

It All Started with a Log Splitter: The Real Story Behind APT’s 21-Year Journey
21 years ago, there wasn’t a clear path for tradies who wanted to go further in fluid power.
You’d learn on the job, copy the last bloke’s design, maybe get lucky with a YouTube video or time at TAFE – but real confidence in what you were doing? That just wasn’t a thing.
That’s why APT was born. Not in a boardroom. Not in some government policy paper. But in the field, where things break, machines stop, and people need real solutions fast.
It started with one job at Austar and a crazy idea to teach hydraulics differently.
From Mentoring to a Mission
Back in 2004, Al was getting phone calls. Not for jobs – not at first. People were asking for help. Mentoring. Coaching. Could he come out and help the engineers and the trades understand what was actually going on with their systems?
There was a gap – a big one – between the work being done and the knowledge needed to do it well.
At first, it wasn’t even meant to be a training business. Al wasn’t consulting or jumping on the tools. He just wanted to teach. To help people learn the right way, and fill that knowledge gap that nobody else seemed to be tackling.
That turned into onsite coaching, simulation-based training, and eventually – the first ever “hands-on” hydraulics course delivered in the field.
The First Real Test: Angus Place
By 2007, Kyle had come onboard, and things were shifting. They got a call from Scott Wyborn at Angus Place Mine. They’d had an incident, and the site wanted to train everyone – fitters, electricians, engineers – the whole lot.
“We’ll make it custom,” they said. “Machine-specific. Real-world. Not just a generic course.”
That meant long hours building something new – a course tailored to the site, the team, and their actual gear. But they didn’t stop there. They thought, why not build a prac kit too?
Cue the first of many APT-style curveballs.
The power pack they ordered showed up – wrong size. The flow rate was way off. Kyle’s in the garage, pulling it apart, doubting himself, calling Al for backup. Eventually, they had to scrap the plan and bring a log splitter from Al’s backyard as the hydraulic source for their first hands-on class.
Yep. A log splitter.
And guess what? It worked.
That course at Angus Place wasn’t just successful – it was transformational. 50+ students over four weeks. Lightbulb moments. People raving about how they finally got it.
It set the tone for everything APT would become.
Built Different From Day One
From the beginning, APT wasn’t interested in cookie-cutter courses.
The gear was custom. The content was relevant. And the delivery was personal.
Every training session was built for the people, the site, and the problems they were actually facing. That’s still true today.
From simulation-based schematics to full-blown prac kits, from a ute parked out front to a 1,200 sqm training facility – APT’s growth has never been about scaling for the sake of it. It’s been about doing it right.
Because when you’re working in the field and the machine’s down, there’s no time to stuff around.
Mistakes, Mess-Ups & Milestones
Ask anyone who’s been around long enough, and they’ll tell you – learning usually comes from doing it wrong first.
That’s something we know all too well.
There was the time we spilled 400 litres of oil across someone else’s workshop floor. Didn’t follow our own advice: slow down, mark up the schematic, double-check the return lines.
We cleaned it up. Learned from it. And made sure our students didn’t have to learn that one the hard way.
Because it’s not just about teaching hydraulics – it’s about building careers, building confidence, and helping people avoid costly mistakes.
Why It Still Matters (More Than Ever)
These days, the industry’s changed – smarter machines, more sensors, tighter timeframes, and bigger expectations. But the knowledge gap? It’s still there. In fact, it’s getting wider.
And that’s why we’re still here, 21 years on.
The mission hasn’t changed. Whether you’re a tradie, an engineer, or somewhere in between – we’re here to help you get clear, confident, and capable in fluid power.
We’re not about overwhelming you with theory or dragging you through outdated slideshows. We’ll show you how it actually works. With your gear. In your environment. With your kind of team.
That’s how we started – and it’s how we’ll keep going.
So, What’s Next?
We’re building Pandora – a portable, flexible training system that delivers prac-based learning right to remote or regional sites. Because time is tight, and not everyone can make it to us. So we’re making it easier to bring the training to you.
21 years in, and we’re only getting started.
We’ve trained thousands. But we’re aiming for a million.
Final Word
If you’ve ever felt stuck staring at a schematic, unsure what it’s really doing – or felt like you should know something but didn’t feel safe to ask – just know, you’re not alone.
We’ve been there.
And we built APT for people like you.
So whether you’ve trained with us before, or you’re just finding out who we are – thanks for being here. We’d love to be part of your next step.