Part time work during matriculation studies saw Fritz engaged as a pin-setter in a wool combing store, a sack carter in Dingo Flour Mills and working in a bottle shop. In 1960, Fritz followed a young lady to Melbourne.

Fortunately, the brother of the girl, one Peter Trachternach (Trackers to most Pipeliners), had a rigger’s job during construction of a petrochemical complex in Altona. Fritz became an instant rigger – irrespective of the fact that heights made him dizzy.

They were both introduced to NDT on a construction site at Derrimut leading to Peter and Fritz working for Metlab-X-ray, one of Australia’s first commercial NDT companies. The manager, Keith Jackson, persuaded Fritz to ‘go back to school’ by dragging him to RMIT, and promptly enrolling him in the metallurgy diploma course.

Around the same time, Fritz met Diane and they married. Diane spent 26 years working at Intico and over the years, Diane attended many APCA (Australian Pipeline Contractors Association) and APIA conventions. Diane and Fritz had two children Heidi and Kurt. Kurt had some vocational experiences on a number of onshore and offshore pipelines. He decided not to follow father’s footsteps and is now an equine dentist. No doubt Mark Bumpstead would recall Heidi’s involvement in typing up reports when Fritz employed her on a Junee pipeline project. Heidi is now married and the proud mother of two bouncing boys.

In 1975, Fritz started a small NDT company called Intico. “Our first major involvement in pipelines began in 1978 during the construction of the Deer Park to Sunbury natural gas transmission pipeline constructed for the Gas & Fuel Corporation of Victoria by Prentice Brothers & Minson.

Work with Gas & Fuel continued for many years. Fritz said it was a pleasure to work with the Gas & Fuel people such as Graham Witty, Vin Pollock, Mark Bumpstead, John Barr and Bob Fraser.

Intico (SA) commenced operations only twelve months after the birth of Intico in Victoria and subsequently won major projects for Santos at Moomba and Port Bonython.

At the invitation of Stuart McDonald, McConnell Dowell Constructors, Intico ventured to Hong Kong in 1984 to assist on a number of ‘street work’ pipelines in Kowloon. Not long after, Intico (QLD) was registered and became a force in pipelines around the Queensland section of the Cooper Basin as well as some ‘exciting’ pipeline experiences in PNG.

1992 saw Intico’s involvement in 150 km of pipelines around the Bangkok area. In 1996 Fritz set up a company in WA. About the same time he decided to make the pipeline activities a separate business. IES (Intico Engineering Services) became the principal supplier of NDT services to the pipeline industry. And then in 2000, Intico (NT) was set up. It provided all NDT and mechanical services during the construction of the Darwin LNG plant.

Over the years Intico and Fritz have been involved in NDT and associated services on more than 6,700 km of pipelines from small to medium (world standard) sizes. Fritz was also involved with ME38, the Standards Australia committee responsible for AS2885. Fritz also sat on various NDT committees. Fritz is still involved with APIA’s Research and Standards Committee with Max Kimber, Leigh Fletcher, Paul Grace, Ken Bilston and others.

Asked to name the most memorable project Fritz immediately nominates the Ballera to Mt Isa gas pipeline built by McConnell Dowell in partnership with AGL. Intico had the radiography contract. Fritz clearly remembers that keeping up with Jeff Shepherd’s record breaking pipe laying was a major challenge.

Fritz has many fond memories of the pipeline industry but recalls one night in February 1983 he was heading for an APCA meeting in Melbourne when he heard reports of bushfires in his home area of Mt Macedon. Fritz and Diane got home and three hours later packed up their children and pets to drive through the fire to get out. Fritz and Di lost their home and almost all belongings in that fire. Those Ash Wednesday bushfires killed 75 people and destroyed over 2,000 homes.

One of Fritz’s other interests during his pipeline – NDT career was deer farming. Fritz and Di farmed 200 deer out Macedon way but this was brought to an abrupt halt when a freeway dissected their farm forcing them to sell up the deer venture. Amongst his hobbies, Fritz has tried his hand at flying gliders (he was a member of the Gliding Club of Victoria for some 20 years). He recalls that his first solo flight took him to heights and a duration which was a bit a record for the club at the time. This was followed by some power aircraft flying with 30 hours under his belt – “never got to full solo licence – ran out of time” said Fritz.

Fritz recently ‘retired’ after selling the company but Fritz, being Fritz, is as active as ever. After suffering severe withdrawal symptoms for some months he and Diane have done some travelling and are both involved in a couple of projects. One of these is helping Heidi and her husband Chris to set up a restaurant in Macedon.