I first heard of David Glasheen in April 2005 when, aboard SEASWIFT's "Trinity Bay", I sailed past "his" island, Restoration Island, and wrote,
"As we passed along the coastline of mainland Australia, I remembered that less than two months earlier, cyclone Ingrid had threatened to strike. While most people were evacuated, some remained, including a bare-chested old hermit with a long grey beard, David Glasheen (although his name could be Robinson Crusoe for all we know), of Restoration Island, looking as if he had been marooned since Captain William Bligh beached his boat here after the 1789 HMS Bounty mutiny.
It is said that this nouveau beachcomber from Sydney has plans to develop Restoration Island as an eco-resort. He's been living alone on Bligh's island for years ever since his long-suffering Woman Friday had escaped on a passing boat. But David is looking for another Girl Friday. His quest took him as far as the "TODAY SHOW" on Channel 9 and even the Sunday Telegraph published this article:
"He may look like Robinson Crusoe but, after 12 years of living alone on a tropical island, David Glasheen now wants to play Romeo. The former Sydney high-flyer who left the rat race and bought himself a tropical island near Australia's Top End is looking for a "Girl Friday". He is now advertising online for love, offering the ultimate sea change for the right woman who doesn't like shopping or neighbours.
Mr Glasheen and his dog Quasi are the only residents on tiny Restoration Island, off Cape York. While he has the occasional visit from tourists or passing yacht, he admits it gets a little lonely in paradise. "There has to be someone out there for me," Mr Glasheen told The Sunday Telegraph. "I've got an eye for the ladies, so I guess I would do anything to meet the right partner."
The divorced father of three is hoping he will meet the "mermaid" of his dreams using the Internet dating site RSVP. His advertisement reads like the perfect scenario for a Mills and Boon novel, but so far he has received only a few responses. "The beautiful coral island I live on is a castaway's dream," he writes. "A tiny green oasis floating in the desert of the sea, surrounded by the corals of the Great Barrier Reef."
Mr Glasheen, 65, a former businessman, traded in his suit for a lap-lap almost two decades ago after losing $10 million in the stock market crash of 1987. His first marriage, from which he has two daughters, ended around the same time. The one-time company executive says losing almost his entire fortune was one of the best things that ever happened in his life. "I just realised it all didn't mean anything," he said.
He paid seven figures for a 50-year lease on one-third of Restoration Island - the remaining land is a national park. Mr Glasheen moved there in 1993 with his girlfriend, but with no hot water or even a bath, she found it tough and left with their young son. He has added a few mod cons to his island hideaway but says it is still pretty basic.
Its simplicity and remoteness has attracted the likes of Russell Crowe and Danielle Spencer, who stopped off there on their honeymoon. "But we have style in the wild here. We don't live like yahoos or hillbillies - we have plenty of champagne when we need it," Mr Glasheen said.
Restoration Island, 2000km north of Brisbane, was named by Captain William Bligh. It was there his supporters "restored" their spirits following the infamous mutiny on the Bounty. Mr Glasheen said he was looking for a warm-hearted woman who could put up with the peculiarities of life on a remote island and would be willing to travel to the mainland for a dinner date or two."
Dave got his two minutes of fame when, following the release of his ghost-written book "The Millionaire Castaway", the publishers invited him to Sydney in 2019, after which he returned to his castaway life on Restoration Island - or "Resto" for short - with occasional visits to the mainland for shopping or medical treatment. Earlier this year, David, now 81, suffered a heart attack - click here - and left the island for Cairns Hospital, from which he was discharged to a Red Cross place.
Well, David never made it back to Restoration Island, because another old friend in Cooktown has just sent me this facebook tribute posted by his son Kye and compiled by Katie and Jason of The Temple Cape York.
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David, mate
written by his son Kye You built something massive with your own two hands, lost it all in a stock market crash, and still had the guts to walk away from it all. You chose the island. You chose peace. You did what most people couldn’t, lived off the land, trusted yourself, and found freedom in your own way. You showed me that being rich isn’t about money. It’s about mindset, truth, and living by your own rules. You were a builder, a fighter, a deep thinker, and a teacher. You weren’t perfect, but you were real. And I’ll never forget that. Your dreams and plans are now in my hands, and I’ll carry them forward with purpose and action, working to understand what it all truly means. You wanted to build a healing retreat, but didnt realise you already did. To my beautiful sister Samantha, thank you. You were my rock through all of this. The way you stood by Dad with love and grace, and held space for me when I couldn’t do it on my own… I’ll never be able to put into words what that meant. You were there in his final moments, and more than that, you were there for me.. and I’ll never forget it. Dad, you held me close during a cyclone once in a small metal shack, the wind roaring outside. I was just a kid, scared, but you stayed calm. You told me everything would be alright, and in your arms, I believed it. In your final weeks, as life gently slowed and the fog began to lift, I held you, just like you once held me. The roles had changed, but the love hadn’t. And in that quiet exchange, the circle of life revealed itself. Not in sadness, but in something quietly beautiful. In loving memory of David Glasheen |
This is another one of those 'Ask not for whom the bell tolls; it tolls for thee' moments but, as they say, life goes on, and I'm trying to digest my lunch of Chicken in Oyster Sauce and this latest piece of sad news.
It was good having known you, Dave, and I hope you rest in peace. It'll be even more peaceful than Restoration Island where you've gone now.
