Join us for the second talk in the Heritage Skills Association Winter Warmer Talk Series. 

Structural engineer Rowan Stokes shares his expertise on Rottnest Island’s significant World War II heritage sites.

This presentation covers the restoration works of the Battery Observation Post, the Signals Station, and the Oliver Hill Gun Emplacement and Tunnels, highlighting the unique engineering challenges and construction techniques.

Date: Wednesday, 30 July 2025
Time: 5.45pm arrival. Talk starts 6pm. Event Concludes 7.30pm. Light refreshments will be available.
Venue: City of Perth Library 573 Hay Street, Perth
Cost: Free, book now as places are limited.
 

About the speaker

Rowan Stokes is a Structural Engineer with over 30 years of national and international experience. Rowan has spent most of his career at Wood & Grieve Engineers, who were acquired by Stantec in 2019. Over this time, he has been responsible for delivering a vast array of projects across a diverse range of sectors with projects including high rise buildings, commercial offices, schools, shopping centres, high end residential properties, public facility buildings. Rowan was sent to Melbourne in 2004 to set up and grow a structural group within the recently formed office. During this time, he designed the Bendigo Exhibition centre, which still holds the title of being the largest spanning roof in regional Australia. Rowan managed the Western Australian structural group for over 15 years since 2005 and oversaw the delivery of many iconic projects across the state and country during this time. Rowan was an owner and elected Executive Director at Wood & Grieve Engineers for 10 years prior to the point of acquisition by Stantec in 2019 and was involved in all aspects of corporate governance, strategic planning and company leadership. Rowan held the national Australian Discipline Leader (Structural) role from 2019 to 2024 where he was responsible for delivering strategic initiatives aimed at facilitating consistent, high-quality technical service across Stantec’s Australian business.

Today, Rowan is a Structural Director at Stantec, as well as the WA Building Services Group Leader. He remains active in the management of multi-disciplinary project teams as well as personally undertaking regular structural project work in WA and interstate. Over the years, Rowan has built a strong reputation and tended to focus his project work in the heritage conservation and forensic/expert witness fields. Rowan has had the privilege of undertaking extensive work on Rottnest Island since 2012 and this has provided the opportunity to work on a number of heritage assets. Rowan is an avid consumer of history outside of work and has a particular interest in military history and battlefield detective work.

HERITAGE SKILLS ASSOCIATION WINTER WARMER TALK SERIES

This series will showcase a range of local heritage professionals shining the spotlight on WA heritage places, projects, current challenges as well as provide a chance to meet other individuals interested in or working in these spaces.

Anyone with an interest in learning more about heritage and our environment is invited to attend as well as those studying, working or looking to enter the industry.
 

This event series is run in partnership with the Heritage Skills Association endorsed by Department of Planning, Lands and Heritage, and the Heritage Council.

More talks in this series: 
Wednesday 25 June 2025 - Conservators at Large: Preserving cultural material in unexpected contexts
Wednesday 27 August 2025 - Discovering Archaeological Sites via Survey Analysis
Wednesday 24 Septemeber 2025 - Their Words, Their Stories - Western Australian Military Digital Library