15/04/2025
Hi all,
Many of you are concerned and reached out after seeing multiple police at Eventide Sanctuary yesterday along with my social media post.
I’m going to be completely honest. It takes a lot to share this publically.
Thank you all for reaching out.
I was at rock bottom and took the final walk to the forest with myself and Wally. I was finished.
My loyal friend would never leave my side also and i know he would want to be by my side forever. I wanted to ensure i continued the journey with the animals at Eventide and leave my body to the Tasmanian Devils. I left notes and said my goodbyes. I wanted no fuss.
It was a surreal moment when all the animals sat there watching me, almost knowing.
I have had such a tough journey at Eventide Sanctuary and it’s time to share it and reach out for help. I really don’t know how to start again after all this.
I am a British Army Veteran who has served multiple operational tours. This has its own challenges.
I started Eventide Sanctuary to do some good in the world, its cost me everything emotionally and physically and still there are local people here who are constantly trying to knock me down. As much as i try, i cant understand what pleasure they gain out of undermining me to this point.
They are consistently complaining to the council about me living in a professionally built shed without the correct approval. It has a full septic system etc.
They submitted the complaints just as my fiance moved in after many months of long distance, was this a coincidence, i doubt it.
I then constructed a wooden cabin to use as a visitor centre for schools, daycare centres and families to use when they visited. Even though this is hidden from all sight and built professionally again it was reported.
I then bought two professionally fitted out shipping containers for visitor rooms. Again, hidden from sight and without causing any issues and some felt the the need to undermine me yet again and reported them.
I am just trying to exist and do some good in the world. I earn very, very little money from the sanctuary and im just trying to build a few things to generate income, survive and rescue more animals.
I have reached out to many grants and government business agencies for assistance and they just say they can’t help and im too small to qualify for help. Please tick here to say we have attended.
I bought the property and began eventide sanctuary while i was working at one of the main hotels in the city as the Chief Engineer.
I was faslely accused of allegations while working there and deliberately outcast and-attempted to be pushed out of the workplace.
I went through an independent tribunal to attempt to clear my name, i was found not guilty and all allegations were dropped in return for my immediate resignation, a payout and me never talking about why i left. Humiliating after building a great team and winning the Engineer Team of the Asia Pacific award with my small team against other huge hotels.
I used the payout to put a deposit down on a kit home to go through the correct process of building a home. After many months of failed promises and me living in a tent on the property the kit home company turned out to be a scam. They were investigated and reported on A Current Affair and 60 minutes.
Hundreds of people lost thier money and the government ombudsman’s did nothing to help and the director walks free to this day as a millionaire.
This resulted in me having to convert my shed to live in. I did not have time or money to wait for the multiple soil tests permits etc. I needed a home and built a professional one.
Eventide Sanctuary currently has over 200 animals on site. I am getting constant animals dumped at the gate with ‘please help, the council told me to remove’ on the box.
During this time i met a beautiful girl who came to visit the sanctuary, we immediately connected and eventually she moved in last month after relocating from the mainland. She was incredible and helped transform the sanctuary overnight. I was the happiest man in the world to meet someone who shared the dream.
With all of the above stress plus the daily struggles of running the sanctuary, plus my own faults and mental health issues, sadly my fiancé has moved out of Eventide a few days ago.
This has broken me, my beautiful pillar of support has left when things got tough. She understandably just needs to look after herself and move out. I don’t blame her. I love her and want her happy. This was the tipping point for me. I really loved her so much and i felt so abandoned.
She is currently emptying our home of her personal belongings as im in a mental health ward.
I am destroyed by it all.
So, to the people that are complaining and trying to undermine what I’m doing, well done, you have destroyed me and won. Sleep happy and easy.
Where to next, yesterday showed me that people do care and mostly, i have support.
Thank you.
Going back to trying to run Eventide alone with half built projects and so many things to organise with no funding is overwhelming. I really don’t know where to start.
Im sharing this publicly in the wish that the community and supporters can help and not see Eventide Sanctuary fail.
It has touched the hearts of so many visitors from around the world.
I need some help, im not ok currently.
What we do in life echoes into eternity.
Eventide is home to a huge selection of rescued animals.
