Harry Smithson
I’m Harry Smithson, and I grew up in a small town in Northland. I’ve always been fascinated by how things work and spent a lot of time as a child in my grandfather’s machine shop, which sparked my interest in engineering and how things are made.
In my spare time, I enjoy working on projects in my shed, including restoring classic cars and recently completing the build of a 150 mm hydraulic wood chipper.
When I’m not in the workshop, I enjoy fishing, playing pool, and spending time with friends and family.
Work History
Scaffolder
5 MonthsAfter leaving school, I worked as a labourer while waiting to start my plumbing apprenticeship. My duties included forklift operation, loading trucks, general labouring, and assisting with site tasks. This role helped me develop strong practical skills, reliability, a solid work ethic, and confidence working at heights.
Plumbing Apprentice
1 MonthStarted a plumbing apprenticeship, gaining experience in plumbing and drainlaying on residential and commercial sites. Duties included assisting with the installation and maintenance of plumbing systems, drainage work, excavation, site preparation, and using a range of hand and power tools. Developed strong practical skills, teamwork, and a solid understanding of workplace health and safety. Didn’t enjoy it wanted to start a career in engineering
Machinist
4 Years 5 MonthsQualified Fitter Turner and Welder with extensive experience in heavy engineering, currently working at Northland Steel Products manufacturing excavator buckets and attachments for 1 to 80 tonne machines. Skilled in operating CNC lathes, large point to point milling machines, conventional lathes and mills, CNC profile cutters, and performing precision boring and large-diameter machining to tight tolerances. Also experienced in assembling and repairing hydraulic cylinders from 1 up to 20 tonnes. Gained broad exposure to end-to-end production through NSP's fully integrated in-house facility, covering steel processing, fabrication, machining, assembly, testing and repair. Apprenticeship included hands-on fabrication and assembly of tilt units, digging buckets, tilt buckets, log grabs and hydraulic systems. Confident working in demanding environments that require accuracy, problem-solving and strong mechanical understanding. Currently seeking engineering opportunities in Australia to further develop my skills
and experience.
Education
High School Diploma
Got ncea level 1
Skills
Certification
Mechanical engineering level 4
General engineering level 4