The Hanlons Story

Hanlons Consulting is a regional firm providing surveying, engineering and environmental services throughout regional Australia. Founded in 2003 by Mitch Hanlon as Mitchel Hanlon Consulting, Hanlons has expanded and diversified, servicing urban development, agricultural, transport and infrastructure sectors. From their home base in Tamworth, the employment of their expertise throughout regional NSW has seen Hanlons expand operations, setting up office in Orange to increase their presence and further serve the mid-western and southern parts of NSW.

They provide their clients with regional boots and local experience on the ground, ensuring the right people are on the job to solve the complex problems and ensure successful completion of all projects. Hanlons keep the machines running, turning up and getting the work done with no delays. 

Hanlons’ expertise is supported by an ever growing, regionally based and focused team, with qualifications in a range of disciplines including surveying, engineering and environmental science. To ensure they always remain relevant to major projects, multskilling within their firm is essential and they continue to seek to validate their industry knowledge with relevant qualifications. Hanlons are also focused on supporting the future generation of surveyors and engineers through their cadetship programs, providing those new to the field with a guided introduction to the industry. 

The Hanlons team are passionate about regional Australia and endeavour to do great things for their rural and regional areas. Their firm is committed to contributing to the improvement of regional infrastructure in Australia and creating positive transformations in their own communities. The work they undertake at Hanlons is critical to themselves, their family and their friends. They feel the direct impact of the projects they work on, making the transformation of regional economies and growth of regional areas a key driver of the services they provide. 

In 2023, Brown and Krippner merged with Hanlons with their partners Steve Griffiths and Tim Youman becoming shareholders and directors of Hanlons Consulting. 

A Brief History of Brown+Krippner

The company Brown & Krippner is almost synonymous with surveying in Tamworth and district. The private surveying, and now also planning, practice dates back to 1923 when Mr Russell Edward Brown commenced his business. That business was expanded over the years with various partners until the present company name was established in 1960 when John Yeoman Krippner joined Mr Brown in partnership.

As well as Messrs. Brown & Krippner, partners over the years have included: William Norman Hayes, John Storey Hawkins, Glendon Keith Rixon, Peter John Sheedy, Graeme Everingham, Gordon Alexander Monro, Ralph Gordon Kidson, John Michael Worldon and Andrew Swane.

Of course there have been many other surveyors who have practised in Tamworth since the early days of settlement. These included the notables Linton Charles Palmer, Edward Brace Henderson and Messrs Wright, Wallis and Dowe. Surveyor Palmer carried out all work for the Peel River Land and Mineral Company, formed in 1853 once gold had been discovered on the Peel River estates of the Australian Agricultural Company. Records from these surveys are still retained by Brown and Krippner. 

The firm has always strongly supported the profession of surveying, as evidenced by the fact that Mr Brown was a foundation member of the Institution of Surveyors. Mr Krippner was elevated to the prestigious position of Fellow of that institution as well as Mr Ralph Kidson having been actively involved in matters of the Institution of Surveyors, the Associalion of Consulting Surveyors and the Board of Surveyors.

Ralph Kidson who joined the firm as a partner in 1973 specialised in Strata Title matters, but also attends to Identification, Surveys, and Planning along with general surveying issues.

John Worldon joined the firm in 1985 and specialised in engineering design, town planning and development matters.

Over the years, partners also contributed towards the community. For example,  by being elected Councillors to Tamworth City Council (Reginald Dowe, Gordon Munro), church bodies or service clubs such as Rotary.  

Brown and Krippner enjoyed a stable workforce over the years. For example, the senior field assistant, Mr James Farrell, had been with Brown and Krippner since 1955 only retiring in the mid 1990s.

Many early surveyors were explorers, and the early days of Brown and Kipper saw no exceptions. Living in tents, clearing lines with axes and cross cut saws, having no showers and only a camp stretcher to sleep on was a common experience. Messrs Brown and Krippner endured such conditions during their subdivision of Pilliga and Western District Lands. Transportation was often by pack horse and a four wheel drive vehicle was only purchased by the firm in 1959.