Ninkasi Computer Consultants is an IT support business run by me, Richard Phillips. I have been living and working in Bayside for over twenty years now and most of the photos on this website were taken by me in Bayside. I am supported by my talented (and some may say long-suffering) wife who is a brilliant project manager, and for larger projects I also have many contacts to draw on if required.

Over my career I have held various roles in businesses from general admin, HR, Finance, Sales and of course IT where I was the network manager for a number of companies, the CIO for a mobile and telecommunications business, and a senior consultant for a large multinational company supporting businesses of all sizes. I like to believe that my wide range of experience helps me better understand business requirements and propose & implement IT solutions that meet those requirements. No matter whether it's a large corporation, a small business, or someone just not being able to get their scanner to work - I get a lot of personal satisfaction in helping solve their problems.

Basically, if you need some form of IT related services I am confident we will be able to provide that help.

Many.... many years ago I wanted to become an archaeologist. I did a combined arts/science degree studying geology, palaeontology, classical civilisation, and (I knew it was in the cards) computer science. When I completed my studies, however, I found that jobs were actually quite hard to find. When I applied for a position at the local museum I was told that there had been well over fifty applicants and I had come second - second to someone who had a PhD in geology. The position? To classify rocks as they were brought into the museum by the public. You know.... "that would be basalt".... "no, that's not a giant diamond, it's broken glass".... not exactly heartening.

It was then that I turned my sights towards other endeavours.... and have now ended up "in computers" so to speak. My interest in ancient civilisations has never really diminished and it, along with an interest in a few other things (such as photography, wine, and - of course - beer) remains.

So. Imagine it. It's many years ago, and I'm a geek and I want to have my own domain for email and other nefarious purposes. Well, more specifically I'm setting up my own business and need a name. Do I register something that I could perhaps make money from in the distant future? Something like "finance.com" or perhaps "google.com". Nah. I go for the ancient Sumerian "goddess of beer": Ninkasi. Setting up a domain way back when, especially from the boonies of Australia, was nowhere as easy or cheap as it is now. But again, I justified it by my company "Ninkasi Computer Consultants".

My business became dormant (aside from occasionally helping out friends and neighbours) as I started working exclusively for one large multinational, but after many years I've decided to bring my business back from hibernation.

Having said that I also want to keep this as a place where Ninkasi is remembered as an important icon in an important culture. The move from hunting & gathering to farming, that then led to civilisation as we know it now by allowing cities to grow and people to do things other than hunt for food (like study mathematics, philosophy, science in general, etc), was driven to a great extent by the desire to grow crops that could be reliably made into staples. One of those staples was beer - yes alcoholic, but not as much as our beer generally is now plus also (because of the alcohol) frequently much safer to drink than the water. It wasn't quite like we know it now, but it was similar enough.

The method of making it is described, rather arcanely, in the "Hymn to Ninkasi".

All hail Ninkasi!

Richard Phillips