Not that far back, but still a long time gone, 1979.
Working with horses was not really classed as a job, as it didnt pay much, and was done for the love of it.
6 days a week, 6am to 5 or 6pm, including at least 2 nights to 10pm. Rain, hail or shine. In a trotting stable.
For the first 2 weeks was paid $60. pr week, then once I had proven my dedication, (or stupidity), pay increased to $80 pr week. No sick or annual leave. But we did get taken out for lunch or tea when it was someones birthday.
A good extra was getting hot tips and being able to back a few good winners.
Still managed to save money though, as such long hours I was generally too tired to go anywhere or do anything.
Started work at a very early age, perhaps 8 or 9 delivering groceries for the local general store, progressed to bagging & weighing sugar, salt, tea and veggies, the year 1955, Long Jetty at 6 pence per hour. I look back now, I think I may of been cutting mums grocery Bill out.
Then the timber yard weighing nails, screws, any job I could do for bit of extra money or a ride in one of their delivery trucks. Just lov it.
Around 1960 I needed real money to go to a scout Jamboree away from home, each morning on the way to school 2 shop fronts to be cleaned. Kept the jobs going until I left school in 1962, started work full time 2 shilling 6 pence a hour, wow for 44 hours a week.
From when I was 17 with a driver's licence £16 or $32 a 40 hour week with decimal change over, always deliverying something until I retired as a heavy transport driver in 2013 earning about $23 A hour.
Interesting looking back.
1970 $60 plus overtime, 2 weeks annual leave. 5 or 6 hours of overtime each week. The year we married.
1972 $56 plus extras in New Zealand, worked there for about 12 months our first child.
1973 $72 A week plus, first home $13 000, second child, new car $2300
2013 $834 plus overtime, 4 weeks annual leave, any where between 10 to 20 hours of overtime, no choice there and Superannuation.
Had some wonderful times, paid to drive in 5 states though Australia, drove buses in New Zealand (working holiday) there's not much that at sometime or rather that I have not moved on a truck and there's been quiet a few days I don't need to be reminded about.
Now we are sitting back enjoying the rewards of full working life.
-- Edited by Radar on Tuesday 11th of February 2020 12:17:56 PM
Me I started very young probably about 10 delivering papers, then worked as a packer for some company after school, then the post office franking letters. Apprenticed to Hawker-Siddley and so on.
Me, I spose I started working at 8, delivering news papers on my bike until I was 12. I used to get on a bus at 10 and got to the local Hoyts movie house and at 12 they advertised on the screen for a Page Boy to sell 'Movie News' I applied and got the job. I was a big 12 and when 14 was promoted to usher at the Saturday Matinee. That progressed rapidly to the Intermediate session as well then not long after Saturday night as well, so all day Saturday.
By 16 I was ushering Thursday, Friday nights and all day Saturday. Also at 16 I started an apprenticeship in cabinet making and completed that at 20. By 18 I was doing relief ushering throughout Melbourne's Hoyts Cinema's including the two in the City. Hoyts also owned a couple of live theatres in the city and I also worked those as assistant Manager. I got to meet many TV personalities and theatre actors including visiting groups etc.
I met and had a long chat with Elton John at the opening of 'Tommy', the movie that he was in. A highlight of my career with Hoyts. I also got to work the Palais Theatre in St Kilda when Jesus Christ Superstar was on and that was the biggest highlight of that part of my career, it also turned out to be my favourite theatre so was very honoured.
At 22 I was offered a manager roll at the Cinema Centre in Melbourne but declined as I was also offered a roll in Transport that I was really keen on, that I accepted. That started me on my way to a career that lasted until I retired. It was a sad day when I walked away from Hoyts for the last time.
Great memories all of them and I tell you that for free.
-- Edited by Dougwe on Wednesday 12th of February 2020 06:12:58 PM
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Reading these stories we all did something from an early age to earn extra quids. Even continuing to do something extra even though we had a full time job now. Not many of the young ones doing that now. Me I started at $105 week as trainee manager at K-Mart in 1979, just over $5200 for the year, and retired from coppers in 2018 on $130k year. Got bored and working different job on $62k.
1962, left school in the summer, and tramped around my local area, in North West England, looking for employment
I suppose that I was an unofficial, official dole bludger, as there was no dole until you turned 18 years of age
January 1963, training to be an underground coal miner, earning less than £5 a week
Lucky to be accepted as an apprentice Fitter Turner with NCB (National Coal Board)
1966, lucky to carry on my apprenticeship at $15 a week, in Kalgoorlie WA
1967 lucky to carry on my apprenticeship at $18 a week (can not remember the exact amount, as I did plenty of overtime, from that time onwards), north of Southern Cross, WA
Stayed in the small town of Koolyanobbing, (Aboriginal name for place of large rocks), for the first eleven years of my married life
From then on, as said above, I have no idea of my base rate of pay, as I never knocked back any overtime
Some people call the previous years, the good old days
For me, the good old days is now
I have nothing to do, and all day to do it in
I just have to remember to, hurry up and wait
Left school at 15 in 1968 to run the family business when Dad fell gravely ill. I had intended to take up an offer of an apprenticeship as an aircraft engineer but that didn't happen. I had worked in the family business on my school holidays so had a fair idea of what I was in for.
My father was an automotive engineer and so I learnt that trade instead and ended up at one point being a diagnostic test driver in that trade, earning about $80 per week in 1975.
A chance meeting with one of the senior managers of Bunnings saw me offered a job to go to Adelaide for 12 months to set up a sales division and appoint an agent. Bunnings was a family owned company then with the emphasis on their timber milling operations. What made this manager see in me the potential to take a chance as he did on me I shall never know, but it changed the direction of my life forever. The money was much better as well $200 per week.
From there I entered the construction industry involved with glass and aluminum curtainwalling and commercial windows.
I have been in technical and management roles in that industry for about 40 years, including CEO of a successful company for 16 years, prior to retirement.
Retired now for nearly 3 years, I have just been offered and accepted a part time role as the WA state auditor for compliance of glass and windows. This is to help ensure companies are building and installing compliant products to the relevant Standards and to work alongside the state building commission on noncompliance issues as well as being an independent expert witness for dispute resolution. Looking forward to that role.
