In this edition, Fresh Perspectives caught up with the 2021 40 Year Service Award winners to gather their reflections on their time at Brisbane Produce Market.
Loving market life for 40 years For those who have spent more than 40 years at the Brisbane Produce Market, there’s no denying that the biggest attraction to the job is the people: the characters that you get to meet every day and the friendships that are built over time. “You get all types, it is the interaction with the people that attracts you to this business,” Gary Lavender, wholesaler principal at Lavender and Sons, said. “I love the camaraderie, there’s competition but 98% of the people can let work go and socialise. A lot of good friendships have been built over time with people you would have never met without the market. It’s so much fun to work with the growers, even if they send to someone else, I place a lot of value on those friendships,” Cameron Armstrong, wholesaler principal at Armstrong Bros, said.
enjoy coming to work so early in the morning, most of the 2021 40 Year Service Award recipients appreciated the work life balance that the business hours provided.
limited education, but who is street-wise, honest and ethical, can make a name for themselves and build up to the point where they can get a partnership and eventually own their own business”.
“I love the lifestyle you get when you work at Brisbane Produce Market: I love the early mornings and getting the afternoons to myself, it’s great,” Julia DeSilva, H.E. Heather and Co’s office manager, said.
It doesn’t hurt that those who work in the Brisbane Produce Market are proud of their position in the horticulture supply chain with a common goal of ensuring that Australian families have access to the fresh fruit and vegetables they need to be healthy.
“If you can handle the hours then it’s a good lifestyle for the family, which is great,” Trevor Broadbent, vegetable salesperson at Montague, said. Many acknowledged that it was one of the few work environments that allows you to find your niche and thrive or work your way up from a labourer to a business owner with hard work and determination.
“There are a lot of good people, a lot of larrikins, but everyone helps each other in times of trouble. It’s such a beautiful business that way. Even though we’re all competitors, everyone still pulls together when there’s a problem,” John Potter, retired wholesaler, said.
For Steph West, it was a knack for cashiering that made her stick with her career and has ensured she has never been without a job, while Julia DeSilva grabbed the opportunity to increase her skill set, and job responsibilities, along the way. For Alwyn Weier - a retired retailer, wholesaler and transporter - a childhood dream of owning a fruit and vegetable shop became a reality, while for Country Road Produce principal, Mark Cruse, a stop-gap job turned into a career.
“Every day is different because you get to talk to different people about different things. I enjoy the people I get to work with every day. I never wake up thinking I don’t want to go to work today,” Steve Aistrope, salesperson at Murray Bros, said.
According to Mr Armstrong, there came a realisation that “if you work hard at the fruit game you can build up a solid business and make a quality living. You won’t become a billionaire but you can live comfortably, buy your own home and educate your children”.
While it is difficult for people outside of the market to understand why people
Mr Potter agreed, saying, “It’s one of the few businesses where a person with
There’s something about the atmosphere of the Brisbane Produce Market that makes people want to come to work each day and the diversity of roles and responsibilities is also a big drawcard.
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Winter 2021
“From the growers to the logistics companies, the forklift operators and the labourers to the wholesalers and retailers: it’s important that everything flows right the way through to the consumer,” Mr Weier said. While some are nostalgic for the past, most recognise the benefits that change has brought over time. “The markets are a lot safer today and there have been a lot of improvements to the roads so it is less dangerous. Having a yearly induction has been a great improvement too, because it provides a regular refresher of the rules,” forklift operator John Colman said. “Everything has been modernised now and it’s great. I’ve grown with the times and not fought it, I’ve liked the change,” Mrs DeSilva said. With sales slowly moving from face-toface interactions to telephone orders in the middle of the night, the once-hectic Central Trading Area has settled into a new rhythm. “Technology and the way we do business has changed since I started. There’s a lot more involved now. We take orders at midnight, whereas you would never do that in the past,” Mr Lavender said.
