Shipyards Directory

Birdon

shipbuilder and marine engineer Port Macquarie, NSW, Australia

Birdon is a 100% Australian-owned engineering and services group founded in Port Macquarie in 1977, working across defence, maritime and infrastructure sectors in Australia, the United States, Europe and Asia. The company covers the full asset lifecycle — design and naval architecture, vessel and infrastructure construction, ferry and marine operations, maintenance and refit, dredging and environmental remediation, and decommissioning and disposal. Programs range from Bridge Erection Boats and Ancillary Surface Craft for the US Army and 27 Waterways Commerce Cutters for the US Coast Guard, to Sydney ferries, police boats, mine-site dredging and offshore oil and gas asset removal. Birdon states more than 800 employees, a project portfolio valued at over $4 billion and more than 600 vessels engineered, built and delivered.

Birdon

Established in 1977 by Jim Bruce in Port Macquarie, NSW with the purchase of a single dredge, Birdon has grown into a 100% Australian-owned global engineering and services partner operating across Australia, the United States, Europe and Asia. The company delivers whole-of-life capability to defence, national security, government, transport, mining, and oil and gas customers, including the Australian Defence Force, the US Department of Defense and Department of Homeland Security, the US Army, US Coast Guard and US Navy. Birdon reports more than 800 employees, over 600 vessels engineered and delivered, a project portfolio valued above $4 billion, and more than 97% of materials diverted from landfill on disposal projects.

Services

  • Design: concept development, naval architecture, systems engineering, prototyping and verification; mission systems, autonomy, MCS and C5I integration; human factors engineering
  • Build: fabrication, assembly, fit-out, systems integration, testing, commissioning and classification compliance
  • Operate: ferry and vessel operations, crewing, training and scheduling, safety management systems, regulatory compliance and reporting
  • Maintain: refits, repairs, preventative programs, overhauls, upgrades, docking programs and long-term sustainment planning, with mobile response teams
  • Remediate: dredging, sediment removal, environmental remediation and site recovery
  • Decommission: dismantling, hazardous material management, recycling, waste handling and regulatory documentation

Facilities

  • Port Macquarie, NSW, Australia (Australian head office, 4 Glen Ewan Road) — shipbuilding and maintenance
  • Dampier, Western Australia — maintenance and slipway work
  • Denver, Colorado, USA (US head office)
  • Bayou La Batre, Alabama, USA
  • Portland, Connecticut, USA
  • Bellingham, Washington, USA
  • New Orleans / Elmwood, Louisiana, USA

Vessel Types

  • Waterways Commerce Cutters (US Coast Guard) and Motor Lifeboats
  • Bridge Erection Boats and Ancillary Surface Craft for the US Army; LCM8 landing craft refits and AV-L work
  • Passenger and vehicular ferries, including Sydney vehicular ferries, Daintree River Ferry and Golden Grove Ferry
  • Police boats (NSW Police) and a high-speed multipurpose firefighting vessel
  • Dredges and specialist marine craft; MV Island Trader (Port Macquarie–Lord Howe Island)

Location

Australian head office in Port Macquarie, NSW; US head office in Denver, Colorado, with additional US sites in Washington, Connecticut, Louisiana and Alabama.