According to Jeff he was lucky to discover pipelining. “Pipelining becomes a way of life as much as a job. It is a demanding business taking a toll on one’s personal life with the projects being in remote places and generally working seven days a week basis on work cycles; up to 12 weeks on, two off for the distant overseas projects. Your workmates become your family when you are continuously living in work camps, especially in some overseas locations which were somewhat dangerous.

“Working on a slurry pipeline in Bougainville, we had to totally evacuate because of a revolution. Equipment was burnt and an engineer held hostage while working in Bangladesh. Working in Russia’s Georgia the client told me to leave as a “contract” had been placed on me and in South Africa the local personnel could get very excited and very angry.

“Throughout my time with McConnell Dowell, I remained as the senior pipeline construction manager. Right up until my retirement I was actively engaged in the onsite operations and manager on the major projects. This was a training ground for the industry where young engineers became project managers; today nearly every pipeline company in Australia is managed by men who worked through the McConnell Dowell system and ethic.”

Jeff commenced his pipelining career in the UK in 1968, working for Constructors John Brown (CJB). In 1974 Jeff came to Australia initially with an x-ray company but then joined APC as project manager on spread two of the Moomba - Sydney Pipeline. This project was beset with industrial problems.

APC pulled out of pipelining after Moomba - Sydney and sold all their equipment. At the auction in 1977, Stuart McDonald who was then head of McConnell Dowell Constructors sought Jeff’s advice on equipment for an Australian spread and this led to Jeff working for McConnell Dowell for the next 28 years. Jeff started in Victoria on Gas and Fuels’ 750 mm looping project from Tyers to Rosedale to Longford.

Obviously there was a wealth of pipeline experience available and a team was selected. Rodger Woodman had worked with Jeff in the UK and Rodger became the Office Manager, Administration Manager, Purchaser, in fact everything other than build it. They have been co-workers and friends now for forty years.

To overcome the then-culture of strikes and go slows an attitude of loyalty, fairness and respect between management and the workforce was engendered, this was the start of the McConnell Dowell team who eventually set world production records.

The planning and organisation of the project was Jeff’s forte along with innovative ideas. To implement these ideas key members joined the team and stayed for many years.

Jeff recalls: “Jim Gubb and Peter Anderson were the first superintendents; Peter’s ability to read a spread, and know where all the personnel and equipment were, was legendary. Jim Gubb was the salt of the earth, taciturn and gruff but with a heart of gold. John Bristow a superb manager and a lowering in / tie-in foreman who made difficult tasks look easy. John is now a construction manager.

“Graeme Tait was the young project engineer and Brian (Benny) Bowen gave so much expertise in the bending and laying out of the pipe making life easier for following crews. There was a core of operators and welders (the royal family) many operators became foremen. There was a management team, Twycross, Bowley, Barrows, and Bumpstead.

“All these men and many more worked together as a team, they weren’t happy at being good at what they did, they wanted to be the best.

“The industrial side of the business was contained, we had responsible trade unionism with management seeing and listening to workers concerns and the workers reciprocating.

“Having got a reliable workforce we then concentrated on production.”

In 1983, the 800 km Jackson pipeline was split 400 km to McConnell Dowell, 400 km to Prentice Bros & Minson (PBM). Jeff’s team set out to and did achieve an average of 5 km per day (more than 300 welds per day) and eventually was given 80 km of PBM’s spread to finish the project on time.

In 1997, the 860 km Mt Isa pipeline was built substantially in 16 working weeks an average rate of 7 km per day and with 27.3 km lowered-in in one day - setting a world record.

Between 1983 and 1989 McConnell Dowell completed the majority of Australian pipelines and then in 1989 in JV with Spie Capag built the Kutubu pipeline (a story on its own). After Kutubu, McConnell Dowell concentrated on overseas projects and became recognised as a world class pipeline company.

Jeff was on the APIA board for a number of years. In 2002 he was elected to the IPLOCA board as the Director for the East and Far East, and completed a two year term. “It was a wonderful experience meeting with like minded people from around the world all striving to be the best,” Jeff recalls.

Jeff has now “retired”. However there is an old story about retired pipeliners sitting in their rocking chair on the front porch. One day they see a truckload of pipe go past and they are off again pipelining until the day they die.

Jeff may not fall entirely into this category but is still keeping busy in a consultancy capacity. Jeff officially hung up his Red Wings last year, after working with McConnell Dowell for nearly thirty years.