Profile

William Galea first started in the Industry when in 1946 he received his (Demobilization) papers from the Royal Navy having served five and half years during the Second World War. Being stationed in Rome at the time of demob, he was driven to Naples to board a destroyer bound for England. On a train from the port to Chatham in London, a friend who had also served with him in the Navy and who was a cook suggested that he work with him as a commis in a Restaurant at the Strand, next to Australia House called the Bush House Restaurant. After a few weeks, Bill discovered the world of cooking and came to love what he was doing and so decided upon his new found career in the culinary arts. Bill next enrolled into Westminster Technical School that at the time was a world recognized cooking school and the primary chef training cooking institute in London. Bill then obtained a position as a second chef at the Swan and Edgar in Piccadilly and worked for five years. Accelerating his career, his next position was chef at the Molton Club in the Haymarket and moving after eighteen months to chef at Tottenham Court Road at B.I.C.C, British Insulated Callenders Cables. It was while at Tottenham Court Road that Bill saw an advert for chefs wanted for the Olympic Games in Melbourne, Australia. Accepting the offer he joined fifty chefs from the United Kingdom and other parts of Europe who came out to cater for the 1956 Olympics. Bill was one of the last to finish at the Olympic Village, as after the games he was appointed as manager at the staff cafeteria who were dismantling the game venues. Chef Galea next took a position as chef at Nylex for a number of years and then accepted a position with Nationwide Foodservices, and after a while promoted to manager of Petrochemical and Australian Synthetic Rubber. From there Bill moved to W.D.T.H.O. Wills as Catering Officer. During his role as Catering Office, Bill was admitted as an Associate Fellow of the Catering Institute of Australia and subsequently elevated to a Fellow of the Catering Institute of Australia. Bill retired from W.D.T.H.O Wills at 60 in 1981.