Add Category
Posted
After 25 years of celebrations, being held aloft by some of the world's best golfers, the Presidents Cup was beyond repair.
When talk of replacing the trophy arose, conversations soon turned to brothers Dan and John Flynn who head up a respected design house founded by their late father.
"They said 'well, you either go to Tiffany New York or Flynns in Kyneton'," John said.
For the past 70 years, Flynn Silver has produced original designs of international renown that reside in such places as Buckingham Palace and the White House. It has also crafted a papal chalice for the Vatican.
The brothers are well known in sporting circles, having made trophies for events such as the Melbourne Formula One Grand Prix and the Korea Open golf tournament.
Nevertheless, they said they were honoured to be asked to create a replica for the Presidents Cup — the first time it has been made outside of the United States.
While the price of the large three-tiered cup remains undisclosed, the technically challenging work began at the start of the year, with delivery made two weeks ago.
"That's how long it takes to do it to this level of detail," Dan said.
The brothers produced the bulk of the work and were assisted by a team of experts, described as being at the "top of their game", who they have worked with for the past 40 years.
A local furniture maker made the trophy's wooden base, which was spray-painted by a local crash repair business, an engraver near Bendigo provided the detailing and some problem solving with moulding, and a "two blokes" from Melbourne who spin pizza trays spun the metal.
"These people are just extraordinary," Dan said.
Unexpected death and the machine
As children, the Flynns watched their father Dan work from his studio inside the family home in Kyneton.
One of 12 children, Dan Flynn Sr trained as an engineer before joining the Air Force in World War II when he made aeronautical instruments.
After the war the self-taught silversmith took to making teaspoons and jewellery, before turning his attention to "church work" and later creating government gifts for visiting dignitaries.
His death from a heart attack in 1978 was followed three weeks later by the arrival of a $27,000 Italian casting machine, which could not be returned, seeing the brothers' plans change to taking over their father's business.
"It was a very steep learning curve," Dan said.
"It was a real baptism of fire," John added.
Perfect pairing of skillsets
In the 40 years that followed, the brothers have worked side by side, often in silence and absent of a single argument.
"If John coughs, I can pretty well know what's gone wrong, or what's about to go wrong, and the same with me," Dan said.
He said it would be hard to work with anyone else and unfair to introduce them to a "level of communication that is just not normal".
Dan focuses on design, having studied architecture, and John, with a degree in science, is more the maker.
"I would probably spend more of my time concentrating on how the hell it's going to be put together," John said.
"He can solve problems that I can't even see when I'm designing something," Dan said.
The perfect pairing of skillsets is combined with a commitment to perfection.
"It's always about challenging yourself, and you have to give it everything," Dan said.
"These things, they look beautiful in the end, but there's a lot of blood and sweat and tears that go into them to get them right."
Strong personal relationships
Along with sporting trophies, the brothers still create ecclesiastical works, private commissions and architectural works such as a set of gates on a Dunkeld property.
"The range is rather ridiculous when you look at it," Dan said.
The family has never advertised, instead preferring to rely on strong personal relationships with clients, which they enjoy.
"It's a totally different relationship to someone coming into a shop and buying a piece off the shelf," John said.
"We're quite happy to tackle anything so long as it's interesting and there's a connection with the person," Dan added.
The Presidents Cup, a tournament between the United States and International (non-European) teams, will be hosted by Royal Melbourne Golf Club from December 12 to 15.
Topics: golf, visual-art, sculpture, design, people, sport, human-interest, arts-and-entertainment, kyneton-3444, bunbury-6230, australia