While the Whittley boat building is today a thriving corporation with international arms extending the world over,the beginnings of this second generation company are fundamental as any. Brothers Jim and Ossie, built a timber boat for a mate in 1953. It was a hobby, a labour of love for two brothers who shared a passion for working with timber. The boat crafted by the Whittley brothers way back then, impressed all who saw her. Pretty soon, others were lining up to get a hand built timber cruiser from the Whittley brothers.

The hobby became a business. A factory was acquired in the outer eastern Melbourne suburb pf Bulleen and a steady flow of small cruisers and yachts started to roll out of the Whittley Factory.

Now, some five decades later company founders Jim and Aileen Whittley have eased into retirement. Whittley sons Neville and Steven head up the company, continuing the family tradition. Skilled and trained craftsmen in their own right, the contemporary Whittley generation are just as exacting and fastidious about the boats, as their father...