Mandy and Kev Keady, his previous work colleagues, discovered their 26-year-old daughter Courtney needed a $110,000 brain surgery. 

The worried parents, who recently moved out of Goulburn, asked if the family could hire his van. Shocked, Mr Schüberg declined, deciding to personally help. 

His only promise to himself was that if he was to raise money, it would not only bring the community together, but be different. 

Then one day the idea struck: Goulburn men bidding services online.

Utilising the amount of trades workers in town, he created ‘The Goulburn Working Man Auction’ on Facebook, a place where men sell their skills for a good cause.

With nearly 1000 Facebook members, ‘working men’ are advertised with a photo and a witty caption. In the comments the public then bid with the supervision of Mr Schüberg. Skills for sale range from labour to unskilled ‘muscle’, or entertainment. 

“I wanted to do something fun, but I also knew there were a lot of tradesmen who wanted to help,” Mr Schüberg said. “I didn’t expect it to get this big in such a short time. The support has been tremendous.” 

James Argyle, from Argyle Plumbing and Gas in Goulburn, was invited to the event on Facebook and has joined the bidding with apprentice Luke Burton. The duo offered a full day’s worth of plumbing work for the winning bidder.

“It wasn’t an issue for us. The least we could do is give a helping hand,” Mr Argyle said. “We hope that we can raise money for [Courtney] at the Astor. We’re taking a day of our time and if we can influence somebody’s life, why not do it?” 

The Facebook page is a pre-bidding forum that will lead up to the larger auction on November 25 at the Astor. Men advertised on the page will participate in live bidding on the night. 

Mr Schüberg has so far raised more than $4000 and hopes the Facebook page will encourage more people to get involved. For more information or to participate in the bidding, head to ‘The Goulburn Working Man Auction’ on Facebook.