Memorials

Vale Bob Neale

Vale Bill Aitken

Respected pump professional Bob Neale passed away from COVID-19 in Papua New Guinea on 28 March 2021.

Bob was a well-known and respected figure in the industry, having started his career in 1971 as a Water Advisor for the Queensland Water Resources Commission. He then went on to work as General Manager Sales and Services at Flowserve Pump Division for over 21 years; Managing Director HydroFlo Solutions, and Director of H20 Epiphany – trading as Thinkwater Newcastle – for over 11 years; and most recently as Business Development and Trading Manager at Southern Cross Pumps since February 2019.

He was well-liked and respected by all those he came across in the industry as a mentor, friend and colleague.

Long-time pump professional and one of the first Life Members of the PIA, Bill Aitken has passed away.

Bill started his career at Harland through IEL/Indeng for over 25 years. He was a key member of the Engineering team, working on both large custom-engineered capital projects and standard pump ranges with David McLiesh and David Macpherson.

He was renowned for his creative and practical approach, often sketching design concepts on the floor and the walls for the benefit of the drafting team. Some of the bigger projects he was a part of include Arthurs Lake pumping station, Ord River verticals, and Muja Power Station cooling water pumps.

In the early 80s, moved to Ingersoll Rand as Chief Engineer of the pump division in Dandenong. He later moved to GAAM where he worked with Ken Willcock and designed fire pumps for the CFA and the MFB.

Bill was instrumental in the team that created the first edition of the APMA Pump Tech Handbook.

Bill will be long remembered by many of the PIA Members from the initial APMA days.