A life at sea
When Julie Simpkins joined the navy 30 years ago, women went to see in a white dress and the smallest boots available were size 9-10.
The Feilding woman is a supply chain manager and fleet supply officer at Devonport Naval Base, but she was also one of the first females in the navy to go to sea.
It was at Feilding High School she set her sights on a life at sea with the navy. ‘‘When I was growing up in small-town New Zealand, ‘girls can do anything’ was drummed into you as a teenager, along with ‘all the world is open to you to explore’,’’ she said.
‘‘I had a strong drive to leave home and see the world. It was just a bit ironic to join the navy from a small landlocked town.’’
After basic training at the Devonport base, she sailed to sea in 1989 on HMNZS Monowai – a large survey vessel with a crew of about 160.
The navy had come a long way with even simple things such as attitudes and uniforms for women, she said. ‘‘‘Also, in the early days it felt like everyone was watching you – life in the goldfish bowl, we called it. A lot of women were trying to fit in while not wanting to stand out.’’
That was a challenge for Simpkins, who discovered herself as a leader much later. She also felt pressured in those early years to perform better than her male colleagues.
‘‘I was trying to fit into a very male-dominated system in the early days.
‘‘It was all very new for females back then, being at sea. There were a lot of different attitudes, cultures and sub-cultures among the ship’s companies. A lot of that also shaped who I became as a leader.’’
Simpkins is completing a masters degree in advanced leadership practice, with her thesis on leadership in a hierarchical military organisation.
Simpkins found it hard to believe she had been in the navy 30 years.
‘‘It has gone by in a blink.’’