It's the end of an era in the NRMA office at Manning Smash and Auto Repairs in Wingham, as office manager/sales consultant Anne Anlezark celebrates her last day of working life on Thursday, July 9.
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She has been helping the Wingham community from the NRMA service centre for nearly 26 years, and has worked for the NRMA for nearly 35 years.
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Born in Taree, Anne first worked in the office of a car sales yard before moving to Sydney at the age of 21 in 1978 to work at NRMA's head office, initially as a runner.
"People would write in and if someone was complaining about something I'd have to go and find the original documents, and they were on microfilm in those days, and I had to go down into the basement."
In 1985 Anne moved back to Taree and "did a little bit of a stint in Taree (NRMA) between children."
She started working in the Wingham office from 1994.
I will miss the customers, and all the girls.
Anne says the thing she has enjoyed most about her career was meeting people. She has built relationships with her customers over the years, and has worked by the side of other Manning Smash and Auto Repairs employees who have also worked there longer than 20 years.
"I will miss the customers, and all the girls," Anne said.
"Becky (Manning Smash and Auto Repairs office manager, Rebecca Dawson) was here when I first started.
"And all the children - you see all the children being born, and now they're having children!"
"It's like a family environment," Rebecca Dawson said.
As for the most difficult aspect, the answer was technology. Coming from the days when only two girls were allowed to operate two huge computers which took up nearly a complete floor in Sydney, keeping up with the constant rapid changes in technology has been challenging.
Anne is not quite sure how she feels about not coming to work anymore, but she says she is excited.
She is looking forward to spending more time with the grandchildren, taking golf back up, and travelling. Anne and her husband Paul have purchased a caravan, and they have booked a holiday to Lightning Ridge in the coming months.
It's going to very sad not having her here. I'm not looking forward to it at all. I don't want her to go.
- Rebecca Dawson
Anne's workmates are not looking forward to no longer having Anne in the office.
"It's very emotional. I got teary yesterday when I gave her her present. I had to walk out," Rebecca said.
"It's been absolutely fantastic working with her. She's going to be very missed," Manning Smash secretary, Chantel Ferris agreed. "It's going to very sad not having her here. I'm not looking forward to it at all. I don't want her to go. She's like my big sister, or my second mother!"
"It's been absolutely fantastic working with her. She's going to be very missed," Manning Smash secretary, Chantel Ferris agreed.
Finally, Anne gave thanks to the owners and coworkers at Manning Smash.
"I'd like to thank the proprietors for putting up with me and having me all this time! I think we've all worked really well together," she said.
While you are here:
Julia Driscoll
Julia Driscoll has worked as a journalist for the Wingham Chronicle and Manning River Times for seven years. She values the deep connection with community that being a rural and regional journalist brings. Career highlights have involved environmental stories - bringing the plight of the little known endangered Manning River helmeted turtle to the attention of the public, resulting in wide-spread knowledge in the community and conservation action; and breaking the news of the Manning River ceasing to run for the first time in recorded history.
Julia Driscoll has worked as a journalist for the Wingham Chronicle and Manning River Times for seven years. She values the deep connection with community that being a rural and regional journalist brings. Career highlights have involved environmental stories - bringing the plight of the little known endangered Manning River helmeted turtle to the attention of the public, resulting in wide-spread knowledge in the community and conservation action; and breaking the news of the Manning River ceasing to run for the first time in recorded history.
