Highlands to Deserts is the story of a small Australian Army engineering unit determined to use more than bricks and bridges to make a difference, not only to Australian Army units but to indigenous communities both within Australia and overseas.

The 19th Chief Engineer Works was raised in 1963 as the Army's premier engineering consultant, its purpose to plan, design and oversee the construction of barracks and training facilities in the New Guinea highlands.

However the men of the unit demonstrated vision far beyond their limited brief, reaching into local communities and building relationships with tribesmen that were to prove strong and enduring. From the wilds of New Guinea, the unit extended its reach to the remote communities of outback Australia, designing infrastructure that reflected local needs.