The History of Preston | ESTABLISHED 1969

Preston Australia was established in 1969 by John Preston, a hands-on builder and inventor whose vision was shaped by the realities of construction sites, long days, hard work and a determination to make the industry safer and smarter.

Starting as a scaffolding hire and erection business, Preston quickly became known for solving the real problems builders faced every day. From those early foundations grew a legacy of inventions that changed the way buildings are built in Australia and around the world.

The Preston Legacy

Across five decades, Preston has created and commercialised some of the most successful and widely adopted construction innovations ever developed in Australia.
Each invention addressed major site challenges and went on to become an industry standard before being successfully sold or licensed worldwide.

1977 | Spidernet Climbing Perimeter Screens – the world’s first self-climbing safety screen system, providing full-height protection on high-rise projects and becoming the forerunner to the perimeter screen systems used globally today

1983 | Preston Folding Scaffold – transformed site safety and productivity, earning innovation awards from BHP Steel and IBM and later sold to GKN-Kwikform (Waco)

1998 | SuperDeck – the world’s leading retractable loading platform, recognised globally as the benchmark in crane loading safety and efficiency, now owned and commercialised by Preston Hire

2004 | SuperBarrier – a modular safety barrier system delivering superior edge protection and installation efficiency, later licensed and sold

2010 | SuperAccess – a modular, multi-purpose structure system that replaced traditional scaffolding with a safer, faster and more flexible temporary structure solution

2018 | Façade1ˢᵗ – a revolutionary construction methodology that installs the façade first, eliminating scaffolding and perimeter screens while reducing build time and costs by more than 20 percent.

Built on Experience. Driven by Innovation.

John Preston’s career began at 17, erecting scaffolding and hoist towers on Sydney’s high-rise projects. Those years, marked by danger, mateship and a complete absence of safety regulation, forged a lifelong commitment to design out risk and design in productivity.

That drive has guided every Preston invention since:

“One of the hardest things with innovation is getting people to change their minds, but if it makes construction safer and faster, we keep going until it’s done.” — John Preston

The Future: Smarter, Safer, More Profitable Construction

Today, Preston Australia continues its mission to deliver safer, faster, better and more profitable building solutions for developers, designers, builders and owners. Our patented systems reduce waste, remove hazards and redefine what is possible on modern high-rise projects.

We believe the construction industry is ready for a new chapter where innovation is not optional, it is essential.

Preston Australia
Innovating since 1969