Jerry’s 45 Years at Eliot Sinclair: From Chainman to Regional Operations Manager

When I walked into Eliot Sinclair for my first day in January 1980, fresh out of school and convinced I’d had enough studying, I had no idea I’d still be here 45 years later. Back then, as a young chainman measuring out survey marks every hundred metres by hand, long before digital equipment, I couldn’t imagine the journey that awaited me. But something about this place immediately felt different. It wasn’t just a job; it was the beginning of becoming part of a family.

In 1980, there were just nine staff at Eliot Sinclair, and the family culture was obvious from day one. I worked mainly with Bruce Sinclair, who wasted no time in challenging my “no more school” attitude. He pushed me to enrol at Polytech for an NZCLS certificate, and so began five years of full-time work and evening study that set me on the path to becoming a Survey Technician.

Bruce’s mentorship shaped my career. My first job with him was at Lyttelton Port, measuring old survey marks with a chain every 100m. There were also lighter moments, like surveying in Governors Bay and enjoying lunch while overlooking the harbour, small memories that stayed with me.

Over time, I progressed from Chainman to drafting plans and then to a fully qualified Field Surveyor. Each role gave me a deeper understanding of what it takes to make a project successful. Along the way, I had many memorable experiences: cutting survey lines through the forest in Maruia and discovering a 100-year-old peg, or, less glamorously, tearing tendons in my ankle at the Lyttelton Coal Yards after a badly judged jump. Those moments shaped both my skills and my resilience.

Eliot Sinclair has always been forward-looking. Before drones and LiDAR, we were up in planes with cameras mounted to the floor of the aircraft, capturing aerial photographs and digitising them by hand. I’ll never forget my first turbulent flight. My colleague was so sick they had to go back to Christchurch, leaving me to learn the process on the spot. I ended up loving it, so much so that I became the first Eliot Sinclair Surveyor not to get sick on an aerial photography flight, a title I still hold proudly.

Technology has since transformed our work, but what hasn’t changed is the company’s willingness to embrace new tools and methods. That mindset has kept our work varied and exciting.

What has kept me here, more than the projects or the technology, is the culture. In 1985, when the government froze wages, the company found a way to make sure staff weren’t left behind, adjusting job titles so we could still get fair pay. It showed me that the company really valued its people.

That same spirit was even clearer during the Christchurch earthquakes. My family received incredible support; colleagues came to shovel silt, rip out carpets, and even provided water tanks and hot meals. It was a reminder that when you work here, you’re part of something bigger than just a workplace.

The culture of care extends beyond the office. In 2018, Roger and I started supporting Movember to encourage men to talk about their health and wellbeing. What began with prostate cancer awareness has grown to include mental health, and with the support of management and staff, we’ve now been involved for seven years. The generosity of my colleagues never ceases to inspire me.

After 45 years, I’ve seen Eliot Sinclair evolve from a small team of nine to a thriving company with more than a hundred staff. I’ve watched technology transform our industry, from chains and aerial cameras to drones and cutting-edge software. Through it all, what’s kept me here is the same thing I felt on day one, the people, the culture, and the sense of belonging.