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Some places surveying has taken me

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Strictly Surveying

Last Post by partychief3 11 years ago

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Anonymous

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I was accepted as Cadet Surveyor into the Public Works Department (PWD) Tasmania in 1966 and one of the attributes that helped was that 'I was a keen bushwalker' = a fit and energetic one. (one who would tramp our wilderness areas)
I fully accepted the work would at times be arduous, entail trudging sometimes several miles through the bush carrying gear, but little did I grasp the many and varied places and jobs my work would take me to.
The PWD was responsible for all public works for Tasmanian Government, including roads, bridges, wharves and jetties, and state buildings.
I soon learnt what it meant to be a surveyor carrying out your duties anywhere the need arose.
We would scale mountains to tie in state control, survey swollen rivers mid winter for a new bridge crossing, survey highland streams under feet of snow for new bridges or culverts.
Somehow the politicians were oblivious to any process involved and we were literally at their whim and any 'bright idea' was followed by a decree that would send us off to fulfill their wild ideas.
Following are a few of those early forays into our more isolated places plus some more sedate ones.
South Esk river soundings in low river

A road survey in beautiful country. Never built. Fantastic experience.

Another road in undeveloped part of northwest Tasmania.
We'd camp out on the button grass plains.
Some of my most special times.

T2 observations from a very windy place.
One of our surveyors was multiskilled.
Our ARGO ATV and home made bridge.

Posted : August 28, 2015 3:46 am

Anonymous

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A lot of my time was spent on our isolated, wild, wet west coast.
Roads into the area were limited and in the early 70's much work was done to improve that.
Again, it's mountainous, wild and beautiful.
Survey control involved carrying a T2 and CA1000 up to local trigs (control station). This was pre helicopter rides - 'shank's pony' was the only mode of transport.
Mt Zeehan

Continued - for some reason I can't post any more.

Posted : August 28, 2015 3:56 am

Anonymous

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View from Mt Zeehan

An old railway line we rebuilt as a road, with some deviations to shorten the trip.

looking southerly along the road route

Putting survey control through the lower ranges.
Mt Zeehan in background at right

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Posted : August 28, 2015 4:11 am

Anonymous

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A bit further west - more road work

Bit further inland. Derwent Bridge, southern end of Cradle Mt National Park.

We got stuck so that distant trig in photo above is our next destination - again 'Shank's Pony' (2 legs)

Posted : August 28, 2015 4:23 am

Anonymous

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now a random few.
One of my first jobs was to climb the tower of the Batman Bridge and check tension on huge nuts holding the stay cable. View from the top was awesome.

An old 1831 stone control mark set in the high country.
Found by Brian Rollins, the surveyor assigned to the 'Cradle Link Road'
We had a bronze cairn erected detailing its history.

When politicians bark, the servants jump to attention.
Snow or no snow.
A 'bridge survey'

Posted : August 28, 2015 4:29 am

R. Michael Shepp

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Interesting career and beautiful pictures. Thanks for sharing.

Posted : August 28, 2015 4:43 am

holy-cow

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Wow! Thanks for sharing those pix.

Posted : August 28, 2015 6:13 am

john-hamilton

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Those are great pics. I have been to a lot of similar sites in the US, but with GPS, so the time there was short.

I have been using GPS for control since 1986. Before that, I ran control with a T2 and separate EDM.

I think things are way too EASY nowadays. I sometimes miss the old style of running control, where jobs would take months instead of days (or even hours).

Of course, I realize that MANY jobs being done now were not even feasible before GPS. But, I think anyone who ever ran control pre-GPS will agree there was a certain "romanticism" about it. It took a lot of work, both field and office, to produce a decent control network.

Posted : August 28, 2015 7:43 am

paden-cash

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"..A road survey in beautiful country. Never built. Fantastic experience..."

That made me laugh. It made me think of all the fool routes I've ran control, knowing it will be changed...Some folks on the crews use to get discouraged when that happened. My reply was always, "This job pays by the hour..".

Posted : August 28, 2015 8:50 am

Williwaw

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What attracted me to surveying in the first place was the quest for adventure. I did find some for sure. Awesome photos. Thanks for sharing!

Just because I'm paranoid, doesn't mean they aren't out to get me.

Posted : August 28, 2015 9:42 am

party-chef

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Look like good times, thanks for posting them.

Posted : August 28, 2015 1:15 pm

partychief3

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Richard, post: 333910, member: 833 wrote: now a random few.
One of my first jobs was to climb the tower of the Batman Bridge and check tension on huge nuts holding the stay cable. View from the top was awesome.
Snow or no snow.
A 'bridge survey'

Richard you are on the VERY short list of men I envy.
Some of your survey jobs seemed to be a true "voyage of discovery".
Thanks for sharing these memories with us.

Posted : August 28, 2015 3:23 pm