Allan
Yeomans was born in Sydney in 1931. He is a fifth generation Australian.
He attended primary schools in a series of gold mining towns throughout
eastern Australia. Secondary school was Scots College, Sydney.
Attended Sydney University where he studied engineering, and physics
under Prof. Harry Messel. Completed the first postgraduate course
on computing using the SILIAC computer at Sydney University. At
that time the SILIAC, a sister computer to the ILLIAC at the University
of Illinois, Chicago. These computers were, at the time the most
advanced computers of their type in the world.
Also completed a postgraduate course in nuclear energy and radioisotopes.
Joined the family business, being mainly open cut coal mining.
Along with his father P.A.Yeomans (known to all as PA) set up
operations in 1952 to manufacture chisel ploughs. Australia was
only the second country in the world to produce these, at that
time, totally new type of cultivating implement. Allan's main
function was equipment design.
Was closely involved and was an active contributor in the development
of his father's Keyline system of agriculture. The system is now
taught in colleges and universities in several countries including
the US. Allan was jointly responsible for the name Keyline. (See
Keyline Design at Wikipedia)
Married in London in 1953 and had five daughters.
His father sold the chisel plough business and a restriction was
placed on Allan to not be involved in agricultural machinery for
ten years.
Commenced his own business, initially manufacturing furniture.
His Banana Chair became a household word in Australia. He also
set up and produced these "chaise lounges" in 1961 in
Los Angeles.
Became a builder and built several hundred houses along with the
first modern major high-rise residential building in Australia
in the early 1960s. Named "Colebrook" - it's in Double
Bay, Sydney and has one hundred and eighteen units and is nineteen
stories.
Produced aircraft tooling for QANTAS and the RAAF (Royal Australian
Air Force). He undertook classified research for the Navy, built
small ship componentry and transport equipment for the Army.
In 1980 purchased a semi-defunct agricultural manufacturing business
in central NSW and moved to Forbes, where he met and married his
second wife Chris.
The subsoiler plough concept, which had been placed on hold following
the sale of the chisel plough business, was reinitiated.
The plough operation was moved to Queensland in 1990 and continues
to manufacture "Yeomans Plows". They are bought by farmers
all round the world. The company is currently developing a cheap
multi-megawatt module solar thermal power system for remote locations
and especially for developing countries. He holds numerous patents
in both fields.
Throughout his life he has been deeply involved in sustainable
agricultural systems and at times has advised the Texas Department
of Agriculture and the Californian Energy Commission and liaised
at one time with the Secretary of Agriculture for Pennsylvania
on such systems.
Allan commenced compiling information and warning people in talks
and lectures about global warming and climate change in the late
1980s. He was the only non-American invited to participate in
a week-long twenty-person think tank held at, and sponsored by,
the Esalen Institute, Big Sur California. (Attendees list attached)
His book PRIORITY ONE Together We Can Beat Global Warming resulted
from those talks and actions.
In his book and in his lectures he advocates four principals.
He advocates sequestration of atmospheric carbon dioxide by enhancing
soil fertility by boosting organic matter content.
He advocates the elimination of petroleum-based fuels and a comprehensive
switch to biofuels for transport.
He advocates that all major industrial nations change totally
from fossil fuel generated power to nuclear fuel generated power
assisted where practical by other sustainable power systems
He advocates ending our current faith and trust in all major environmental
movements until they unreservedly accept that ending global warming
must take general precedence over all other environmental issues.
He sees ending global warming and stopping climate change entirely
as a public relations and image correction problem.
Allan's hobbies include, and have included - several thousand
hours racing gliders, flying light aircraft, ultralights, helicopters
and gyrocopters - also skin diving and scuba diving - and competitive
water skiing (one time national jump record holder).
His wife Chris started the "Save The Farm Fund" charity
in the mid 1990s and in 1995 was named Gold Coast Citizen of the
Year. She was Queenslander of the Year in 1996 and a runner up
for Australian of the Year, also in 1996. Chris was awarded an
Order of Australia in 1997. A park on the Gold Coast was named
the Chris Yeomans Park in her honor.
In the forward to PRIORITY ONE Allan describes Chris as "The
wind beneath my wings"
Allan Yeomans’ objective is to have people recognize that
it is practical and economical to end global warming and also
for people to clearly understand how easily be achieved. |