I'm an IT Specialist based in Emmaville, in the New England tablelands
of northern New South Wales. I started in IT at 15, back in 1996 — three
decades on and I'm still at it. (I often joke I'm older than Google, which
on a technicality is true.)
Today I'm at Taronga Mines Pty Ltd as an Information Technology
Specialist. Across the earlier two-and-a-bit decades I've worn a lot of
hats, which probably shows.
What I do
- Hardware — computer and mobile phone repair, maintenance, and custom-built systems. (I'm a master system builder, for what that's worth.)
- Support & troubleshooting — consulting, support, and repair work for large vendors including HP and Microsoft.
- Servers — administration on both Windows and Linux.
- Programming — full-stack web (PHP, HTML/CSS, JavaScript/React); desktop and server software in C# .NET and VB.NET; Python scripting; and software development for mobile devices.
- Databases — engineering and administration across MySQL, Microsoft SQL, PostgreSQL, Oracle, spatial SQL, and vector databases — often into the millions of records, including second-by-second telemetry at fleet scale.
- Telephony — VoIP call-centre setup and day-to-day management.
- Automation — workflow automation and systems + process analysis for businesses.
- GIS / Spatial data — analysis and custom tooling across MapInfo, IntraMaps, and QGIS; fleet telematics and asset tracking. Collaborated with Chartis Technologies on modernising council mapping, and with Spatial NSW during their migration to GDA2020 — re-baselining the state cadastre and other spatial feature layers.
- Document management — version control and file management at scale.
- Teaching — web programming at TAFE NSW.
- Sectors — private enterprise, government, and military clients.
Most of what I write here lives at the intersection of engineering
practice, systems thinking, and assistive technology — the
kind of tooling that actually solves a real problem or bridges a real
gap for the people using it.
If there's a through-line to my work, it's simplification. I build
interfaces and tools that feel effortless — especially for non-technical
users. A novice should be able to accomplish what they need without
reading a manual, without jargon, and without feeling stupid.
Things I care about
- Simplicity — software that a non-technical user can drive without fear.
- Assistive technology that actually solves a problem, not a demo.
- AI and agents as force-multipliers for the under-served, not vanity.
- Writing as a thinking tool, not a marketing channel.
- Small, self-hosted tools over SaaS sprawl.
- Dark themes, light typography, and less of everything.
Elsewhere
I'm on GitHub and post the occasional
note on dev.to. For a direct line, use the
contact form.
