Queensland Rail’s longest-serving employee says he still loves the job after 60 years.
Mervyn Suares, of Cooroy, started working for Queensland Rail on August 10, 1964, at the Roma Street goods yards in Brisbane.
Now assistant station master at Gympie North, Mr Suares, 76, says he has no plans to retire.
“Each day, I drive 45 minutes each way from Cooroy to Gympie North station. I still love my job after all these years. It’s the people I work with that make my work so enjoyable,” he said.
Mr Suares has worked his way around the state with Queensland Rail, including at Charters Towers, Winton, Longreach, Hervey Bay, Nambour and Cooroy, as well as in Brisbane at Brunswick Street, Toowong, Darra and Caboolture.
Railway is in Mr Suares’ blood – his father and three brothers also worked for Queensland and they have clocked up a combined 200 years of service between them.
“I’ve spent the past 20 years here at Gympie North station, which I still call home,” he said.
Mr Suares has witnessed the transitions from steam to diesel to electric trains.
“The biggest change I have seen in my time is the move from steam to electric trains. I still remember the incredible steam trains coming through regularly,” he said.
“The job has changed a lot, too – back then we used to have a lot of freight passing the stations and today my work involves more customer service in the form of ticket sales.”
A plaque on a bench seat at North Gympie station honours Mr Suares’ 60 years of service to Queensland Rail.
Speaking at a platform ceremony, Mr Suares said the people were what had made the job special for him.
“Friendships and all that. The people. You can see these fellows here, I’ve known them nearly all my years, so it’s been pretty good,” he said.
Mr Suares’ daughter, Kirbey Suares, said he was a “pretty special” man to have as a dad and the family was “super-proud” of him.
She said the family would like him to relax a bit but he showed no signs of easing off work.
“We’ve asked him to retire for years but no, he’s stlll going and I think he’ll be going for many more years, probably,” she said.
“I think he likes getting out here with the guys and having those chats with them. It’s the mateship that he’s got here that he likes to keep going.”
Queensland Rail CEO Kat Stapleton said the organisation had 49 people who had worked there for more than 50 years but Mr Suares was the first to reach 60.
She said connections counted and pointed out that Mr Suares had spoken about those connections through the friendships he enjoyed through work.
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