Epping, Eastwood, Denistone & Ryde
The man behind GT Plumbing
Alex Taskun: banker, bravery award recipient, humanitarian, plumber.
Former banker. Recipient of the Star of Courage and the Royal Humane Society’s Stanhope Gold Medal. Founder of an international humanitarian charity. Quoted in ABC News, The Sydney Morning Herald, news.com.au, The Daily Telegraph, realestate.com.au and Yahoo Finance. And the licensed plumber who answers your call.
- ★★★★★ Perfect 5.0 from 211 Google reviews
- NSW Licence 369979C
- 20+ years in the trade
- Answering 24/7
Official citation, Star of Courage
“For acts of conspicuous courage in circumstances of great peril.”
Australian Bravery Decorations, Governor-General of Australia. Read the citation.
One man. Five chapters.
- The bankerBefore GT Plumbing, Alex built a career in banking. It gave him the financial discipline he later used to run a charity where every dollar reached the people who needed it.
- 2004: AuburnOn 19 April 2004, near Auburn Railway Station, a man was stabbed in a street attack. Alex ran toward the armed attacker, wrestled the knife away and held him until police arrived.
- 2011 to 2017: CambodiaAlex founded an international humanitarian charity and ran it for six years at zero administration cost.
- The apprenticeshipHe left banking to do a plumbing apprenticeship, because he had seen what clean water and proper sanitation mean to people’s health and dignity.
- TodayIn 2017 Alex came home to Sydney and built GT Plumbing on the same values: fair, honest and reliable.
Alex keeps his personal life private.
Three bravery awards for one act of courage
“Confident enough to act on his conscience.” The Sydney Morning Herald, 25 August 2007.
Star of Courage
One of Australia’s bravery decorations, awarded by the Governor-General of Australia for acts of conspicuous courage in circumstances of great peril.
Stanhope Gold Medal
The Royal Humane Society’s top award, presented each year for the most outstanding act of bravery across the Commonwealth. See the Society’s record.
Royal Humane Society of NSW Bravery Medal
Awarded for the same act at Auburn on 19 April 2004, presented at Government House, Sydney.
Humanitarian impact: Cambodia, 2011 to 2017
What six years at zero administration cost looked like.
1M+ meals
Provided to orphans, the poor and survivors of the Pol Pot regime.
100+ scholarships
University scholarships for rural young people. Some recipients are now doctors.
$35K+ a year
Spent on dental programs that drove out unlicensed practitioners spreading HIV.
0% admin
Every dollar reached the people who needed it.
Alex ran rice farms with his own harvesters and tractors, raised cattle for a steady food supply, gave bicycles to orphans and sponsored their food, medical care and schooling. He supported vulnerable families so their daughters weren’t pushed into trafficking or forced marriages. Read Alex’s full story.
GT Plumbing today
When you let a tradesperson into your home, you’re trusting them to tell you the truth, charge a fair price and fix the problem.
Fair. Honest. Reliable.
Not a tagline: it’s how Alex has always worked. He doesn’t need to overcharge or oversell.
211 five-star reviews
Real homeowners across Ryde, Eastwood, Epping, West Ryde, Gladesville, Hunters Hill, Pennant Hills and Lane Cove say the same thing: fair price, quality work, showed up when he said. Read them on Google.
The plumber other plumbers learn from
Drain jetting is Alex’s specialty, and more than 3,000 people, most of them plumbers, follow him on Instagram to learn how he works.
As featured in, and verified at
Don’t take our word for it. Every story below is on the publisher’s own site.
Bravery and official recognition
- Sydney Morning Herald: “Confident enough to act on his conscience” (2007)
- Sydney Morning Herald: “Awards for men who helped stop attacks” (2006)
- ABC News: “Rescuers applauded in national bravery awards”
- Royal Humane Society of NSW: award record, case 2006/05
- Australian Bravery Association: Star of Courage citation
Industry commentary
- news.com.au: “Sydney plumber reveals heroic act, charity work behind major career change”
- news.com.au: “Tradies cash in on housing boom”
- Yahoo Finance: “Inside the life of a ‘lazy’ tradie”
- The Daily Telegraph: “Fresh fears of tradie shortage”
- realestate.com.au: “Risky renovations: dodgy DIY jobs mount amid tradie crisis”
- ABC News: “Avoiding the pink batts ‘cowboys’”
Check us out before you call
Everything below can be checked independently.
- Licensed: NSW contractor licence 369979C for plumbing, gas and drainage. Check it on the NSW Government licence check.
- Insured: $5 million public and products liability with GIO, certificate sent on request. See our licence and insurance details.
- Registered business: GT Plumbing Gas and Drainage Pty Ltd, ABN 37 623 531 457.
- Founder: Alex Taskun, more than 20 years in the trade.
- Reviews: perfect 5.0 from 211 Google reviews.
- Based in Epping NSW 2121, covering Epping, Ryde, Eastwood, Carlingford, Beecroft, Pennant Hills, Gladesville, Hunters Hill, Lane Cove and nearby suburbs, 24/7.
About Alex Taskun and GT Plumbing
Who is Alex Taskun?
Alex Taskun is a former banker, international humanitarian and Australian bravery award recipient, and the founder of GT Plumbing Gas and Drainage, based in Epping NSW. He holds the Star of Courage and the Royal Humane Society’s Stanhope Gold Medal for disarming a knife-wielding attacker at Auburn in 2004.
What bravery awards has Alex Taskun received?
The Star of Courage (awarded by the Governor-General of Australia), the Royal Humane Society Stanhope Gold Medal, and the Royal Humane Society of NSW Bravery Medal. All three were for his actions on 19 April 2004 near Auburn Railway Station.
Why did Alex Taskun become a plumber?
His humanitarian work in Cambodia showed him what the absence of clean water and proper sanitation does to communities. He became a plumber because he believed in the work, not because it was convenient.
What humanitarian work has Alex Taskun done?
Between 2011 and 2017 he founded and ran an international humanitarian charity in Cambodia at zero administration cost, providing over one million meals, funding 100+ university scholarships and running dental programs in remote villages.
Is Alex Taskun a licensed plumber in NSW?
Yes. GT Plumbing Gas and Drainage Pty Ltd (ABN 37 623 531 457) holds NSW contractor licence 369979C for plumbing, gas and drainage. Alex has more than 20 years in the trade.
How do I contact GT Plumbing?
Call Alex directly on 0451 001 503, 24/7, including weekends and public holidays.
Ready to work with a plumber you can check out? Talk to Alex.
Call any time, day or night. You’ll get straight advice and the price before we start.
Also see blocked drains, our prices and our home page.