David Glasheen was once a high-flying businessman in cosmopolitan Sydney, until bad investments and the 1987 stock market crash cost him over $10 million. He decided to give up the hectic rat race and settled on the formerly uninhabited Restoration Island on Queensland's northern coast. Glasheen has lived the past twenty years on the island paradise, with only his dog Quasi for company.
Occasionally, he is visited by passing yachtsmen, kayakers and groups of organic farmers. He keeps a female mannequin with him—dressed in appropriate attire. The mannequin was used as a gimmick to draw a real female companion to the island for Glasheen. The trick worked, temporarily, as the young lady found the solitude of island life far too difficult and departed after only six months.
Now in his mid-60s, he has survived on the island by eating coconuts, growing his own fruits and vegetables as well as brewing his own beer.
Now, the Australian Supreme Court has decided it is time for Glasheen to vacate the island, as he has failed to live up to his part of the lease he initially signed with the Australian government to be able to stay on the island. Glasheen and a business partner agreed to lease Restoration Island from the government for some $20,000 a year—provided they build a resort on the island as well as develop fishing facilities—something they have not done in 20 years.
Glasheen remains philosophical about his possible eviction from the island, stating "I have no idea. I live on now. Tomorrow I might be dead."
No comments:
Post a Comment