Oskar Speck
German who kayaked to Australia (1907–1995) / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Oskar Speck (4 March 1907 – 28 March 1993) was a German canoeist who kayaked from Germany to Australia.[1] He departed from Ulm, Germany in 1932 to seek work due to being an unemployed electrical contractor in Hamburg. He initially intended to kayak to Cyprus to work in the copper mines but ended up wanting to continue the journey through Southeast Asia and the Middle East to Australia.[1]
Oskar Speck | |
---|---|
Born | 4 March 1907 |
Died | 28 March 1993 (aged 86) Australia |
Occupation | Sports Figure |
Known for | Kayaking from Germany to Australia |
Partner | Nancy Steele |
Speck arrived in Australia in 1939, at the beginning of the Second World War.[2] He was accused of being a spy and was imprisoned in a prisoner-of-war camp.[1] When the war ended, he was released from imprisonment and later became a successful opal merchant in Sydney.[1]