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Legends of the pipeline industry: Martin Wettenhall

A two-tone pink and grey Pontiac cruised to a halt outside the stables, its wide tyres seeming to emphasise the crunch on the freshly raked gravel. Wearing a blue sports coat, a weather-beaten faced man emerged, struggled with some papers in the wind and introduced himself as Howard Edgely Hulme. This was Martin Wettenhall’s introduction to the pipeline industry in the late 1970s.

Jim Kwiatkowski

Veteran pipe welder Jim Kwiatkowski talks to Barry Wood about the challenges, changes and colourful characters he’s seen throughout a 40-year career.

Fred Verna

Fred Verna is a well-known, well-respected and well-liked welder who has been working in the Australian pipeline industry for approximately 40 years. Barry Wood speaks with Fred about his time in the industry.

Learning on the job: Murray Durham

Having been involved in the oil and gas industry for a total of 29 years, Canadian-born Murray Durham has been involved in the Australian pipeline industry for 17 years. He has worked across a host of projects in Victoria, New South Wales, Queensland and Western Australia, with commercial responsibilities extending beyond Australia to gas projects in China and North America. Here, he shares with The Australian Pipeliner the lessons he has learnt from his diverse experience within the industry and discusses the exciting new framework which will educate future pipeliners.

Pipeline legend: Tony Tschappeller

Tony Tschappeller has been in the pipeline industry for nearly 50 years, working on a number of projects for Prentice Brothers and Minson, Nacap and Mitchell Water. Despite his initial decision to retire, he is still making his mark on the industry today.

Len Ballem

Len Ballem is not our usual ‘pipeliner legend’ involved in the construction of oil and gas pipelines, however Len has spent a lifetime – 46 years – in the pipe manufacturing business. He is about to retire from his present position of Tyco’s Market Manager Southern Region.

Robert ‘Bob’ Roger Gration

In a new series, The Australian Pipeliner will feature profiles of a series of the legends of the Australian pipeline industry. First cab off the rank is APIA Life Member Robert “Bob” Gration.

Garry O’Meally

For more than 45 years, Garry O’Meally has been a familiar face to those involved in the pipeline industry in Australia.

Roger Woodman

Roger Woodman is certainly one of the legends of the Australian pipeline industry having worked in many construction roles. The Australian Pipeliner sat down with Roger at the 2005 APIA Convention, where Roger told us about his pipeline life in Australia.

Allan Newham

In our continuing series on the Legends of the Pipeline industry, The Australian Pipeliner spoke to Allan Newham.

Keith Fitzgerald

Keith Fitzgerald has enjoyed a long and enduring career in the Australian pipeline industry. Today, in his mid 70s, he continues to play an important part in representing some of the world’s leading equipment manufacturers.

Graham Witty

Graham Witty grew up in Wangaratta and Mildura, moving to Melbourne in 1956 to complete his engineering qualifications at Caulfield Technical Institute. Graham started his working career with GMH as a cadet automotive design engineer before going on to join Gas & Fuel Corporation in its distribution department in the early 1960s.

Max Kimber

Max Kimber has had a long and varied career, and is still playing a key role in the Australian pipeline industry after more than 30 years.

Jeff Shepherd

Jeff Shepherd is truly one of the legends of the Australian Pipeline Industry. Arguably the best pipeline construction manager Australia has produced. A colourful character, Jeff worked tirelessly introducing and implementing new ideas to increase production whilst retaining the loyalty and respect of his men.

Fritz Boegel

Fritz Boegel was born in eastern Europe (prior to 1945, Germany’s East Prussia) in 1938 with, as he put it, “a silver spoon in his mouth”, his forefathers and father being respected and wealthy business people in their district until a move to the west in 1945 was forced by advancing Russian troops. He left West Germany with his parents and sister in 1956 to enter the sunny shores of Fremantle, WA.

John Lott

John Lott has been involved in the pipeline industry for over thirty years and is one of the most colourful legends of the pipeline industry.

Carter Johnson

Carter Johnson was a foundation member of APIA’s predecessor, The Australian Pipe Line Contractors Association (APLCA). He also built some of Australia’s earliest pipelines including the ethane pipeline across Port Phillip Bay. The Australian Pipeliner was pleased to have the chance to interview Carter when he was in Melbourne last March.

Legends of the pipeline industry: Bruce Andrews

Bruce Andrews grew up in Bairnsdale, he later graduated as a Mechanical Engineer from Swinburne University in Melbourne. Bruce initially worked for Caterpillar in the early 1960s and then went on to join Gas & Fuel Corporation Industrial Sales. Bruce tells of his time in the industry.

Ian Haddow

When we asked Ian Haddow to tell us about his career in the pipeline industry, Ian started by saying “I had an Uncle who told me that where you end up in life is often by accident”. So here’s the story of how Ian ended up where he is today.

Recollections of an IPLOCA President

The Australian Pipeliner recently met with AJ Lucas executive director Andy Lukas to discuss his term as president of IPLOCA. In this interview Andy talks about the challenges IPLOCA faces for the future, how the Australian pipeline industry is viewed on the world stage and future trends of the international pipeline industry.

Joe Ashton

Joe Ashton was born in London in 1937 and educated at an English public school, Beaumont College, before completing his national service. In 1965 he joined Wailes Dove Bitumastic, a firm that made coal tar enamel at a coating plant in Hebburn, north of Newcastle in England.