Powerful veterans
Long- serving electricity workers club marks 30 years
THE long service club for Townsville electricity workers and retired staffers has celebrated its 30- year anniversary.
The organisation is made up of long- serving employees from Ergon Energy and its predecessors the North Queensland Electricity Board ( NORQEB) and the Townsville Regional Electricity Board ( TREB).
Committee member Carol Slattery said personnel manager Peter Pearson and administration services officer Col Barry first organised the group for members who had attained 25 years of service.
By 1988, the club’s second year, 53 people had joined.
The first woman employee to join was Shirley Aitchison in 1990.
She was also the NORQEB’s first female cashier.
Lyn Coomber, whose husband Brian worked for the organisation, and Norma Hedlefs, also joined that year.
A small group of members met at Mr Barry’s home on November 13 this year for a morning tea to celebrate the anniversary.
“Four of the surviving original members were there – Col Barry, Don Mathews, John Donohue and Blair Woosnam,” Ms Slattery said.
The long service club now has 154 members, including partners.
“We have many members with exceptionally long service in the industry, some with more than 40 years,” Ms Slattery said.
TREB was set up in 1946 and superseded by NORQEB on July 1, 1977. On July 1, 1999, NORQEB merged with the other state electricity boards to become Ergon Energy.
Committee member Myrna Melville said the long service club organises regular social events.
“We’ve had day trips to the island, mini golf, lots of dinners, movies,” she said.
Ms Melville retired from NORQEB in 1991, after 16 years as a timekeeper.
The other committee members are Ron Bright, Don Mathews, Lyn Coomber and Cheryl Miller, but there are no official positions.
Ms Slattery, who writes the monthly newsletter, worked at TREB and NORQEB before retirement.
“It was like a family, you really got to know ( colleagues) very well,” she said.
“It’s good to keep in touch. We don’t talk work, it’s everyday stuff.”
This year the group has had excursions to Paronella Park and the Townsville Bulletin office.
Club members continued their 30th anniversary celebrations with a Christmas dinner on November 24.
Forty- three members attended the Rising Sun Hotel event.
The club meets monthly, usually on a Thursday, for an event and unofficial meeting.
Members will meet early in January to come up with ideas for the new year.
“If there’s anyone that served in any of those organisations, if they’d like to get in touch with us, we’re all in the phone book,” Ms Slattery said.
“You can contact any of ( the committee members) about joining and coming to the events.”
Life membership to the long service club costs $ 10.