Published on the 5th December 2014 by ANSTO Staff
In celebration of Volunteer week, May 12-18, we speak to a number of ANSTO employees who give up their time for something that they are passionate about.
In recognition of the over 6 million Australians who volunteer we start volunteer week by looking at not one but two of the volunteer roles of Brett Rowling, who is an Analytical Experimental Officer.
Brett Rowling has two very interesting sides to his volunteer life outside his work at ANSTO. Not only does he restore and maintain heritage trains but he also promotes the links between Indigenous culture and engineering, as he is part of the Guringai tribe.
His work with heritage trains all started with the Zig Zag Railway at Lithgow when he was a kid. He and his brother would watch the trains on that line and film them.
In his last year of high school, Brett volunteered for 3801 Limited, a not-for-profit company that restores and operates heritage diesel trains and carriages. Brett began working within the Mechanical Branch, specifically in Carriage Restoration and Maintenance.
“When you first get involved you’ve got to find your niche and are given tasks to see what you are good at,” says Brett. “It’s about team work. Everyone does something different.”
One of the heritage trains at 3801 Limited.
His current work involves rebuilding an entire carriage. This means replacing rotten timbers, reconditioning fans and painting. He and his team have also had to source a pressed metal roof lining and they had to teach themselves how to install it.
“It’s a good hobby because you can share it and unlike heritage houses that stay in the one place, every town has a railway so we can take the train to the people. Once we cover our costs, we give the town the rest of the money for community projects.”
A good example of this is the town of Robertson, where, Brett says, “they’ve built park facilities, a walking trail and their current project is a swimming pool.”
Despite working full-time at ANSTO, Brett still finds time to work on the trains every weekend.
“It’s a time consuming hobby but it’s very enjoyable. I find it very rewarding. I don’t think I’ve grown up from that kid at the Zig Zag Railway,” says Brett.
In his other volunteer capacity Brett promotes an awareness of Indigenous culture.
“I grew up knowing that I had some Indigenous ancestry but it wasn’t until 2002 that the Guringai Tribal Link was formed.”
It was through this organisation, which seeks to unite the traditional clans of the Guringai people that Brett reconnected with his Indigenous heritage. “From then on I had the opportunity to meet regularly with tribal elders, to learn more about my heritage and contribute to Indigenous matters.”
Brett says that the Guringai people want their culture to be recognised, so he and his tribe are always willing to provide a Welcome to Country and often like to share some additional stories as well.
He is particularly passionate about promoting the parallels between European ideologies and the science and engineering of Indigenous peoples.
“I was invited to speak at the International Coasts and Ports Conference 2013, linking our 20,000 years of Indigenous history with the 225 years of European colonisation. I have been invited to provide similar talks at Sydney University and Leighton Engineering Holdings.”
Brett says that the number of Indigenous people enrolling in university is quite low.Speaking about his involvement with the annual Indigenous Australian Engineering Summer School, which this year was at Sydney University, he says the program aims to assist talented Indigenous student to pursue a career in engineering by providing them with hands-on experience, role models and networking with leading engineering companies.
“After all, historically we practised these engineering disciplines. Like the use of metallurgy in spear making and aeronautical engineering which is central to the boomerang in our culture,” says Brett.
In fact, few may be aware that some Indigenous engineering terms have been applied to modern Australian technology. For example Woomera, which means ‘spear thrower’ is commonly known as a rocket facility.
Whether you are a current volunteer or you are thinking of joining the over 6 million Australians who already volunteer their time, Brett’s story is evidence that there is a lot to be gained from giving up your time for something that you enjoy.
“Overall volunteering has provided me with a chance to meet people from a wide range of professions,” Brett says. “This has included large engineering, scientific and business organisations as well as members of government and the media. This has broadened my range of experiences into areas that I would not have otherwise considered, and it has given me confidence to apply myself within the work environment.”