On September 24, 1964, Karl Lupis became a certified surveyor.
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Now 50 years later, he’s still working the job that he loves.
Karl moved to Forbes on “show day” in 1969 after living at Walli and working as a surveyor around Wyangala Dam.
Since then he has been working locally and across the central west for 45 years.
The job has taken Karl as far north as Bourke and as far west as Hay.
Karl says it’s the variousness of the job that he loves.
“We do a lot of diverse jobs, whether we’re in the office calculating or out seeing the countryside,” he says.
Karl says the technology and systems of measurement have changed dramatically in his time.
“When I first started we worked with vernier theodolites, this was replaced by microptic theodolites, then electronic theodolites and now the ultimate is GNSS technology,” he said.
“I started with feet and decimals, chains and links and now it’s the metric system.”
While Karl says these changes have been testing, it is the challenge that keeps his work interesting.
“It is [worthwhile],” he said.
“We’ve faced many challenges such as fixing boundaries and it’s a sense of achievement when the land titles office agree with our fixations.”
Karl works with surveyor Shayne Staines who joined him in 1987.
Last Thursday, McGroders Solicitors and Conveyancers held a morning tea for Karl to commemorate his 50 years on the job.
Asked how much longer he will continue as a surveyor, Karl says “As long as I can”.