News Engineers Australia Northern Division
June 2010
Survey House 14 Shepherd Street Darwin GPO Box 417 Darwin NT 0801 Telephone (08) 8981 4137 Fax (08) 8941 3449 Email nt@engineersaustralia.org.au Website: www.engineersaustralia.org.au
In this issue ... • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •
President’s Report More Jobs than Applicants article Contract Management Training Information National President’s Visit-May 2010 Director’s Report New Staff Member— Keely Quinn Peter Poole joins 900 Year Old Tradition EngQuest/Sunchase YEA Golf Day Poole’s Pondering - in memory of a fine man A tribute to John Jones Peter Hagan Remembers Don Darben Technical Presentations—Engineering Excellence Awards Science & Engineering Challenges - Darwin and Alice Springs Engteam Eminent Speaker Series—Chris Dann Calendar of Events
President’s Report Bronwyn and I had the pleasure of escorting Engineers Australia National President Doug Hargraves around Alice Springs and Darwin during a hectic week from 9th to 14th May. We certainly covered a lot of territory and saw many projects. I believe that Doug was impressed and I know that I was certainly impressed with the calibre of the projects we visited. Our week started with a tour of Alice, courtesy of Steve Sawyer, which included visits to the Stuart expedition exhibition in the Araluen Centre and the Aviation Museum. The second day we travelled to Santa Theresa where we viewed a number of SIHIP houses courtesy of Tony Radolj of the New Futures Alliance. We also visited the Desert Knowledge Solar Centre and Crowne Plaza Solar Array courtesy of Lyndon Frearson of CAT Projects. On our third day in Alice we visited the SIHIP Town Camps project courtesy of Ian Wilson from the Territory Alliance, and the Alice Springs Water Reuse Facility courtesy of Jeff Moreton of Power Water Corporation. We had dinner on the Monday night with around twenty Alice Springs members and guests including the Mayor of Alice Springs. It was great to meet old acquaintances and to be able to put faces to other members. In Darwin we visited East Point Military Museum, Marrara Christian College and Robertson Barracks where we had a tour of the armoured personnel carriers the tanks and the tiger helicopters. I mentioned above that I was impressed with the calibre of all the projects we visited, which is very true. It's hard to appreciate the hard work which has been, and is being, put into all of these projects and the high level of excel-
lence which they have achieved, without actually visiting them. Up until I visited both the Territory Alliance and the New Futures Alliance SIHIP sites, and talked with their representatives, I had only ever heard bad press about the time it has taken to produce houses. After visiting the projects and talking to the project team members I have gained a new appreciation of the time and effort which has been put into these projects and all of the work which has been completed to get the projects to the stages they are now at. The actual building and renovating of the houses is only a minor part of the work which has gone into these projects. The Marrara Christian College Fabrication and Construction Training Facility is an absolutely incredible place to visit and to witness the training the young indigenous people are getting, and the work they are carrying out, which will certainly benefit them for the rest of their lives. The Facility and the program is certainly a credit to Richard Hart and the College. One of my favourites was the Desert Knowledge Solar Centre. This facility is so much larger than I expected and many people still wouldn't appreciate that it is internationally renowned for its work on photo voltaics. For the sheer size and logistics of experiencing engineering on the move you have to visit Robertson Barracks . We visited the 1st Armoured Regiment, 1st Aviation Regiment and 7th Battalion Royal Australian Regiment. Without our Engineers I'm pretty sure the armed forces just could not function. I would like to thank Captain Tim Hajenjo, Major Steven Mencshelyi, Major Brett Nelson, Major Dave Hughes, Lt. Michael Cahill and Lt. Isaac Leong for both arranging our visit to Robertson Barracks and for showing us around and for letting us climb on and into the APC's, tanks and Tiger helicopters. (cont. page 2)
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President’s Report cont... We also had the pleasure of travelling to Victoria River with the Engineers Australia judging panel to view one of the projects in this years' excellence awards. On 12th May I attended the Sponsors Cocktail Function which this year was held on a Charter boat cruise of Darwin Harbour. As always we owe a lot to our sponsors and I would like to personally thank them for their continued support. May was a very busy month with the CELM / YEA conference held in Brisbane on the first week of the month. I have heard that this conference was a great success with around 600 people attending. In closing I would like to personally thank Lyndon Frearson of CAT Projects for sponsoring our travel to Alice Springs during the National Presidents visit. Len Chappell President Northern Division
More Jobs than Applicants Mr. Brian O’Donnell, former Chairman of the Civil College of Engineers Australia, said recently that job ads for civil engineering positions in Australia are drawing limited response from the marketplace, particularly those positions requiring 5 years plus experience. Local municipal engineering departments across Australia report a lack of response to advertisements for engineers with at least five years experience. Both design and construction opportunities exist for suitably qualified civil engineers. Some overseas applicants, particularly from India and Sri Lanka having trained in Australia, are taking up these opportunities after qualifying but the experience gap means Australia is short of roads engineers with the skills and maturity to effectively supervise field construction and maintenance activities and liaise with other office and construction staff. Philippines engineering qualifications, based on US training models, can provide the qualifications necessary for admittance as a corporate member of Engineers Australia. The Philippines may be an untapped resource for Australia’s engineers shortage. Contact: Brian O’Donnell 0409 683 537
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National President’s Visit—Prof. Doug Hargreaves visits the Northern Territory from Alice Springs, Victoria River to Darwin - May 9 to May 13 The National President, Doug Hargreaves, hit the ground running in May during his visit to the Northern Territory. He started his adventure on Sunday 9 May, Alice Springs by visiting the Araluen precinct to see the Stuart expedition and Aviation museum. Steve Sawyer, the Division’s regional representative, made Doug feel welcome and was able to talk about the history as well as current issues in the centre of Australia. On Monday Doug, Len and Bronwyn visited Santa Theresa SIHIP Project where the New Futures Alliance Tony Radolj, showed them around the community and provided an insight into the consultation process with the Indigenous people before any building or renovations could occur. The winners of last year’s Northern Division Excellence Awards, CAT Projects, headed by Lyndon Frearson then took Doug on a tour of the Crowne Plaza Solar Array and Desert Knowledge Solar Centre projects (both of these projects won in individual catergories in the 2009 Engineering Excellence Awards). Doug then joined the Division’s Alice Springs members for dinner at the Windmill restaurant which provided an opportunity for them to enjoy his company and mingle with the National President. The next day Doug and crew visited the Alice Springs Town Camps with Territory Alliance Ian Wilson. The town camps are part of the SIHIP project with refurbishments, rebuilds and new houses being constructed around existing houses and residents. Quite a challenge! Power and Water Corporation’s Jeff Moreton then provided a tour of the Alice Springs Water Reuse facility – this is an entrant in the 2010 Engineering Excellence Awards. Not everyone is intrigued by a visit to the local sewerage plant! After departing Alice Springs in the afternoon and arriving in Darwin, Doug enjoyed the company of Charles Darwin University Dean of Science Health and Education, Professor Graham Pegg and staff from the School of Engineering and IT at Hanuman Restaurant for dinner. With no rest in sight they again hit the ground running on the Wednesday and visited the East Point Military Museum and were greeted by Apolline Koen from the Department of Natural Resources, Environment, The Arts and Sport and Hugo Leschen, Executive Director, Cultural Institutions and Collections at NRETAS. The Division then held a lunch time “Meet n’ Greet” to give the President a chance to introduce himself to members in Darwin. Following this Doug was given the opportunity to visit Mararra Christian College’s Fabrication and Construction Trade Trading Centre. Richard Hart and his team provided him with an oversight of the opportunities for students who attend the College. The Management Committee then held a picnic at the Dripstone Cliffs in the evening. Thursday commenced with a visit to Robertson Barracks hosted by the 1st Armoured Regiment which offered an excellent insight into engineering in the Defence Force. The visit was hosted by Captain Tim Hajenko with support by Major Stephen
Mencshelyi in arranging the display and also Lieutenant Michael Cahill. The group also visited the 1st Aviation Regiment hosted by Lieutenant Colonel J Fenwick with support for the visit being provided by Major Brett Nelson and Lieutenant Isaac Leong. Doug appreciated the opportunity to learn about the leadership role that engineers play within the Army, with 2010 being “The Year of Engineering Leadership”. A quick trip to the Tiger Brennan Drive extension showed one of the major infrastructure projects currently occurring in Darwin. Doug then joined sponsors and members on the Cape Adieu for a sunset cruise around Darwin Harbour for the annual “Sponsor’s Cocktail thank you”. This provided him with the opportunity to meet many of our sponsors that provide much needed support to the Division. The Department of Construction and Infrastructure provided an opportunity for Doug, Len, Bronwyn and the team of judges for the Excellence Awards to fly out to Victoria River Bridge for the first of the judging for the Awards. Louise McCormick provided information on the environmental aspects of the project and the obstacles associated with our very wet, wet season weather. It was a great opportunity for Doug to see some of the spectacular scenery that we are privileged to have in the NT. Doug went home exhausted but able to say he had seen quite a cross section of activity in the NT!
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National President’s Visit - May 2010
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Director’s Report What a busy two months we have had in Northern Division since our last newsletter. The National President, Doug Hargreaves, visit to Alice Springs and Darwin occurred in May and many members were able to meet up with him. Thanks especially to those who gave their time generously to help out during this week. It was an honour to meet with our sponsors and supporters again and say thank you. We can never tell you enough how important you are to the organization and therefore the members. Many of our activities would cease without you. We have renewed the Built Environment Design Professionals group with a meeting with the NT Government. We are the secretariat for this group now and hopefully will continue to keep everyone informed. Any issues members might like taken to this meeting please let us know about them. The judging for the Engineering Excellence Awards is now complete and we are working towards the event on Thursday 22 July. This is the night before Royal Darwin Show Day so an opportunity to recover with a long weekend. We have an interesting range of projects again and thanks to Darwin City Council for enabling the technical presentations at the council chambers. If
you haven’t thought about your tickets yet then there is still time! I have had some involvement with the Statehood Steering Committee as consultations are held with the community about this topic. There is still a long way to go before the development of the Constitution and the referendum afterwards. Two other interesting meetings have been with Multicultural Affairs regarding the assessment of overseas qualifications. They were unaware of Engineers Australia’s involvement with this role for the Department of Immigration. The other was with the Building Branch regarding the legislative changes to solve the issue of practitioners ceasing to be able to trade. Hope to see our biggest crowd ever at the Excellence Awards. If you would like to sponsor a student please let us know. Bronwyn Russell Director
Keely Quinn joins the Northern Division Team as Youth Programs Coordinator
Engineers Australia Northern Division is also working with Questacon on a national program aimed at increasing community awareness of the benefits of science and innovation to society and I will be working as the point of contact within the Northern Territory. The ‘Inspire Australia’ program looks to raise community awareness through increasing the profile of science and math based activities, awards and achievements. Student Engineers and Young Engineers be warned expect to hear from me through out the year! Our programs with the youth of the NT relies on the assistance of volunteers and our enthusiastic young members are in a perfect position to show NT students why engineering is a great career choice. If you have any ideas about our youth programs, or a function or event that could benefit the community, please contact me at the office.
Working in a small office of 5 in Darwin is a long way from my last job at the London Underground in the UK. Working to maintain and run the world’s oldest underground transport with 20,000 other people was an experience I’ll never forget, as was the opportunity to ‘drive’ one of the automated DLR Trains! A Darwin girl originally, I have lived in Canberra and Sydney before coming back to Darwin to get a qualification, however the lure of the Rugby World Cup in Europe was too much and I postponed the completion of my Degree to explore Europe and work in the UK. After travelling (and eating my way) through 13 countries in 4 months, I decided it was about time I came home and finalise my Business Degree. With just 1 unit to go, I can see the light at the end of the tunnel! I was thrilled to be offered the position of Youth Program Coordinator at Engineers Australia and am looking forward to working with the schools and education providers in the Northern Territory to really increase the exposure of young people to the engineering profession.
CPD Webcasts on line visit www.engineersaustralia.org.au/search/events/ media vision
Keely Quinn Volunteers required Call Keely on 8981 4137 or email kquinn@engineersaustralia.org.au if you can help
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Peter Poole, FIEAust, CPEng joins a 900 Year Old Tradition
On Wednesday, 2 June 2010, Peter Poole was invited to a investiture Ceremony at Government House to be invested as a Knight of Grace of the Most Venerable Order of the Hospital of St. John of Jerusalem. The Most Venerable Order of the Hospital of St John of Jerusalem has a long tradition and history spanning almost 900 years. This history however is sometimes garmented as the Order spreads it works in many different lands, under Catholic and Protestant traditions, and across numerous royal families and heraldic traditions. Research scholars are still piecing together its beginnings, growth and development and this has led to some discussion about the past history of the Order. Peter joined St John Northern Territory in 1979 and has held many positions available to volunteers. This included Divisional Officer, Divisional Superintendent as well as NT Commissioner. In May 2000 Peter was awarded the rank of commander Brother in the Order of St. John, as well as being recognized as the 2002 NT Paramedic of the Year. All who know Peter know that he is a tireless worker, who constantly gives himself and his long term commitment to St. John. Engineers Australia would like to congratulate Peter on this wonderful achievement.
Peter and his family following the presentation
You can now register for tickets on line 2010 ENGINEERING EXCELLENCE AWARDS Where: “Skyline Marquee� Darwin Turf Club, Fannie Bay When: Thursday 22nd July 2010 RSVP: 22nd July 2010 Dress: Black Tie Tickets: $155.00 each $115.00 students (if your organisation would like to sponsor a student, please also include number in the registration) Visit the website www.engineersaustralia.org.au/events and click on the link to register for your tickets on line.
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EngQuest 2010
Help us Spread the word www.engquest.org.au
in your local school, email the engquest@engineersaustralia.org.au
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EngQuest is Engineers Australia’s free primary school outreach program designed to get students excited about engineering, Members of Engineers Australia are able to volunteer to visit whilst also linking to school’s curriculum in maths, science and schools, help assess online submissions or answer questions on the ‘Ask an Engineer’ forum. Volunteers are asked to visit the technology. EngQuest site to register. The 2010 EngQuest site contains new and exciting features, including a new flash animation student-entry point, games and In the long run, EngQuest aims to provide students with an inquizzes, 3D photo galleries and the site is 100% compatible with sight into the dynamic profession of engineering, which will interactive white boards used in classrooms. EngQuest, for the hopefully one day lead to them choosing a career in engineering first time, is expanding to include middle schools - years 7 and 8. - helping to lessen the serious skills shortage within Australia. Help us promote the program by introducing it into your local primary school or perhaps your child’s school? The EngQuest team are able to assist Engineers Australia’s members in conducting school visits allowing engineers to interact with the students, helping them design and construct innovative engineering models. To find out more on how you can promote the program
EngQuest ends October 27 2010 Enquiries contact the National Coordinator: Sara Ross (02) 62706596 Or email engquest@engineersaustralia.org.au
WE WANT YOU! Members of Engineers Australia to volunteer to assist students with Sunchase 2010. What is Sunchase? Sunchase is a fun and interactive program where students build their own Solar Kit Cars and Solar Boats and then race them against their fellow students. It’s an opportunity for the students to learn about science, engineering, and a vehicle can be powered only by the sun. Interested? Please contact Keely Quinn on 8981 4137 or email kquinn@engineersaustralia.org.au
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Poole’s Ponderings - In Memory of a Fine Man—Don Darben (Past President Northern Division 1983) Sadly the NT News of 29 May contained a death notice for Don Darben an Engineer who contributed greatly to the infrastructure and social development of the Northern Territory and to the career development of many engineers. Don had been unwell for some time however his passing still came as a shock. Don had a long and distinguished career initially as a Consultant in the remoter areas of Queensland, then in the Northern Territory as a Commonwealth public servant with the Department of Civil Aviation (DCA) and the Commonwealth Department of Works (CDW), and after partial NT self government in 1978 as a senior Northern Territory public servant. In the 1950’s and 60’s the majority of construction and maintenance work was carried out by Day Labour. DCA had a large establishment in each of the major centres to operate and maintain their airport infrastructure in addition to the air traffic control and airport operations staff. Don held the position of Airport Inspector within DCA Don joined CDW from DCA and worked in the Katherine office on road and bridge construction projects. The beef road program was in full swing with Day Labour and Contractors constructing roads in the Katherine Region east and west of the Stuart Highway to Borroloola, and the WA border via Top Springs, VRD and Timber Creek. Don was initially a Project Engineer and ultimately Regional Engineer Katherine. The early phases of the Stuart Highway upgrading commenced whilst Don was RE Katherine; with pavement and alignment improvements and high level bridge construction occurring in the north and south of the region. The time taken to travel from Katherine to Darwin on the WWII road was 4 hours if you drove responsibly. In the wet season it could be days if you were trapped between the Edith and Cullen Rivers. Don was a keen golfer. In Katherine in the 1960’s No5 Airfield Construction Squadron of the RAAF had set up at Tindal to upgrade the WWII airstrip to a facility suitable for use by F111 and Mirage aircraft. 5ACS established a golf course to the west of the new runway. The fairways were bare red clay soil the greens sand with sump oil; golf was played on Sunday mornings. The club house was a lean too of overland telegraph Oppenhiemer poles and corrugated iron. When 5ACs departed for Learmonth the decision was made to develop a golf course in Katherine with Don Darben giving the development his and CDW’s full support. The current Katherine Country Club was developed around the golf course facility. The Works Social Club, now the Sports and Rec Club on Giles Street, was developed by CDW employees with government backing in the late 1960’s Don in partnership with Dick Field established Darfield Travel as a business. Don moved to Darwin in the early 1970’s and took up senior positions in the Country Roads Division of CDW. He was involved in management of the road program throughout the NT and with obtaining approvals and funding from Canberra
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through CDW Head Office and the Parliamentary Public Works Committee system. He assisted George Redmond and other senior engineers in the initial post Cyclone Tracy re establishment. The Northern Territory was granted limited self government on 1 July 1978. In the lead up to self government Tony Green assisted by Don and others had been planning for a transition of the state like functions and staff of the Commonwealth to be transferred to the NT. Tony Green was the first Secretary of the NT Department of Transport and Works, Tony had been unwell for some time and died, Don became Secretary of the Department on Tony’s death. Don Darben was the Chairman of the Palmerston Development Authority. Development of land suitable for residential purposes in Darwin’s northern suburbs was nearing completion. The Everingham government realising that a supply of serviced land was essential to allow the territory to develop established the Palmerston Development Authority in 1981 to oversee all facets of the development and local government administration of Palmerston. The authority undertook the strategic planning of the Palmerston region into 12 future suburbs and oversaw the design and construction of the headwork’s necessary for developers to turn off serviced land. The current shortage of developed residential land with elevated sales prices being obtained is difficult to understand when one considers that Darben and the PDA had proposed the development of the current suburbs back in 1981. The PDA had as one of its objectives that land should be available at a reasonable cost and that service authorities should not be allowed to increase the cost of servicing the land by unilaterally increasing their standards. The PDA had several experienced engineers who successfully applied them selves to the task of limiting changes in authority service requirements that could increase the cost of development. Don was head of several other NT government departments and was on numerous boards and committees during the balance of his career. My view is that roads were his passion, I know from first hand experience that he enjoyed going bush to inspect the remote road projects and maintain his contact with the men in the field be they the camp cook, the Work Supervisor or the Engineer. A trip with Don that I remember for a variety of reasons is one we made when I was acting as area Manager for T & W in Tennant Creek. The Baulderstone Crawford JV was upgrading the Stuart Highway near Barrow Creek including construction of two bridges over the Barrow Creek. Thiess were upgrading the crossings of the James and Ranken River Bridges. Don had Bill Steele the new head of Roads Division, accompanying him on the trip. We flew from Tennant to Barrow Creek in a Partenavia, an Italian twin engine high wing sardine tin. On the way down Don dis-cussed the project and asked who were the T & W personnel on site I advised Tony Boulter as Work Supervisor and Kevin Lutze as Contract Observer. Don said he had meet Boulter but Lutze was unknown to him! When we arrived and introductions were being made he said to me “that’s not Kevin Lutze its Flower”! Flower was an ex hippie from the 60’s who had become a roadie. From Barrow Creek we headed north east to Mt Isa to
Poole’s Ponderings - In Memory of a Fine Man—Don Darben (Past President Northern Division 1983) pick up Michael Martin who was head of secretariat. In those days Ansett and TAA planes flying from Darwin to Brisbane landed at Mt Isa. The pilot of our Partenavia was going to drop us off at Camooweal and then fly on to Tennant Creek, Don asked if he needed to pick up fuel at Mt Isa to which he replied no, however once we had found Mick Martin and were preparing to leave the pilot changed his mind and decided he needed fuel. An hour later we took off from Mt Isa as the sun prepared to slip below the horizon. By the time we saw the lights of Camooweal the sun had set and it was a very dark moon less night. I expected the pilot to say that it was too dark to land and that we would go on to Tennant Creek and return tomorrow; however as we approached Camooweal the pilot asked “Does any one know where the airstrip is”? Don, using his knowledge as the ex DCA Airport Inspector, replied just north of the town and we soon commenced our descent. We had organised for Peter Brown an engineer from Tennant Creek to meet us at the airstrip, he had stuck by his post into the night and as we descended a set of stationary head lights appeared in the darkness to the north of the town. The pilot aligned the aircraft in the direction the head lights were pointing and passed low over the vehicle and landed safely on the WWII vintage airstrip. We got out of the plane and the pilot took off into the darkness to return to Tennant Creek. We had a very interesting night in Camooweal which for brevity and the fact that this article could be read by non road engineers and children will not be recounted. The next day we inspected the low level WWII bridge over the Georgina River, the Everingham government had been putting pressure on the Queensland government to upgrade the bridge as when the James and Ranken River bridges in the Territory were completed the Georgina would be the remaining low level bridge. The Queensland government had different priorities and Paul Everingham was proposing that the NT build the new bridge (At the time the Territory was extremely well funded by a Memorandum of Understanding between the Commonwealth (Malcolm Fraser) and the Territory (Paul Everingham). The days of the Territory being funded as a “State” like the other States as advanced by Paul Keating had not arrived.) Photographs were taken to be sent to Russ Hinze the Qld Roads minister to show that the Territory had carried out an initial reconnaissance. The bridge was finally upgraded by Queensland more than twenty years later. From Camooweal we
drove via the James and Ranken River construction sites, Barry Caves road house and then up the Tablelands Highway to Balbirini where the party were handed over to Kevin Jordan Area Manager T & W Katherine. Don was instrumental in establishing the Casuarina Club in the Casuarina Tavern building after the hotel closed. Don had numerous positions in the NT public service at some time he was Secretary of Transport and Works, Lands and Planning and the Chief Ministers office. RIP Don . This informative article was written by Peter Poole and we would like to thank Peter for constributions to this article and the Divisions Newsletters.
The 1981 Land Use and Transportation Strategy plan for Palmerston. Note changes incorporating Durack in lieu of the university, Lambrick Avenue connecting with the Stuart Highway at Howard Springs Road and Roystonea Avenue. The Alice Springs Darwin Railway following the NAR alignment?
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Peter Hagan remembers Don Frederick Darben (Past President 1983) My first contact with Don was in 1966. We both worked for Works. I was a young engineer building an access road to Frances Creek mine and Don had some ARMCO culverts for sale from one of his Katherine jobs. A couple of years later I was project engineer for the Top Springs – Wave Hill beef road with Don as my immediate boss. The beef road program was a massive undertaking and a combination of contract and day labour execution. Darbs was in the thick of it. Katherine was a hub of construction. Major workshops, substantial plant holdings (29 graders if my memory serves me right). Amongst the many engineers working for Don were Frank (Zoomboots) Vrombout, Mike Butcher, Charlie Carter, Rudi Grcman, Jim Andrews. The bush camps had limited amenities but included a mandatory tin topped table for playing the great game of “Liar Dice”. Rae Snodgrass and Ed Wheeler come to mind as some of the experts. Looking after the troops was an ongoing issue on the beef roads. Having a beer and controlling the mess posed legal as well as logistical problems. The camp at Banana Springs was within 40 miles of a wayside inn and the mess could not get a liquor license. The solution was the “Stubloon” a specially minted token for use in the mess. Apparently this satisfied the law. They were such strong currency that they were accepted at Timber Creek pub for a stubby and later redeemed at the Works mess. Don was presented with a new minted stubloon at his retirement from the pulic service. Don and family moved to Darwin in 1974 where he took up the position of Chief Engineer Roads. Their Wagaman house fared no better than most houses in Darwin in Cyclone Tracy. Rudi Grcman a neighbor of mine and fellow engineer had more house than most left. Don, Mike Green, Mike Butcher and myself moved in with Rudi. As well as our post cyclone work we had allocated domestic tasks – ice from Carba, hard tack from the Darwin High “Supermarket”, gas from BOC, meat from the Victualling Yards, and beer from wherever. Eventually we got a generator. Despite the Major General Stretton ban on celebrating the 1975 new year when I got home from work at 10pm I proceeded to join in the festivities. We welcomed the new year in style. My next close contact with Don was about a month before NT self government. Tony Green had moved to the embryo NT government to pave the way for a works department. Tony fell ill and Don took on the role. Don subsequently become the head of Transport and Works. I joined Don to set up a Darwin Area Office to manage Transport and Works construction and maintenance work in the Darwin area. I worked with him until he moved to Lands. In those early days of self government Don successfully lobbied to get NT representation on NAASRA, ARRB, NPWC and the like. He was also heavily involved in getting and EA division for the NT. Don retired as Secretary of the Department of the Chief Minister in 1991. Don then put his mind to golf and was involved in the setting up of the NT Veteran Golfers Association. He was involved with Veterans’ golf until he moved to Mackay. Don has certainly left his mark on the Territory and I’m proud to have shared some of it with him. (see pics right).
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Hagan remembers Peter Peter Hagan A Tribute to John Jones John Jones doing what he loves doing the most!
The recent plane crash in Africa which claimed the lives of the Board of Sundance mining company has had an impact on many people in the Northern Territory who were friends and colleagues of John Jones. John Jones commenced his career working for Gemco on Groote Eyland in the late 70's, fortunately Henry and Walker were also working on Groote where Fraser Henry and Neville Walker first met John and offered him a job. John commenced work for Henry and Walker at Ranger Uranium Mine in 1979, it was there he formed friendships that lasted forever. From Ranger Uranium Mine to the Great Northern Highway, John was instrumental in the push for Henry and Walker to operate in WA John spend 5 years on the Great Northern Highway forming more long lasting friendships. John returned to Darwin as General Manager working on a variety of projects including Henry and Walkers push into mining. In early 1989 John moved to Perth with his family to open the WA office for Henry and Walker, Perth became his home where again he met friends and business colleges that will sadly miss him. John loved his fishing and returned to Darwin on a regular basis to try and catch the biggest barramundi, he was just as happy to catch them as he was to release them. John’s association with the Territory continued through a management role he had with the New Future Alliance. John was a great communicator and had the ability to operate at all levels of management; he was comfortable in the bush working on remote construction sites and also comfortable in the Board rooms of some of the largest mining companies in the world. Robert Wilson Macmahon
2010 Engineering Excellence Awards Technical Presentations On 10th June the 2010 Engineering Excellence Awards Technical Presentation was held at Darwin City Council in the upstairs Function room. This event was kindly sponsored by Darwin City Council who provided the facilities, food and drink for members of the general public and Engineers Australia. The presentations were well attended with over 40 in the audience, along with the judging panel and project entrants. Each project was given 10 minutes to further impress the judges following the recent site visit. One of the entrants (who we will not mention), felt that he had so much information that he couldn’t fit this in the 10 minutes and so was given the Bell many times before intervention by Bronwyn! The presentations provide an opportunity for the entrants to further highlight the positive aspects of their projects. It is also an excellent opportunity for those not necessarily involved in Engineering to see what is involved .
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Science & Engineering Challenge - Darwin Students and Kangaroo’s Welcome Hosted by Engineers Australia Northern Division, this annual event was held at the Charles Darwin University at the end of April 2010. Four hundred students rallied bright and early at the basketball stadium to flex their brain muscle and put their problem solving mastery and team building skills to beat their ‘foe’ for the winning trophy. Mission to Mars, Flight of the Navigator, Escape to the Lost World and Gold Fever were amongst 8 activities on the day. School Science & Maths Teachers proudly brought their school teams along to give their students the extra exposure to productive solution finding, using brains and team dynamics. The event creates an opportunity for students to link their school learning to the real world. Kormilda Science Teacher Mr Alfred Cassar said that “….students learnt valuable skills such as working in a team and problem solving. They also gained insight into the importance and diversity of Science and Engineering in today’s society.” Engineers Australia catered for everyone on the day including hosting a baby kangaroo, as one of the students was caring for an orphan for the Wild Care Society. The event helps young students to become more aware of how maths and science are everywhere in our daily lives and how essential they are for our community to function. “Students are encouraged to relate this experience to what’s happening out there in the real world,” said Bronwyn. Not unlike other competitions, The Science and Engineering Challenge demands goal setting and plan forming. It’s another great way to build skills for real life. The winner of the Darwin Challenge was Darwin High School with a close second by Darwin Middle School. Darwin High can now go onto the National Challenge which will be held on the Central Coast near Gosford at Niagara Youth Park in October
Darwin High School Overall Winners pipping Darwin Middle School at the Post
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Engteam.com.au - The Engineers Australia Recruitment Service - Launched May 2010
Engteam.com.au the Engineers Australia recruitment service is a new hybrid online recruiting service, catering for engineers, technologists, associates, graduates and students – the whole engineering profession! You will find that engteam.com.au is as easy to use as traditional job boards. However, our online tools allow employers and candidates to manage and track their recruitment or job seeking process. Both employer and job seekers create profiles, which our automated system matches to our system. Employers will be emailed a shortlist of matched and screened applicants. Job seekers will be alerted to 'live' jobs that meet their individual requirements and match their skills profile. Our dedicated team of consultants have been chosen for their backgrounds in engineering, as well as their experience in business and recruitment. Our consultants will provide information, answer your questions and assist in getting the very best solution for you. You can contact us at www.engteam.com.au or joanna@engteam.com.au For more information Phone: 03 9008 8080
Chris Dann Civil Engineer of the Year Topic: Delivery of a Dam Value through Innovation Date: Wednesday 28th July 2010 Time: 12noon Start Location: Auditorium, Engineers Australia Northern Division, 14 Shepherd St, Darwin Cost: FREE for EA Members, $10 inc GST for Non-Members RSVP: to Karen @ krelph@engineersaustralia.org.au and she will provide the link for registration or Ph Nina on 02 6270 6548
Science and Engineering Challenge - Alice Springs The 2010 Alice Springs Science and Engineering Challenge was a huge success. Held on Thursday 6 May at St. Philip’s College, this fantastic annual event was well supported by local schools and volunteers from local industry. Teams of Year 9 & 10 students from Centralian Middle School, Centralian Senior College, Our Lady of the Sacred Heart College and St. Philip’s College competed to win the title for their school and for the opportunity to participate in the Grand Challenge in October. It was a close completion, with the lead changing a number of times throughout the day. In the end it all came down to the final testing of the bridges and the team from Our Lady of the Sacred Heart were triumphant! Congratulations to all the teams and volunteers for their participation in what was a fantastic day.
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Sponsor’s Cocktail Thank You - May 2010 This year’s sponsor’s thank you was a little different than previous years with a sunset cruise on Darwin Harbour. The event was a hit with sponsors and members, numbers were limited and therefore we had a full contingent for the evening. Sponsors were presented with their certificates by the President of Northern Division, Len Chappell, albeit by the time the presentations commenced it was a little dark, however innovation prevailed with torches provided by members so that Len was able to read the certificates. Prof. Doug Hargreaves presented Bryan Mower and Jas Deo with their chartered certificates. Bryan achieved CPEng and NPER in the field of Civil Engineering with Jas achieving CEngO and NEAR in the field of Mechanical Engineering Project Management. Congratulations to both of these people. The Division would like to take the opportunity of thanking the sponsor (who incidentally wishes to remain anonymous) in providing an enjoyable evening for all who attended.
Friend
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Sponsor’s Cocktail Thank You cont…...
Partner
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Engineers Australia Northern Division Calendar of Events 2010 Date
Event
Speaker/Venue
22nd July 6.30pm - 12 midnight
2009 Engineering Excellence Awards
Darwin Turf Club
21st July 8:30am—1:00pm
Stainless Steel Seminar—Australian Stainless Steel Development Association
Kevin Ryan, Engineers Australia, Darwin
27th July 2:00pm
Site Visit Darwin River Dam
Darwin River Dam
28th July
Eminent Speaker—Delivery of a Dam
Chris Dann, Senior Principal URS Australia, Engineers Australia
3rd August
Australian Engineering Week Launch (invitation only)
Parliament House
4th August 4:30—6:30pm
Engineering Week Heritage Tour culminating in BBQ
Start and finish at Qantas Hangar Parap
5th August 12 noon
Site Visit to HMAS Coonawarra Patrol Boat and Larrakeyah Barracks Workshop
Larrakeyah Barracks
6th August 9am—2pm
Sunchase Solar Car & Boat Challenge
Royal Darwin Showgrounds
11th August 1:00pm
Young Engineers Golf Day
RAAF Base
10th September
Sunchase
Alice Springs
September
SMART (remote)
Remote Communities
28th & 29th October
October Business Month Immediate Past President of the World Federation of Engineering Organisations—Luncheon
Alice Springs Chifley Resort Darwin—Holiday Inn
9th November
Infrastructure Report Card - Launch
Engineers Australia Darwin
30th November
Young Engineers AGM
TBA
1st December
Annual Meeting - Engineers Australia
14 Shepherd Street, Darwin
Young Engineers Northern Division monthly meetings are held on the first Tuesday of each month at Lizards Bar, 5:30pm. All Young Engineers are welcome to come along and get involved.
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