- By Jock Serong, a novelist and freelance journalist who writes in the surfing, travel and literary media. He was the founding editor of Great Ocean Quarterly and is senior writer at Surfing World magazine. His most recent novel is Preservation, based on the true story of the Sydney Cove shipwreck.
The Spokes People: A Family Legacy at ACCIONA Geotech
Some careers are shaped by qualifications. Others are shaped by opportunity, hard work and the people around you.
For the Spokes family, a long connection with construction, concrete and ground engineering has created a professional legacy that spans generations.
From their family roots in Colac and Elliminyt in Victoria to major infrastructure projects across Australia, Corey, Damian and Gavin Spokes each found their own path into the industry. Along the way, their careers became closely connected with Geotech, ACCIONA's specialist ground engineering business.
Their story is about more than construction. It is a story about family, technical expertise, entrepreneurship and the long-term relationships that help infrastructure projects succeed.
A family with construction in its roots
The Spokes family's connection with construction goes back generations.
The family has lived around Colac, including Elliminyt in Victoria's Western District, since the nineteenth century. Their professional history also includes stonemasonry, concrete work and the manufacture and installation of concrete products.
That background helped shape the skills and practical mindset that would later influence several members of the family.
For Corey, Damian and Gavin, however, there was no single route into construction.
Each brother developed his own strengths and followed a different path before becoming part of the wider Geotech network.
Corey Spokes: a career built around construction
Corey Spokes joined Geotech in August 2000 after his brother Damian had already started working with the business.
At the time, Geotech was involved in major tunnelling and infrastructure work, including the Burnley Tunnel project in Melbourne.
Corey's first experience with the company quickly led to an opportunity in Sydney. What was initially expected to be several months of work became a much longer assignment at Warragamba Dam.
The work was hands-on and varied.
As Corey recalls, a small crew was responsible for a wide range of tasks, from driving trucks and spraying concrete to fixing steel and repairing equipment.
That type of experience gave him exposure to different parts of the construction process and helped build the practical knowledge that would shape his career.
Over the following years, Corey continued working across Melbourne and gradually moved towards more specialised and supervisory responsibilities.
From shotcreting to supervision
For many years, Corey worked in piling and other areas of ground engineering and construction.
As his career developed, his responsibilities shifted towards coordination and supervision.
By the time he was working on the Southern Program Alliance in Melbourne, Corey was helping organise shotcreting and steel fixing and supervising grouting and other activities.
The transition reflected something common across long construction careers: practical experience on the tools can provide a strong foundation for leadership, planning and supervision later on.
It also gave Corey a different perspective on the work.
Rather than carrying out every task himself, he increasingly focused on coordinating machinery, people and specialist activities to keep complex construction operations moving safely and efficiently.
When work becomes a family affair
Corey's connection to the construction industry is not limited to his own career.
His brothers Damian and Gavin also developed careers connected with Geotech before establishing their own businesses.
Damian went on to operate Complete Shotcreting, while Gavin established Subterranean Solutions, specialising in steelwork associated with shotcreting.
Both businesses maintained connections with Geotech through contracting relationships, meaning that the family remained closely involved with projects in the wider Geotech network.
That connection also extended to the next generation.
Corey's son Gabriel worked with his uncle Damian's business, while other members of the extended family also found their way into related construction roles.
The result is an unusual professional network in which family relationships, specialist skills and long-standing industry connections overlap.
Gavin Spokes: from geology to ground engineering
Gavin took a different route into the industry.
After completing a geology degree, he initially expected to work in mining. But when the mining industry was going through a downturn, finding a role proved difficult.
Then his brother Damian called.
Damian was heading to Sydney with a shotcreting crew and needed another pair of hands.
Gavin accepted the opportunity and found himself entering the construction industry almost immediately.
The change of direction combined his academic background with practical site experience and introduced him to the specialist world of ground engineering.
It was a career path that would eventually lead to his own business.
From working with family to building a business
Gavin's career demonstrates another side of the relationship between Geotech and its specialist subcontractors: the role that trusted relationships can play in creating opportunities for entrepreneurship.
One of Damian's early business opportunities involved work with Geotech at the South Morang rail cut.
Gavin later worked with his brother before establishing Subterranean Solutions in October 2014.
The company focused on steelwork associated with shotcreting, complementing Damian's business and creating another specialist capability within the family's wider construction network.
What began as a family connection therefore developed into a professional ecosystem of complementary businesses working alongside major infrastructure contractors.
The value of long-term relationships
Construction projects depend on more than technical equipment and engineering expertise.
They also depend on people who understand the work, communicate effectively and can be relied upon to deliver.
This is one of the themes that runs through the Spokes family's story.
The brothers developed long-standing relationships with people at Geotech and within the wider construction industry. Those relationships helped create opportunities for further work, new businesses and collaboration across projects.
For specialist contractors, trust can be particularly important.
Ground engineering, shotcreting, piling and steelwork often require teams with specific technical skills, specialised equipment and a detailed understanding of site conditions.
Strong working relationships can help those teams respond quickly when projects change or unexpected challenges arise.
Geotech and the evolution of specialist infrastructure capability
The Spokes family's story is also part of a much larger Geotech history.
Geotech was founded in 1972 and has played a role in major infrastructure projects across Australia for decades. ACCIONA acquired the Geotech Group in 2017, bringing together the businesses' local knowledge and specialist capabilities.
In 2023, Australian Precast Solutions merged with Geotech, further integrating complementary capabilities within ACCIONA's Australian infrastructure business. Today, Geotech's expertise includes foundation piling, basement construction, ground improvement, ground anchors and water infrastructure.
The business continues to deliver complex ground engineering and infrastructure work across Australia.
Recent projects demonstrate the scale of that work. On Melbourne's M80 Ring Road Completion Project, for example, Geotech reported completing more than half of its piling scope by October 2025, including 2,400 piles, 20,500 cubic metres of concrete and 4,200 tonnes of steel at that stage of the project.
Innovation in ground engineering
Specialist construction can sometimes happen away from the spotlight.
Piling, shotcreting, ground anchors and other forms of ground engineering may not always be the most visible parts of a major infrastructure project, but they are fundamental to how that infrastructure is built.
The Spokes family's experience reflects the technical nature of this work.
Gavin has previously highlighted Geotech's willingness to explore new approaches, including research involving deep piles and water circulating through pipes underground to investigate whether ground temperatures could be used for heating and cooling buildings.
It is an example of how innovation can emerge directly from practical construction experience.
Rather than seeing specialist construction as a fixed set of techniques, Geotech has continued to look for ways to improve what can be achieved in difficult ground conditions.
Building a career in construction
The Spokes story also demonstrates that there is no single way to build a career in infrastructure.
Corey developed his career through practical experience, moving from hands-on work towards supervision and coordination.
Gavin combined academic study in geology with site experience before establishing his own specialist business.
Damian developed an entrepreneurial path through shotcreting and specialist contracting.
Different backgrounds and skill sets can therefore contribute to the same industry.
For people considering a career in infrastructure, this is one of the sector's greatest strengths.
There are opportunities across engineering, construction, plant and equipment, project management, supervision, surveying, design, environmental management and specialist trades.
More than a family story
At its heart, the Spokes story is about people.
It shows how skills can be passed between generations, how careers can evolve over time and how relationships built on trust can continue long after a particular project has finished.
It also reflects a broader characteristic of Australia's construction industry: major infrastructure is delivered by networks of engineers, contractors, specialist businesses, tradespeople and communities working together.
For ACCIONA and Geotech, that network is built on technical capability, experience and a willingness to keep improving.
A legacy that continues
The construction industry is constantly changing.
New technologies, increasingly complex infrastructure projects and growing expectations around safety, sustainability and efficiency are reshaping how major projects are delivered.
But some things remain consistent.
Experience matters. Relationships matter. Specialist knowledge matters. And the ability to adapt matters.
The Spokes family's journey through construction and Geotech illustrates all four.
From the family businesses of Victoria's Western District to major infrastructure projects in Melbourne and beyond, their story is a reminder that the legacy of infrastructure is built not only in concrete and steel, but also in the people who deliver it.
At ACCIONA, that combination of technical expertise, local knowledge and long-term relationships continues to shape the way we deliver complex infrastructure across Australia.
Frequently asked questions about the Spokes family and ACCIONA Geotech
Who are the Spokes family?
The Spokes family is a long-established family from the Colac and Elliminyt area of Victoria with generations of connections to construction, concrete and specialist trades. Corey, Damian and Gavin Spokes each developed careers connected with Geotech and the wider construction industry.
When did Corey Spokes join Geotech?
Corey joined Geotech in August 2000. His early work included tunnelling and a period working in Sydney, including work at Warragamba Dam.
What does Geotech specialise in?
Geotech is ACCIONA's ground engineering business in Australia. Its capabilities include foundation piling, basement construction, ground improvement, ground anchors and water infrastructure.
When did ACCIONA acquire Geotech?
ACCIONA acquired a majority stake in the Geotech Group in 2017.
What happened to Australian Precast Solutions?
Australian Precast Solutions merged with Geotech in 2023, bringing complementary capabilities together within ACCIONA's Australian infrastructure business.
What kind of projects does Geotech work on?
Geotech works across areas including piling, ground improvement, ground anchors, basement construction and water infrastructure, supporting major infrastructure projects across Australia.
Why are specialist ground engineering contractors important?
Ground engineering provides the foundations and structural support required for many major infrastructure projects. Specialist expertise can be critical when projects involve complex ground conditions, large structures, tunnels, rail infrastructure or other technically demanding environments.
A legacy built on people, experience and expertise
The Spokes family story is a reminder that infrastructure is ultimately a people business.
Behind every major project are individuals who bring experience, technical knowledge, practical skills and determination to the job.
For the Spokes family, that journey has crossed generations and businesses while maintaining a strong connection to Geotech.
As Geotech continues to evolve within ACCIONA Australia, that combination of experience, specialist capability and innovation remains central to delivering the complex infrastructure Australia needs.
The tools and technologies may change. The projects may change. But the value of people, expertise and trusted relationships remains.