Profile as at November 2013
Name/ Nickname: Trevor Collins
Age: 49
Family? (Marital status?): Married 2 daughters
Current job/Role?
Managing Director of Trevor Collins Drafting & Survey Pty Ltd
What’s the best advice your Parents ever gave to you?
Be honest in what you do
What’s your personal motto?
Personal Service
What makes you happy?
Enjoying the moment & when forward planning pays off
What makes you angry?
Stupid people especially when they do not know it
Career History
Career to date
- 1982-1988 Trainee then ticketed BHP Collieries
- 1989-1995 Surveyor at United Collieries
- 1995-2000 Surveyor at Wallarah Colliery
- 2000-2004 Set up TCDS, working as mIne surveyor on various projects
- 2004-2005 Mine Surveyor working for Centennial
- 2006-2013 Back working for TCDS
Career Influences
As with most people, influenced by the bosses from the early part of career - Dennis Baker, Robin Knight, Stu Mac Naugthon, Ken Halverson, in his own way.
Career highlight (biggest achievement)?
Survey wise, back holing a shaft at then Nardell, after being forced to use some ordinary equipment, down drift & then working s etc.
Lately being able keep a company running for this long
Career shocker?
Sending a dozer clearing a path thru the dunes at Redhead Sand Mine, very early in career. Ended up being the wrong way, thank goodness for no greenies
Career goals?
Keeping my company running thru this current downturn
Survey Work / People
What is the best piece of survey equipment/technology/software that you have used & why?
AutoCAD Suite of products, let me do my job
What is the oldest piece of survey equipment that you have used?
Hilger & Watts inverted theodolite
Who's the strangest/funniest/unorthodox survey character that you've met so far (and why) ?
Jack Blackadder, the nicest person you could met, verses his first appearance
What's the most contentious survey issue in your workplace at the moment?
(eg. Hours of work, $$, career path, poor planning/scheduling, technology/equipment improvements, field experience, housing, training …???)
Getting enough work in current environment
If you were the boss for a day - list 3 things you would change?
I am my boss, so nothing
APART from $$, what factor attracts you to work in the mining industry as opposed to other survey disciplines?
Variety of work & different challenges
Would you recommend a career in surveying to a grade 12 school kid? If not, what career would you recommend?
Good at Maths, spatially aware, yes I would
Sports/Hobbies
How do you relax?
Various exercise, reading, pottering around, quality time with friends
What sports do you play/ watch.
Any sport that is played with passion
What are your other hobbies outside work?
Surfing, bike riding, gardening
Where would be your ideal retirement location?
Couple of months on a good snow field, rest just around home base
Favourite food/drink?
Italian, beer, good red wine
Favourite movie?
Lord of the rings trilogy
Finally, if you were down to your last $10 what would you spend it on?
Train ticket out of where you were, cause it isn’t a good spot