Stanley McGill Thomson has had more than a 30 year tenure as an ABC Radio Broadcaster, literally speaking to the world (at times). Prior to that he had a healthy dose of life in commercial radio and has now become a writer.
Emigrating to Australia from Scotland in 1958 his debut novel ‘356’ is influenced in part by his own family history. Stan hastens to assure folk that the influence is mainly geographical and his family was untainted by the drama he writes about!
He has a deep interest in life as it was in the U.K. during the 1950’s. Born in Leith as the son of a Congregational Minister, Stan’s earliest memories of place include sitting on a windy hill in Scalloway close to Lerwick in the Shetland Islands.
Then, together with his parents, Bill McGill and Janet he and his beloved brother, David moved to Cumnock in Rabbie Burns’ Ayrshire. Following that tenure, Stan’s father moved the family to Dunfermline before migrating to South Australia in 1958.
Renowned British author & Friend of Stan's, Jeffrey Archer who is also a member of the House of Lords for over 25 years
Stan in the recording studio.
The Scots Monument on Princes Street. "We had to run up the stairs twice in order to have toasted raisin bread and a milkshake at Jenners" says Stan.
The famous Forth Rail Bridge, an image impressed on Stan's young mind as he travelled it frequently between Dunfermline & Edinburgh.
Education was at Salisbury North Primary, and Kings College in Adelaide before leaving school life in Wentworth in NSW, where he joined the PMG (Australia Post). After quite a few years in Melbourne, he and his then wife, Pamela became proprietors of the General Store in Hepburn Springs in Victoria’s Spa Region.
Joining them also were their two young sons, Christopher and Paul. It was there that Stan branched his interests out into Commercial Radio at stations such as 3CV, 5PI (Port Pirie), 5SE (Mt. Gambier) then to over 30 years with the ABC, Australia’s National Broadcaster.
Carole joined his life in 1988 and they happily share 6 children along with beloved grandchildren and great grandchildren. Stan’s other interests extend to Tourism Promotion and the Arts and was a long serving Trustee of Country Arts SA as well as a board member of the Riddoch Art Gallery in Mt. Gambier.
Brian (Prof.) Lynn of Majella Wines in Coonawarra pairs a wine with Stan's story.