Tom, who is now 66 years of age, commenced keeping pigeons as a nine-year-old boy after he tamed a pigeon, that he later named Myrtle. Myrtle used to eat in the family chook/duck yard at his home in Lidcombe, Sydney, Australia. In no time Tom had a mate for Myrtle that he caught at a wheat silo that was located nearby in the Homebush Abattoir site (now the Homebush Olympic complex). Tom first raced pigeons at the age of fourteen in a “Tin Lizzie” club at Regents Park. This club was run by the then President of the Pigeon Fanciers Protection Union (now known as the Australian Pigeon Fanciers Association), Les Foster, who generously gave Tom his Derby winner to help him start out in the sport. It wasn’t long however before pigeon racing had to be put on hold as Tom was developing into a champion cyclist, turning “professional” at 15 years of age, and winning his first Australian Championship in 1956 in Tasmania. During this period Tom still kept a few pigeons, however he concentrated on showing racing pigeons rather than racing them. He remembers winning 56 prizes under the astute racing pigeon judge, the late Phil Pooley, in the late fifties at Sydney’s Royal Easter Show.

In 1962 Tom gave cycling away, married, and moved house to Pendle Hill (situated between the Wentworthville and Seven Hills clubs). Tom gave his best show birds to the late Ken Lobb, who was a leading showman at the time, and in return Ken gave Tom a couple of his champion racers including, “Montecarlo”, a blue bar cock that had won the Western Federation National. Ken also introduced Tom to the late Jim Means, a great pigeon fancier and racer, asking him to teach Tom the finer points of pigeon racing. Tom still says he learnt more from Jim Means than anyone he has ever met in the pigeon world. Unfortunately Jim Means died in 1965. Two years before, in 1963, Jim had won the NRP National with over 400 flyers competing winning over £700, a lot of money when wages were only £15 per week. Jim Means gave Tom many pigeons in those few years that Tom crossed with his beloved “Montecarlo”. “Montecarlo” was bred in 1955 and bred prizewinners till he was 17 years of age. At 19 years of age he bred a daughter that went on to be a champion producer herself.

During these years Tom really only had the time to be a part-time flyer. He worked long hours as a Bread Vendor to support his family, that had grown to four boys by 1969. Success had been limited and it wasn’t until 1975 that Tom actually raced a full season in the Seven Hills Club. Seven Hills Club had 55 members that year, and Tom won the club averages.
In 1977 he won every feature race in the club. During this period he was also the club Secretary, and with support from the club members he organised the club to purchase a block of land, in Abigail Street Seven Hills, for $15000 and with members working-bees built a 40 foot x 30 foot brick club house.

In 1978 Tom was elected Secretary of the Pigeon Fanciers Protection Union of Australia (PFPU).
In 1979, with a loan from the late Fred Burton on $9000, the PFPU purchased the Australian Pigeon Fancier magazine and the franchises to import Taiwanese racing pigeon rubbers. Tom said it was a lot of hard work being Secretary and Editor of the Pigeon Fancier Magazine. He built up circulation of the magazine from 600 to 2600 paying subscribers.

Seeking affiliation for Australia to the Federation Colombophile Internationale (FCI), the world pigeon body, Tom travelled to Amsterdam in Holland and attended the Olympiad and World Pigeon Congress as Australia’s representative. Australia’s application for affiliation was subsequently granted and in 1981 together with Fred Burton, the then PFPU President, Tom attended the Olympiad where for the first time Australian pigeons competed against the best in the world.. These trips, taken on behalf of the PFPU were financed personally by Tom. Even in later years when an official of the APFA Tom always paid for his trips personally. He said he “never had a free trip”. All this work for an honorarium of a few hundred dollars.

All of this work was taking its toll on Tom’s family life. He resigned in 1984. In recognition of his work for the PFPU he was made a life member, actually Tom holds the number 1 life membership card, although he wishes he was still number 5 and his old mates were still alive. Not able to get his domestic problems sorted out Tom was divorced in 1986 selling all his pigeons.

His interests then turned to his other love, cycle racing, at 50 years of
age. Within a year he was successfully competing against the younger cyclists although Tom says he still used to dream about his pigeons.

In 1991 Tom moved to Mays Hill, Westmead, with his partner Margaret, quickly putting up a pigeon loft. He says the difficult thing was obtaining the right stock to restart. He obtained Houbens and Busschaerts from John Hanson of Blenhaven Stud in 1995 together with a few of Alan Brown’s, of Riviera Stud “Big Hen” Janssens plus a few of John Brislin’s Deweerdts. Some success followed but once again Tom’s work made it difficult. He was often travelling interstate as the State and Federal Secretary of the Bread Industry Salesman’s Association, which he retired from in 1998. He then accepted the appointment as General Manager (Secretary) of the Australian Pigeon Fanciers Association Inc. (APFA) and Editor of the Australian Pigeon Fancier Magazine. Once again this kept Tom as a part-time pigeon flyer. Tom worked hard at this job and again rebuilt the magazine’s circulation to nearly 2000 subscribers. He even had the Pictorial Magazine of England publishing articles written by Tom. He also organising a number of successful Pigeon Conventions.
In 2002 a fire destroyed the APFA offices and shop. The board of Directors subsequently saw fit not to reopen.

Now Tom could be a full-time pigeon fancier for the first time. Success came with the introduction of the “Producer” cock and his son “Octagonal” (Staf Van Reet / Van Loon), plus pigeons direct from Jos Thone from his Grondelaars lines and his great Barcelona distance pigeons of ‘Poco’ 1st International Yearling 1993 and 1st National Hens 1995 and ‘Gerda’ 1st International 1996.

In 2001 Tom was 3rd overall, 1st Section Central Cumberland Federation (CCF) averages on the North route. In 2002 1st overall, 1st Section CCF averages on the Northwest Route.
In 2003 he was 2nd Overall, 1st Section CCF averages on the West Route and in the same year won 1st Overall Southern Federation Averages as well.
In 2004 he was 1st Section CCF winning the prestigious CCF Young Bird Derby National.
In 2005 he won 1st Overall Southern Federation averages again.
In 2006 he is currently leading his Section averages in the CCF. The Central Cumberland Federation has a membership of 434 competitive flyers. Living in the geographic centre of the CCF winning Fed’s is difficult, however Tom seems to manage to do this almost every year.

Tom warns fanciers against wasting good pigeons chasing averages at club or Federation level, sending them to races that may be to far for the bird, in an endeavour to win an averages. Even when in contention to win the CCF averages Tom usually only sends about 5 birds to the 500 and 600 miles races. Only the birds that he feels reasonably sure have the ability and condition to do these races are ever sent.

Tom’s greatest joy has been winning the CCF Young Bird Derby with his grandson Ricky’s pigeon “Jacko” and the fact that he bred the parents and most of its grandparents.

Tom enjoys, and is fascinated by, the challenge in breeding winning racing pigeons. First obtain the best, and then only breed off the best performers that breed more great performers. The basket pedigree is the best pedigree a bird can have. All of Tom’s foundation pigeons were sons or daughter, or sisters or brothers of National winners of Belgium and Holland.

More recently Tom purchased at an auction in Europe pigeons from the late Albert Marcelis, including “The Wondervoske” a winner of 6 races plus a daughter of “The Smalle”, the father of Albert Marcelis’ loft of champions. Actually Tom also purchased the only daughter of “Jonge Sprint” the highest priced pigeon at his auction sale.

Tom believes once you have some good racers in your loft you must make sure you help them maintain a very strong immune system. DO NOT OVER MEDICATE, better don’t medicate unless it is absolutely necessary is his advice. He believes you must control canker and cocci in your race team. Training: hard routes like the CCF north route your birds need to be flown twice a day for at least one hour with less tossing, after they are taught to race, with all pigeons being tossed every Saturday. Easier routes “if there is such a thing” up until Thursday night basketing fly once a day for 40 to 50 minutes with plenty of short tosses.

Tom believes to climb to higher levels you must try new things. Sometimes you go back a step then progress a few steps. If you don’t you will be left behind … as they say “still water stagnates …”.

Tom said he would like to acknowledge the advice he has received from Graham Davison. He believes Graham and his wife June are great ambassadors for our sport. Stephen Saywell, another South Coaster, who Tom not only admires for his pigeon expertise but his integrity.

However the person Tom believes has put him on the “right track” in racing and breeding is his friend Peter Badenhorst. Peter is formerly from South Africa where he was many times Federation President, a position he took on reluctantly when called upon, but very successfully. Tom recalled a he attended a dinner in South Africa when he was there for the Sun City Million Dollar Pigeon Race and was delighted to see that the South African Fanciers held Peter in as high esteem as he did. Truly a very knowledgeable fancier who has the most complete understanding of all of Europe’s champion racing strains. Tom said it is thanks to Peter that he has been able to develop an Australian family of the best-of-the-best from Europe. Peter is a man of great integrity who always puts the sport of pigeon racing ahead of his own. Tom believes we should all, as pigeon fanciers, follow Peter’s example, which would allow the sport to prosper.

Tom’s determination to breed or obtain the highest quality pigeons (often making considerable sacrifices to do so), then training them to a peak level of fitness to allow them to achieve their full potential, make him the highly successful winner he is today.