In surveying, every job is different and takes you to new locations, from desert to sea. I love the combination of outdoor and indoor work, and the challenge of land law and boundary definition.

The profession has a rich history, filled with surveyors young and old plus lawyers and other passionate professionals. It’s great to be part of ACS NSW (Consulting Surveyors) and to be one of the guardians of the cadastre.

A good surveyor is determined to redefine original boundaries using whatever means possible. You must utilise all your skills and knowledge to put together a plan that you know is correct. It’s important to be able to converse with a range of people, to listen and then act, and to have in-depth knowledge of land law and Acts that impact plan preparation.

Time and money always pose challenges, as do client expectations versus doing a good job. There’s also the accuracies of new technologies, travel, and access to (and loss of) survey marks to consider.

Surveyors have had to fight long and hard for recognition – so copyright and ownership of our plans is very important.

THIS BOOK CHANGED MY LIFE

Frank Hallmann’s Boundary Surveying is the surveyor’s Bible. It made me a better professional surveyor.