George Bourne & Associates is an Engineering Consultant based in Barcaldine, Western Queensland. The firm was established in 1945 by Mr Clem and Nick Wilson under the name of CH Wilson and Partners. In 1968, the Wilson family left Barcaldine and sold their shares in the firm to George Bourne. George later changed the business name to George Bourne & Associates.
The practice burgeoned as governments, especially local governments, gradually accepted greater responsibilities for the provision of better infrastructure and amenities to enhance the lifestyle of their residents. The professional engineering services that the firm provided helped the development of roads, water supplies, sewerage, airports, buildings and more, that contributed to improving life in the outback.
When George Bourne died suddenly in 1981, Kevin Kerr, who had been with the firm since 1969 became the senior partner. He formed a partnership with George’s son Simon Bourne who returned to Barcaldine following his father’s death. Graeme Wills (retired), Keith Luckhurst, Michael Donald, Stuart Bourne, Jason Ricks, PJ Cullivan and Rick Rolfe have joined George Bourne and Associates.
When George Bourne died suddenly in 1981, Kevin Kerr, who had been with the firm since 1969 became the senior partner. He formed a partnership with George’s son Simon Bourne who returned to Barcaldine following his father’s death. Graeme Wills (retired), Keith Luckhurst, Michael Donald, Stuart Bourne, Jason Ricks, PJ Cullivan and Rick Rolfe have joined George Bourne and Associates.
With Kevin Kerr’s retirement in 2006 we believed it timely to record the history of our Western Queensland Consulting Engineering practice. The result was the publishing of “Engineering the Outback”, a wonderful read for anyone interested in life in outback Queensland shires from both a social and engineering perspective.
Since our inception, particularly in the last ten years, we have grown to provide a service to regional, rural and remote local authorities extending from the Central Highlands Regional Council in the east, through to the Northern Territory border in the west, and from the Gulf of Carpentaria in the north to Quilpie Shire Council in the south.
During the past 75 years, our firm has amassed a vast array of experience in providing and managing civil infrastructure services throughout Central and Western Queensland. Our engineers use our fleet of 3 light aircraft and 7 motor vehicles to travel to and from our job sites spread across 35% of the land mass of Queensland. Given the vast area that we cover in our practice, the team at GBA is very attuned to being resourceful and creative to ensure planning and delivery of projects under difficult circumstances of extremes in remoteness and temperature variations.
During the past 75 years, our firm has amassed a vast array of experience in providing and managing civil infrastructure services throughout Central and Western Queensland. Our engineers use our fleet of 3 light aircraft and 7 motor vehicles to travel to and from our job sites spread across 35% of the land mass of Queensland. Given the vast area that we cover in our practice, the team at GBA is very attuned to being resourceful and creative to ensure planning and delivery of projects under difficult circumstances of extremes in remoteness and temperature variations.