A short history of our trade — from pulley blocks and tar to CAD-designed propellers.

The sail era

Marine engineering in colonial Australia began as blacksmithing. The first marine shops in Brisbane, Sydney and Hobart made iron fittings, chain, rudder stocks, and (eventually) rigging screws for schooners. The sail era handed off slowly — well into the 20th century, many fishing boats still carried a working sail rig alongside the engine.

Steam and the early engine era

Steam engines came late to Australia and left early. The real revolution was the arrival of marine diesel in the 1920s. Suddenly a 40 ft fishing boat could carry a reliable 30 hp engine, work farther from port, and skip the sail. The marine engineering trade shifted to shaft lines, propellers and gearboxes.

The post-war boom

After 1945, boat building and marine engineering grew with the Australian prawn fishing industry. Trawlers north of Brisbane and in the Gulf of Carpentaria needed propellers, shafts and winches. Brian Rogers started his trade in 1950, serving Brisbane and the growing Queensland fleet.

The CAD era

By the 1990s, propeller design moved from pattern-and-tradition to CAD. Blade shapes could be modelled, performance curves predicted. Brian Rogers Marine Engineering adopted CAD design in that era — allowing propellers to be matched exactly to the engine and hull, with measurable fuel savings.

Today

Today the workshop combines traditional precision machining with modern 3D design and CNC-ready drawings. The business is the same — stern gear for vessels across Australia — but the tools have evolved. Decades of accumulated knowledge about hull-prop-engine interaction remain the single most valuable asset.

The next decade

Marine engineering faces the same transitions as the broader marine trade: electrification of pleasure craft, hybrid propulsion on commercial vessels, and continued pressure on fuel economy. Propellers for electric drives are already a growing part of the design workbook, and the trade will continue to adapt.

Need advice on your boat’s stern gear or propeller? Call Brian directly on 0413 771 090 or use the contact form — we respond the same day.