Reminiscences of a Queensland Engineer

Book excerpt: Andrew Patterson looks back at his life growing up in suburban Brisbane and his career as a civil engineer in this memoir. Born during World War II, he grew up in a rented house in Doomben a short distance from the southern end of Brisbane’s main Eagle Farm Aerodrome—not a particularly safe place to live during wartime. Many family members and friends used their home as a staging post on their way north to war. His family life was sometimes odd, with his father always urging him to do well in school—or else he would turn him and his brother, Gavin, into “bloody little Bank Johnnies.” He said it in such a disparaging way that it sounded like this would be the worst punishment they could possibly suffer. He also recalls his array of experiences as a civil engineer working in Queensland and other projects throughout the world. Join the author as he shares a firsthand account of growing up in Queensland, his passion for sailing and flying, and his fascinating life as an engineer.