Our Organisation traces its origins in marine surveying to Captain R. Douglas Taylor and Captain James W. Herd, both members of the Marine Board of Queensland, with Captain Herd succeeding Captain Taylor as a member, upon his death.
Captain Herd was a member of the Commonwealth Salvage Board and was instrumental in the salvage operations of the “Rufus King” and “Niagara” during World War 2.
In 1953, Captain George A. Gatt and Captain James Herd founded the company as ‘W. Herd & Gatt.’ Unfortunately, Captain Herd passed away in 1956 while en route to work.
In 1958, Captain David James joined the company, leading to its rebranding as ‘Gatt and James.’ After Captain Gatt’s retirement in 1965, Captain Michael Plumley joined, and the company was renamed ‘James and Plumley.’ Captain Plumley remained with the company until 2012.
Captain Michael Pearson became part of the team in 1976, prompting another name change to ‘James, Plumley and Pearson.’
Captain’s James, Plumley, and Pearson, all Extra Masters, significantly contributed to the company’s reputation by representing most major Classification Societies and serving as sea-trial Masters for oil tankers constructed in Brisbane during this era.
Captain Richard White joined the Company in 1985, prior to the retirement of Captain David James in 1994 following which it was finally renamed ‘Plumley, Pearson and White’, the name it bears today.
The depth and strength of our organisation today bears witness to those who went before us; their seamanship and survey skills being passed through the generations with practical instruction and mentoring.
Captain David James in 1975 described what we do as “fairly demanding and requiring a certain amount of dedication or love for the work”.
Although the ships, tools and times have changed, what we do still requires a certain amount of dedication or love for the work which is fairly demanding.
Plumley Pearson and White Proudly Serving the Shipping Industry Since 1917