Ian Allen completed his school certificate then started a Diesel Mechanic apprenticeship with Harts Machinery Pty Ltd. After completing this he left andManaged a Shell Service Station performing vehicle repairs and designing performance engines. After a few years he moved back to Harts Machinery Pty Ltd in the position of shop foreman working on Heavy Industrial machinery. His next job was with NSWGR (now State Rail) in construction re-railing. It was during his time with them that he completed his Mechanical Engineering Certificate. He worked in many locations with NSWGR, upgrading machinery to gain higher production and gaining recognition from higher authorities.InJanuary of 1977 the Granville rail disaster happened and Ian and the Re-railing Gang were relocated to Penrith to be split into 12 gangs to complete the repairs at Granville and the upgrading on the rail corridor from Penrith to Lithgow-it was Ian’s responsibility to maintain the machinery for the 3 years these major works took to complete. Shortly afterIan was asked if he would move to Sydney and take a position as Plant Mechanic at the (now) State Rail facility. Up until this time he was working on relatively simple Hydraulic systems. In this new position he needed to understand much more complicated electro-hydraulic systems.

The State Rail Authority assisted Ian with further education and training which included an Industrial Hydraulics post trade course, Foremanship Qualifying Programme Stage 1, 2 & 3,  CLAEDetroit Diesel course and time with the Service Department of Malcolm Moore. Due to personal reasons Ian left the State Rail in 1986 and returned to Private Industry. He worked for Unique Technical Controls in Wollongong as a Hydraulic Service Technician before moving to Malcom Moore /Moore BTR, then (through acquisition) to HMC Fluid Power in Toongabbie. In 1986 he was approached by Lucas Fluid Power to help them restructure their Fluid Power business. Within this role he gained further education and experience in business management, manufacture, and Hydraulic design. Following the success of this restructure, in 1993 Lucas Industries sold their global fluid power divisions to Sophus Berendsen, and for Ian it was now time to return home to his birth town Parkes central NSW. 

Parkes Hydraulic Services Pty Ltd and since then Ian has developed this business to the success it is today. Ian has been involved with the Fluid Power Society since 1993 and is currently the President of theFluid Power Society of NSW.