Colin Austin is an engineer, inventor, and founder of Moldflow, a software company that helped shift plastics mould design from “gut feel” to science-based engineering. After building one of Australia’s most successful technical software exporters, his focus moved to fresh water, irrigation efficiency, and sustainable growing systems. His work includes micro-flood irrigation, scheduling software that supports precise irrigation, and the wicking bed system—developed after work in Ethiopia—aimed at enabling reliable food production through drought cycles.
Overview
Colin Austin has had a varied career spanning engineering, process control, software innovation, irrigation systems, and practical sustainability. After graduating in engineering from Sheffield University in 1963, he worked across industry and academia, then built a globally recognised software business. Later, he applied that same “scientific approach” mindset to irrigation and water management, aiming to improve how water is delivered and how crops are scheduled in real conditions.
A key theme through Colin’s work is moving from guesswork to measurement and clear decision-making. In plastics, that meant modelling complex flow patterns. In water and irrigation, it meant designing simple but effective delivery systems, and creating software tools that help growers apply the right amount of water based on plant demand and soil conditions.
Early Career And Engineering Foundations
Colin began his career in process control and developed expertise in plastics processing equipment. He worked as the R&D Manager of Johns Hydraulics, building practical experience in how complex systems behave in real production settings. He later spent time in academia as a lecturer at RMIT in Melbourne, where he continued developing and refining engineering approaches to difficult problems.
These early years shaped a pattern that shows up later in his water and soil work: identify the real constraint, measure what matters, and build tools that make complex systems easier for people to operate.
Moldflow And A Shift From “Gut Feel” To Science
Colin wrote software that transformed international plastics mould design by applying scientific principles rather than relying on intuition alone. This approach proved highly successful. The company he founded, Moldflow, became the largest exporter of technical software in Australia, growing into a multi-million-dollar business selling into more than 48 countries.
The Moldflow story matters because it demonstrates the method: take a hard, real-world engineering problem, build practical modelling and decision tools, then help an entire industry operate with more certainty and less waste.
Why Water Became The Focus
Over time, Colin became increasingly concerned about environmental issues—especially the management of fresh water, which he viewed as the world’s most critical resource. In his view, irrigation and water delivery had many of the same weaknesses that plastics design once had: too much reliance on habit, rules of thumb, and tradition, and not enough measurement-based decision-making.
Just as he helped move plastics processing from a “hunch based” approach to a science-based approach, he believed irrigation technology could also be transformed. The goal was practical: use water better, reduce losses, and help growers apply water precisely to match plant needs and the soil’s capacity to hold that water.
Micro-Flood Irrigation: A Practical Delivery System
A key development was micro-flood irrigation. This system uses thin wall blown film to transport and deliver water under gravity. The intent is to replace traditional open channels that can suffer major losses through evaporation and leakage.
A central element of the system is a simple sequencing valve that squeezes the plastic pipe to control water distribution. This enables precise application of water, even when working with gravity-fed systems. The emphasis is on low complexity and practical deployment—solutions that can be installed and operated without requiring expensive infrastructure.
Scheduling Software: Applying The Right Water At The Right Time
Alongside delivery systems, Colin continued software development in irrigation scheduling. The purpose of this software is to enable precise water application by calculating plant water usage and the water holding capacity of the soil.
The approach relies on measurements from soil and plant sensors, turning raw readings into decisions that a grower can act on. In simple terms: understand what the plant is using, understand what the soil can hold, and match irrigation to those realities. The outcome is better control—less under-watering, less over-watering, and less loss beyond what the plant can use.
Ethiopia, World Vision, And The Origin Of Wicking Beds
Colin’s work in Ethiopia added a practical, high-stakes dimension to these ideas. After returning from Ethiopia—where he worked with World Vision to train local farmers to install and operate simple but effective irrigation technology—he developed the wicking bed system.
He believed this system could save thousands of lives by enabling local farmers to grow food under cyclic drought conditions. The context is important: drought cycles can destabilise food supply rapidly, and systems that hold moisture and support stable plant growth can make the difference between harvest and failure.
Wicking beds, in this framing, are not “just a garden method.” They are part of a broader idea: redesign growing systems so they can cope with variable rain, improve water efficiency, and support reliable food production where conventional irrigation is difficult or unreliable.
Awards And Recognition
Colin has received numerous awards over many years. These include recognition for technical innovation, export achievement, engineering excellence, environmental contributions, and water-saving outcomes.
| Year | Award |
|---|---|
| 1980 | John Derham Award For Technical Innovation (awarded to Colin Austin) |
| 1982 | National Small Business Award |
| 1983 | Governor Of Victoria, Export Award |
| 1984 | Governor Of Victoria, Export Award |
| 1984 | Dept Of Trade (With Confederation Of Australian Industry) Export Award For Outstanding Achievement |
| 1985 | AITA, Cad Software Solution Of The Year Award |
| 1988 | Australian Bicentennial Export Award, Services Category |
| 1989 | Australian British Chamber Of Commerce Federal Award For Small Business Export Initiative And Innovation |
| 1990 | Governor Of Victoria Export Award (Individual Significant Export Achievement) |
| 1990 | Government Of Victoria Export Award Certificate Of Commendation, Services Category |
| 1990 | Business Bulletin Small Business Achievement Award |
| 1990 | Business Bulletin Small Business Achievement Award |
| 1991 | The John Hart Technology Award |
| 1991 | Rolls Royce/Qantas Award And Warren Centre Award For Engineering Excellence |
| 1991 | Governor Of Victoria Export Award (Significant Achievement By An Export Product) |
| 1993 | AITA Exporter Of The Year Award |
| 1993 | ANTEC (USA) Best Technical Paper Award For Lean Plastics Manufacture |
| 1994 | Southern Cross Award For Excellence (Technology In Government Committee) |
| 1997 | Fred O. Conley Award For Outstanding Achievement In Plastics Engineering & Technology |
| 2002 | Triannual Plastics Industry Award For Contributions To The Plastics Industry |
| 2002 | SPE Environmental Award |
| 2002 | SaveWater Award Winner, Agricultural Section |
| 2003 | SaveWater Award, Regional Sustainability |
Publications
Colin’s publications cover irrigation control, scheduling, water policy, and practical guides. They reflect a consistent focus on making water use more precise, more sustainable, and easier to manage in real-world settings.
| Publication | Date | Theme |
|---|---|---|
| Intelligent Irrigation | 1996 | Closed Loop Control Of Irrigation |
| The Murray Darling Basin — A Technological Solution | 1997 | Replacing Flood Irrigation |
| Soil Moisture Interpretation Made Easy | 1997 | Guide To Soil Moisture |
| Agriflow Making Water Go Further | 1999 | Replacing Flood Irrigation |
| Vision For The Bush | 2000 | Managing Our Natural Resources |
| Irrigation Scheduling | 2000 | Guide To Scheduling |
| Water Right — The New Thinking On Irrigation Scheduling | 2001 | Adaptive Scheduling |
| Sensor Based Irrigation Scheduling | 2002 | Training Course |
| Reaping The Benefits Of Water Saving Technology | 2002 | Implementation Of Water Saving Technology |
| Water, Technology And Policy Interactions | 2002 | Water Policy |
| Myths And Fantasies Of Sustainable Food Production In Australia | 2003 | Critique Of DNRE |
| Irrigation Scheduling | 2003 | Scheduling Manual |
| Making The Most Of Water — Micro Flood Operating Manual | 2003 | Micro Flood User Guide |
| Water, Wit And Wisdom — The Search For The Solution To The Water Crisis | 2004 | Book (ISBN 06463814-X) |
| Solving The Water Crisis | 2005 | DVD |
What This Means For Growers And Communities
Colin’s work sits at the intersection of technology and everyday practice. The intention is not complexity for its own sake. It is about designing systems that work under pressure: scarce water, variable rainfall, high evaporation, limited budgets, and real operational constraints.
Micro-flood focuses on low-cost transport and controlled delivery under gravity. Scheduling software focuses on precision—linking plant demand and soil capacity to irrigation decisions. Wicking beds focus on resilience—keeping plants productive when rainfall is unreliable and drought cycles are unavoidable.
Taken together, these projects reflect a consistent aim: support practical, measurable improvements in water use, soil performance, and food production, while keeping solutions accessible enough to be adopted in the real world.
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