's Pyramid, an incredible rock spire almost 500 miles to the east of Sydney. It was the largest of its kind in the world. Recovering from an operation, Dick was unable to reach the top but would learn about responsible risk-taking. I was about 21 years old and it gave me the kind of experience that helped me to start my business. In 1980 he returned and would climb to the summit.
Dick and Pip Smith were awarded the National Presidents Award from Scouts Australia in recognition of their ongoing support for Scouting in 2011.
1952 - Joined 1st East Roseville as a Cub
1962 - Queen Scout Award (1st East Roseville)
1964-1965 - Cub Scout Leader (1st East Roseville)
1966 - Baden-Powell Award (1st East Roseville Rovers)
1983 - First solo helicopter flight around the world
1985 - Established the Tony Balthasar Award for Rovers
1986 - Australian of the Year
1987 - Made first helicopter flight to the North Pole
1989 - First person to fly around the world via the poles
1992 - First east-west flight around the world via helicopter
1993 - First non-stop balloon crossing of the Australian continent
1999 - Appointed Officer of the Order of Australia for his services to the community, charity and business
2000 - First Trans-Tasman Balloon flight
2000 - Adventurer of the Year by the Australian Geographic Society
2000 - Carried the Sydney 2000 Olympic torch through Roseville
2011 - National Presidents Award from Scouts Australia
2014 - Special Australian Geographical Society Award for 50 years of adventure
2015 - Advanced to the Companion of the Order of Australia for eminent service to the community as a benefactor of a range of not-for-profit and conservation organisations, through support for major fundraising initiatives for humanitarian and social welfare programs, to medical research and the visual arts, and to aviation.
This summary has been sourced from displays at the NSW Scout Museum and Trailblazers - Australia's 50 Greatest Explorers (Australian Museum, 2015)