In a small town such as Hay, we can walk past the same people in the streets for decades and feel we know them. Sometimes we might not realise the person we come across may be a qualified safe cracker, or work on torpedoes. People are hiding a rich tapestry of their history, knowledge and skill behind an easy going demeanour and a happy smile. Chris Martin was born in Wellington, NSW. He was the second youngest child, and had two sisters and one brother. In his younger years, he was a successful competitive swimmer, an avid rock collector, and had a love of shooting. Young Chris went off to Wellington Primary School and then St Joseph’s College. After this he attended the Sydney Institute of Technology. Chris then attained a cadetship at the CSIRO (Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation), and this role would have a pivotal impact on his career, arming him with extensive and varied knowledge. His cadetship was as a Laboratory Craftsman, a mixed trade role which no longer exists. In this role he became qualified and proficient as a fitter and machinist, boiler maker, carpenter, tool maker, and more. When the term tool maker is used, it is actually describing someone who makes jigs, fixtures, dies, moulds, machine tools, cutting tools, gauges and other tools used in manufacturing processes. “The scientists would need many varied items, things that were experimental, so they needed someone who could perform a variety of tasks,” Chris said. “It was a substantially good and interesting job.” He would also become proficient in tig and pressure welding, engineering. and mechanical His time as a Laboratory Craftsman spanned f ive years, and then Chris decided to enjoy a career change, and went jackarooing. For two years, Chris loved his role, jackarooing near Warren. “There was little money in it but I truly loved it,” he laughed. After his stint as a jackeroo, he then ventured to Lindeman’s Wines as their tool maker, where he would create equipment used for bottling wines. He then took another fascinating segue in his career, taking a role as a tool maker with the Lord Safe Company, which was one of the premium safe companies in Australia. His role was to create mechanisms, and construct safes and safe room doors. In this role, Chris learnt a lot about safes, becoming an expert in safes over the years. After two years, he then attained a role at Mayne Nicholas Physical security Division, as a technical engineer. He was performing many roles, including constructing, servicing and selling safes and strongroom doors. After a time, he became Service Manager for the division mainly dealing with imported Fichet Bauche safes and other security products. In this role, he would design, service and repair safes and saferoom doors. He worked in Malaysia in the Fichet Bauche company factory for six months, designing and testing all products for the Australian market in the Physical Security Division. After this, Chris decided to branch out and open his own business in Sydney, servicing safes, basically becoming a safe cracker. He would open safes for police if they had a raid and needed a safe opened, for customers who lost the key, or had an employee leave the company, taking the key with them or changing the code. He would do work for government departments, such as the Reserve Bank of Australia, servicing strong rooms. He also did work for De Beers Diamonds on safes, and for jewellery companies all around Sydney and throughout Australia. He performed this role for many years, and eventually took on a business partner. They would install pop-up anti holdup counter screens and alarm systems in banks. The pop-up screens were originally made in France, but after a time Chris would be involved in the design and manufacture of them himself. It was a good and productive time. Chris eventually sold his side of his business to his partner to pursue other interests. He gained a role with RANTME, Royal Australian Torpedo Establishment. Maintenance As a Torpedo Maintenance Engineer (Torpedo Technician), he would operate in a mixed trade, performing many varied roles. In the torpedo factory, he undertook specialist welding, tool making, and using a computer numerical control lathe to manufacture parts. He progressed to Charge Hand, and credits his many varied trainings for the ability to undertake different roles within this role. Chris’ father was a doctor, and he credits the early encouragement to work hard, have a good work ethic and enjoy education prepared him for a good future. His brother is a Law Professor, and says his family are all highly educated. He is justifiably proud of his career, and the good things he has done. Because of his training, Chris could accomplish alone what it would take three or four other people to complete in that role. While at RANTME he was sent to the navy apprentice school in Rosemary to become proficient in the CNC programing, and could produce highly accurate parts, which were previously only available in America at the accuracy required, for guidance systems. His employers were outlaying $35,000 for small parts, because of the accuracy of the parts. They needed extremely fine accuracy, down to two tenths of a thousandth of an inch tolerances. Chris could attain this. A previously hired highly qualified engineer could not attain the accuracy after a year of attempts, but due to his CSIRO training Chris had the knowledge to achieve the desired outcome. He informed his employers and the engineer that what he was doing would not work, and they asked if he could do better. He told them indeed he could, and proved it on their specially purchased CNC lathe. Chris decided it was time to scope out a suitable location in rural NSW to start a business. Travelling to Wee Waa, living for a time in Warren, Chris then came upon Hay and decided this was the perfect place. Having met Sue, a Bank Manager from Blacktown in Sydney, they got along well right from the start. Sue decided to move to Hay also, and became the first female Branch Manager in the Riverina. Chris worked for a short while at Crighton’s Engineering, and then as the Factory Manager at Landaco manufacturing super spreaders, while he was trying to get a feel for the town. Purchasing a piece of land from Ian Curtayne, he began Rivtec Engineering. Once again, Chris had the knowledge and skill thanks to the CSIRO training he received at the start of his career, and the many varied roles he had over the years. Spanning over 30 years, the business undertook many major projects in Hay, the region, and the coast. The start was small, with Chris and one other employee. In the peak of their business, they had 14 employees. Rivtec’s first job in Hay was to build a large shed near Ivanhoe, and Chris constructed this wholly himself. A big shed, the task completed solo is a testament to the motivation and drive to get the business off and running, to do what needed to be done. The payment he received for this job in part gave Chris the money to buy an engagement ring for Sue. Robert Clerc, a famous jeweller and previous customer in the strand arcade ended up making the engagement ring in return for Chris opening a safe that he had been locked out of for years. They had a wonderful engagement party at Sue’s family property in North Richmond, Sydney. A dairy farm, this fostered Sue’s work ethic from an early age, never being able to keep still, always having to do something. It was touching for both Chris and his mother that his mother was able to be there for the occasion, as she was sadly suffering from cancer. It was a big party, with a three-piece violin and piano group playing. Rivtec built all the steelwork for the Shearers’ Hall of Fame, and an award was won for his steelwork. Chris is proud that when the building was laser scanned for the internal fitout the scanning company said that it was the most accurate building that they had ever scanned matched the drawings exactly. “Myself and my one employee at the time, long-term employee Peter Gifford, undertook that project together,” Chris recalled. “I did 40 per cent of the welding and cutting, with Peter doing the rest. “I even wanted to go to Iraq for the reconstruction, but my employees were not so keen.” It has been a long-term lifestyle to go where the work is; when the drought impacted farm related work, his company would travel to the coast, where the drought was not an issue. They would also construct stainless steel commercial kitchens when there was no farm work, revitalising commercial kitchens in pubs in Hay. “I was largely in the office, completing the designs and drawings throughout the entirety of RivTec, my workers were what made it happen, I always had really good workers.” Their first major project was the feedlot at Bri Bri South. After this, they built a large grain shed there, capable of storing tens of thousands of tonnes of grain, and a few other large sheds. Rivtec Engineering were agents for Ranbuild Sheds, for Elgas, provided trucking, and offered crane hire, with four cranes. He would perform tool making tasks, fabrication and some earthmoving. Always in the forefront of Chris’ mind was that he was responsible for paying the wages, so he had the attitude there was no job he was not prepared to take on. The company would create stainless steel kitchens, specialised welding, fabrication, and construction. At the same time, they were designing and making machine line spraying equipment for the RTA and designing and manufacturing specialist studio lighting equipment for Channel Seven studios in Sydney. Chris designed and the company built the new Tupra woolshed, after the old shed was destroyed by severe weather in 2007. Chris and Rivtec designed and constructed a multi-level home in Merriweather Heights in Newcastle on “an unbuildable block”. They constructed the multi-level carpark and undertook all the steelwork at Gosford Hospital. Due to the success of the carpark construction at the Gosford Hospital Rivtec were invited back and carried out further construction there. The company also undertook projects at Melbourne Zoo. They constructed an architecturally designed house in Bluff Farm, Scone, which was subsequently featured in Belle Magazine, a global style and design magazine featuring Australian and international homes. They designed and constructed several air craft hangars at Wagga airport, and many more hangars in the region. They also designed and constructed many fire brigade sheds in the region. They also constructed the grandstand and stables at Hay Showground, created the new hall building at Hay Public School, and built the new steel additions to the frontage of Cobb and Co Inlander Motel. Every job was always completed on time and within budget, and to Chris’ recollection, no errors. “I would not have been able to do that without my employees, especially long term and invaluable employees such as Peter Gifford and Terry Pascoe,” he said. “I had a good, reliable, knowledgeable staff.” After the conclusion of Rivtec, Chris lectured at Charles Darwin University in Construction. He was also involved in Japanese company INPEX’s gas site construction, a mega infrastructure project, which was the third largest construction job in the world. He also completed a lot of projects in Arnhem Land, and worked alongside and interacted with the First Nations communities. “I loved my time in Arnhem Land,” he said. “Travelling through remote areas, often in my own aircraft, and being lucky enough to see things and places a lot of people will never see. "I was honoured to be there, and could easily build a rapport with people.” He was also a lecturer for the Bachelor Institute of Indigenous Tertiary Education, before working with NSW TAFE as a lecturer in Civil Construction, and as a high-risk assessor, assessing forklifts, cranes, and elevated working platforms. COVID, like with so many aspects of life, put a stop to these undertakings, and although Chris has been asked to return, he has chosen to decline. In theory, Chris is now retired, but he just cannot give up engineering, the other love of his life.He is currently involved in a major construction in Queensland. He credits his good work ethic and preparation to do any job to his upbringing.“I always need something to do, and am motivated and keen to do what it takes to keep the cogs moving,” he said.They have also undertaken many aged care facility kitchens in their time. Chris and his company designed and constructed the covered in indoor swimming and lap pool at Armidale. They constructed and performed the steelwork for half of Denman Hospital. While Chris enjoyed every single job undertaken, his favourite jobs were ones which he and his company designed and built from the ground up, rather than jobs which were architecturally designed. “There is a satisfaction in driving past something, and being able to say I built that,” Chris smiled. Chris and Sue are very proud of their son, Nat who would work with the company every school holiday, and Chris was grateful for the way his employees taught and treated Nat. “Nat (pictured above with Chris) was treated like one of the crew, given jobs and expected to work hard,” Chris said. “This fostered a great work ethic for Nat.” When Chris was not working, he would spend a lot of time with his best mate, Nat. Many afternoons were spent across the road from their house at the park, throwing the ball, going swimming, camping, hunting and motorbike riding. It was once Nat ventured to boarding school and university Chris felt things winding down a little. These days he will allow himself to watch television and relax. He is certainly still obsessed with engineering, and their family has always been happy with their life, Chris travelling for various jobs, with the whole family having meaningful pursuits to occupy their time. Sue has always been an instrumental part of his business, and an immeasurable support, being a very good office manager for Rivtec. “I may have run the show, but my employees made it all happen, they did the work,” he said. “I was very lucky to have them.” Chris can’t recall what actually sparked his love of engineering, but he loves his roles and the industry. “I love what I do, and when you love what you do you are good at what you do,” he said. Congratulations Chris for being such an inspiration to others; the only thing that limits a person is their own mindset.
