He joined Eric Newham (Wallerawang) Pty Ltd in June 1946, married and lived for the next 13 years at Wallerawang.

In April 1957 Eric Newham, in association with Rocla, was awarded a pipeline contract by the Public Works Department of New South Wales from the Oberon Dam to Wallerawang, a distance of 54.5 km. This was Tom’s first involvement with pipelining, an industry he came to love.

Under Tom’s guiding hand, during the period from late 1967 until 1975, Eric Newham completed many natural gas pipeline projects for the Gas & Fuel Corporation of Victoria and a section of the WAG pipeline from Moorabbin through Brighton and St Kilda to the Yarra River at Port Melbourne.

In November 1972 Tom participated in a trip to the USA organised by Keith Fitzgerald and CRC Automatic Welding. Some 21 pipeliners were involved, the main purpose being the inspection of automatic pipe welding on several American spreads.

Eric Newham became a member of the Australian Pipeline Contractors’ Association (APCA) on 29 May 1972 with Tom Hoffman as the company’s representative. Thus began a long and continuing involvement for both the company and Tom with APCA and its successor, the Australian Pipeline Industry Association (APIA).

Tom was elected to the Executive Committee of APCA in December 1972 and was appointed Chairman of the 1973 Convention Committee. Under his leadership the Committee produced the first of the ‘new look’ conventions held during late October 1973 in Canberra. Over 200 delegates and their wives and guests attended the 1973 Convention which was reported as being the ‘best yet’ organised by APCA.

Tom served on the Association’s Executive Committee until June 1979 and was instrumental in the constitutional change which allowed Associate Members to be elected to the new Executive Committee of nine. Together with Corbet Gore and others he had a hand in the further constitutional changes which broadened the scope of the Association and changed its name to APIA in August 1976.

Tom served as Vice President during 1974-75, 1975-76 and 1978-79 until June, when personal commitments reluctantly forced him to resign. However, this did not diminish Tom’s interest in and support of the Association and its activities.

The editor of The Australian Pipeliner at that time, noting Tom’s retirement, said “Tom, your numerous friends in the industry, both here and abroad, express their very best wishes to you and yours. Although you may not be on the ‘active list’ we sincerely hope that you may be able to join us from time to time in our various social activities. We all say thank you for your contribution to the well-being of the Association and a job well done.”

In 1975 Tom returned to Sydney with his family. He had a hand in setting up the Newham-Techint Joint Venture for the Bowral to Horsley Park section of the Moomba – Sydney pipeline. Although he was not actively engaged in this project he was involved in the tender stages and typically ‘had a finger on the pulse’. Subsequent projects under his management were undertaken in Victoria and NSW.

Prior to his virtual retirement from pipelining during the latter half of 1981, Tom was Project Manager on three jobs for the Gas & Fuel Corporation of Victoria. After completing this work Tom returned to Sydney to care for his ailing wife who, sadly, later passed away.

Some years later Tom remarried and subsequently retired to Dubbo in NSW, where he enjoyed life to the full until slowed by ill health. Tom passed away on 28 November 2007, aged 88 years.

Tom demonstrated immense loyalty to the Newham Group of Companies over the years and was held in very high esteem on a personal level by the Newham family and his fellow workers, in addition to his professional expertise.

Managing Director Allan Newham considered Tom to be one of his close personal friends. “Tom’s dedication to the business was unwavering despite suffering tragedy in his personal life, having lost both his sons at a young age. Anybody who worked on a pipeline project with Tom will recall his classic ‘Tomism’ sayings which were usually produced under adverse circumstances,” Allan said.

Tom will be remembered by all who came in contact with during his pipeline career, for his contribution to the industry, his quick wit and sparkling sense of humour, and his down to earth comments which were legendary within the pipeline industry.