Backroom boys seen it all

Behind the scenes, three men have nurtured and watched it grow like the children who first came through its doors.

Exhibition director Denham Dunstall, electronics manager Kevin Quadros and maintenance manager Ian MacTavish are the only remaining staff from the original full-time crew of 24 when Scitech launched on August 13, 1988.

The three have worked on numerous exhibits from the old favourites such as the dinosaurs, the giant heart and lungs, and the chicken hatchings to the more recent ‘Playing with Lights’.

Mr Dunstall said while working at Scitech had not always been ‘beer and skittles’, it was a special job that had given him the opportunity to be creative and challenged.

‘One thing you learn when you’re looking at building something is you think ‘well they won’t do that’ ” yes they will,’ Mr Dunstall said.

Mr Quadros said the only difference between Mythbusters and Scitech workshop staff was Mythbusters’ projects had to work once or twice, while theirs had to work for 10 years. Eleven Scitech-built exhibits have gone on tour worldwide.

Over the years, the men have seen their fans and own families grow as Scitech has, from small children with teething problems to established adults looking to move out of home.

‘We’ve outgrown this space, from the day we started here we’ve had this idea we’ll have our own home one day,’ Mr Denham said.

While they don’t think they will be working at Scitech for its 50th birthday, they hope the impression they have made on young minds across the world will stand the test of time.