Brdanovic Tomislav

**Fast Facts**
Type of person	Individual
Place of birth	Yugoslavia

Tomislav Brdanovic - Tandem Energy Born in former Yugoslavia (now Bosnia and Hercegovina), Tomi arrived in Australia as a humanitarian refugee in 1995. Starting off in Brisbane, he arrived in Adelaide just before the (dreaded) Y2K, and has lived in the Town of Gawler since 2010. He attended a technical school in Bosnia and became a mechanical draftsman, but when those qualifications were translated in Australia they amounted to nothing.

The Land of Opportunity Before landing in Australia, Tomi had been a refugee in Germany and Sweden. Getting off the plane in Brisbane was a bit of shock, trying to get used to the time difference, the humidity, and the fact that he was dressed for Sweden. He never dreamed of Australia, ending up here after being told in Sweden, "tomorrow you're going to Australia." He’d been granted a humanitarian visa. "When you lose your country and everything you have there, you just want to reset and start your life anew...." Tomi promotes sustainability in all aspects but energy is his passion for now. He loves to promote concepts of community energy - how people and communities can share electricity, and knowledge, empower each other and be a lot more self-sufficient in terms of energy in general. He also sees this work as a way of repaying the country and community that has helped him on his journey so far. As co-owner of Tandem Energy, the name speaks for itself in his personal life (running the business in tandem with his wife Rachel), working in tandem with clients to achieve results, and how his ideas can benefit the community. "I call myself a self funded activist......" Back in his home country Tomi loved that it was a great community where everyone knew each other and would say hello, so he finds it refreshing that Gawler can be the same. He loves meeting locals and having a coffee and a chat. Hailing from the outskirts of Sarajevo, the capital of Bosnia, Tomi still regularly returns home to visit family. Regular Skype calls help bridge the gap, but a trip back home is always welcome. At the time of writing this, Tomi had just gotten back from a massive 5 week trip taking his family from over here to over there. Tomi is also part of Transition Gawler: did you know Gawler is a Transition Town? What is a transition town I hear you ask? Well, "Transition Gawler is a dynamic, community-led group that exists to develop practical ways for our community to live sustainably. We work on creating grassroots community projects that aim to increase local self-sufficiency to reduce the potential effects of peak oil, climate destruction, and economic instability through renewed localisation strategies, especially around food production and energy usage."

Tandem Energy will collaborate with your business to deliver intelligent energy solutions and identify ways for you to use energy more efficiently and save on costs at the same time. If you're needing help with your energy situation then Tomi is the man to see. You can check out Tandem Energy on Facebook but also swing by the website here: https://tandemenergy.com.au/ Tandem operates out of the Business Innovation Hub in the Gawler Civic Centre. He loves his coffee and the occasional craft beer so make sure you say hi to Tomi next time you see him on the street.

First shared on Gawler in Photographs ‘Humans of Gawler’ series 13 March 2024.

Photographs by Daniel James Down. Please click here to visit the Gawler in Photographs Facebook page.

Gawler History Team Inc thanks Daniel James Down (Gawler in Photographs) and the subjects of ‘Humans of Gawler’ for allowing us to preserve their profiles and photographs for future generations of Gawlerites to enjoy.

Please click here to view photos of Tomsilav Brdanovic .