In 2026, Devcon turns 70, a milestone that represents far more than years on a calendar. It’s a story of family, hard yakka, resilience, and the kind of quiet determination that defines civil construction.
Devcon was established in 1956 and remains a third-generation, family-owned and operated civil construction company. From roads and civil works to concrete, drainage, kerb and gutter, Devcon has spent decades mastering the craft, not by chasing shortcuts, but by doing the work properly, every time.
Where the Story Begins
To understand Devcon, you need to go back before 1956.
In 1945, the end of World War II brought relief, but also immense hardship. Much of Europe lay in ruins, infrastructure was broken, and opportunities were scarce. In the early 1950s, the Dutch government encouraged emigration, leading to the 1951 Netherlands–Australia Migration Agreement.
Among those who took that leap was Alle de Vries.
A former prisoner of war, Alle had survived the late years of the war, started a family, and made the brave decision to leave everything familiar behind. With his wife and four-year-old son Jack, they boarded a ship bound for Australia, a six-week journey to a country they had never seen, with no intention of returning.
When they arrived in Sydney, they were sent to a migrant camp near Bathurst. Work was scarce, so Alle did whatever he could, mostly farm work. Eventually, the family moved closer to Sydney, settling in Kellyville, which at the time was farmland, not the bustling suburban hub it is today.
Through connections in the Dutch migrant community and their local church, Alle heard about opportunities in hand-formed and poured kerb and gutter. He joined a crew, learned the trade, and in 1956, alongside his brother Klaas (who had also migrated) and a friend from church, started a small kerbing business.
One of their first clients was Stocks and Holdings, a company founded in 1952 by another post-war migrant, Ervin Graf, who arrived in Australia from Hungary. In 1957, Stocks & Holdings acquired Simon Hickey Industries Ltd and in 1988 rebranded to Stockland.
Seventy years later, Devcon is still working together with that very same client.
A Legacy Born from Hard Work
Sadly, Alle passed away in 2000. And while we’ll never know exactly what he would say today, one thing feels certain: he never set out to build a legacy. He was simply trying to look after his family.
What started as a small kerbing crew grew into a business run alongside his son Jack. Then, in the early 2000’s Jack’s sons joined the fold expanding Devcon into civil construction projects and broadening the scope well beyond its original roots.
More family around the table. More boots on the ground. More opinions at Sunday lunch.
What began as a family operation continues to evolve into multiple generations working side by side growing the business while holding onto the values it was built on.
A company founded on family. That’s the real legacy.
Today and Beyond
Today, Devcon operates across Sydney and NSW, delivering projects that don’t just meet expectations, they raise the bar. Clients aren’t just clients; they’re partners. Every project is a shared effort to turn ideas and plans on paper into something you can actually drive, walk or build on.
We’ve evolved over the years, embracing sustainability, innovation and smarter ways of working, while holding tight to the work ethic that started it all. We’ve come a long way since the days of hand-formed kerb, poured one section at a time in “safety gear” that consisted of a hat, boots and a fair bit of luck.
Seventy years on, the tools are shinier. The jobs are bigger.
But the values? Still rock solid.
We’re proud of where we’ve come from. Grateful to everyone who’s been part of the journey. And excited for what’s still ahead.
Because at Devcon, we don’t just build infrastructure, we build on what came before.
Check out our timeline that reflects the journey so far.
