It was around Christmas last year when Cheryl decided it was time for her to retire from her position at the 147 Fenaughty St building, leased by Dawes and Vary Riordan and Sheridan Partners.
“It’s funny — people usually walk in and say, ‘You’re still here?’, and now I get to say, ‘Funnily enough, I’ve given my notice — I’m going to retire.’”
Cheryl was born and raised in Kyabram, and when she met her husband, she raised her children here as well.
Originally, she worked at the IOOF Kyabram branch, but after it closed, she had two options: to move to the Echuca branch or find another job in Kyabram.
With two young children at the time, she decided to apply for an insurance position in the Fenaughty St building, which she did not get; however, there was a receptionist vacancy.
“I said, ‘I don’t know if I can do that’, but I’ve been here ever since,” she said.
A lot of things have changed while Cheryl has been behind the desk; a technological boom was the obvious difference she noted.
It was her job, at the end of the day, to go to each solicitor and write all the appointments for the next day on their date blocks.
“There was no computer and no emails to relay messages, so everything was handwritten,” she said.
“I would go home exhausted, having taken up to 200 phone calls.”
Cheryl attributes her longevity in her position to her easy-going and calm demeanour towards work, where nothing would rattle her — unless a client was rude to her.
“I’ve always said I’ve got the best job in the place — because at the end of the day, I can go home and just let it all go.
“Whereas, if you’re a solicitor or someone else, it’s on your mind all the time.”
As for retired life, Cheryl is looking forward to spending more time with her husband and her dog.
“My husband has been home on his own now for five years in May, so it’d be nice to spend some time with him and be able to go on trips with him,” Cheryl said.
She hopes to spend more time tending to her garden and is excited about not having to check her schedule when a friend wants to catch up.
And, while Cheryl and her husband are not “caravan people”, they are hoping to go on road trips in New Zealand and Tasmania for a bit of adventure.
While there is much to be enthusiastic about in her new retired life, she is sad to be leaving behind the faces she has gotten used to over the past 30 years.
“I’ll miss all the staff, and always coming in in the mornings and seeing everyone’s faces — I’ve made a lot of friends and a lot of acquaintances, and I’ve gotten to know a lot of faces, so yeah, I’ll miss all of that,” Cheryl said.
“I’ve always enjoyed being in Ky and working local, and being able to talk to all the local people that come in.”
As for a favourite memory, well, Cheryl said it was hard to pin one down.
“Each milestone that I’ve made along the way, my co-workers, they’ve been really supportive and lovely about it — I don’t know whether I could single it down to just one,” Cheryl said.
Last Thursday, the supportive office members celebrated Cheryl’s 30 years of service with a morning tea, wishing her good luck in her new retired life.
