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Thread: Before I was a Lawnie.....

  1. #31
    Junior Member Alby's Avatar
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    Default Re: Before I was a Lawnie.....

    When I left school (some 25 years ago) I took over a mowing round from my girlfriends brother ... worked it for 12 months (called it Jims mowing, believe it or not). My parents didnt think it was a good enough job so made me take up a management trainee position with Coles (earning half of what I was getting mowing lawns). Managed supermarkets for 10 years, then got a job in PNG advising on Supermarket scanning and computerised Point of Sale - helped establish Barcoding in PNG, Scored a brilliant job, still in PNG, marketing EFTPOS and then Internet services ... then moved to Cairns where I became a yacht broker, then back to PNG as a sales manager for a computer company , then back to Cairns where I nearly signed up as a VIP lawnie but took up a job selling photocopiers instead...then back to PNG for 2 more years then bought a farm .. breeding alpacas and growing garlic. Now do lawns semi full time (and farm alpacas and grow garlic and chillies on the weekends).
    Out of all of the jobs ... I like my current one the best !

  2. #32
    Member Back to Basics's Avatar
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    Default Re: Before I was a Lawnie.....

    Grew up on our family cAttlee property west of Mackay. We had roughly 30000 acres. Went to boarding school and then picked up a scholarship there for sport. Got selected as a youngster for the Brisbane Broncos so moved to the city of Brisbane.

    Began and finished a Heavey Commercial Vehicle apprenticeship with Brambles equipment, both petrol and deisel. Upon early completion of my apprenticeship I became a professional rugby league player with the Brisbane Broncos. I was fortunate enough to. Play 9 first grade games for the Broncos before moving to Sydney with the Canterbury Bulldogs.

    I was at the Bulldogs for six years, what a roller coaster! Salary cap scandals, two ***ual assault scandals, premiership and was lucky enough to get married in 2000, and still am.

    Moved to the Melbourne Storm after the premiership in 2004. The. IRS of our first beautiful girl Matilda in 2005 followed. My neck packed it in early 2006 and was forced into retirement at the end of the 2006 season. 142 NRL games in total with a tally of 14 try's!

    We moved back to Brisbane closer to family at the end of 2006 where I took some time to find my place in life again. Did some sports management, shift work at the airport for Toll unloading international freight, part time stacking shelves for Woolies making ends meet. Then found landscaping. Did this for a few years before an issue with another employee took place and the owner of the company over looked all evidence due to loyalty. So told them to stick the job up his arse!

    Next day walked across the road and spoke to a builder and asked for work, bingo! Start straight away. 6 months working straight across the road on a large renovation. I am now a third year mature aged apprentice builder with my own property maintenance, landscaping business to save for my own renovation. I have two casual employees that pitch in when busy which seems to be often at the moment.

    Side note there is a second child Poppy in there somewhere also. Apologies for any boredom caused!!!!
    Life's a garden, dig it! Life's a garden, dig it!

  3. #33
    Senior Member Blaktop's Avatar
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    Default Re: Before I was a Lawnie.....

    In order over the last 40 years

    Council worker - NZ
    Quality control supervisor in a particle board factory - NZ
    Delivery driver -QLD
    Forklift driver - VIC
    Deckhand in the abalone industry - SA
    Truckie (owner driver) - SA
    Abalone diver - SA
    Bush Camping Tour guide - NT
    Prison Officer (ran a Community Support Program mowing team) - NT
    Short order cook in the wife's cafe - NSW
    Lawnie - NSW

    Of all the jobs the tour guiding and mowing have been the most satisfying. I was always one of those kids who didn't know what I wanted to do when I grew up.....still don't and I'm nearly 60....lol.

  4. #34
    Senior Member Kathryn's Avatar
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    Default Re: Before I was a Lawnie.....

    horse groom
    sewing machinist
    barmaid
    trail guide
    car washer
    cleaner
    cook
    gardener
    machine operator
    gardener (again. as i should be)
    i think thats pretty much it. i like to think of my skills as well rounded. i can cook, clean, sew, chop down trees and drive trucks

  5. #35
    Junior Member Alby's Avatar
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    Default Re: Before I was a Lawnie.....

    Quote Originally Posted by Kathryn View Post
    horse groom
    sewing machinist
    barmaid
    trail guide
    car washer
    cleaner
    cook
    gardener
    machine operator
    gardener (again. as i should be)
    i think thats pretty much it. i like to think of my skills as well rounded. i can cook, clean, sew, chop down trees and drive trucks

    Does your father own a pub ?

  6. #36
    Senior Member simo's Avatar
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    Default Re: Before I was a Lawnie.....

    Quote Originally Posted by Alby View Post
    Does your father own a pub ?
    Nah she`s just married to a lazy bugger..........Or just smart !!
    ....Nothing like a good whipper....

  7. #37
    Senior Member Kathryn's Avatar
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    Default Re: Before I was a Lawnie.....

    Nah. He sells cars

  8. #38
    Member regester64's Avatar
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    Cool Re: Before I was a Lawnie.....

    After leaving school form 4 ,spent 7 years in a timber mill in Melbourne left to do 12 years with Telstra ( linesman ) mobile phones sales , 5 years picture framing ,push bike/locksmiths shop and then picked up a contract with Glenelg shire council in the HACC service mowing all the oldies lawns that cant do them any more (home help stuff ) mowing 85 at one stage and an hours highway driving, council pull the pin on us contractors to save money wife lost her spot too so another sea change to Hervey Bay and bought a 60 mowing round, full hydraulic trailer, Walker and acc and all going well after 3 years I have just become a Indi member and this is my first post, so hi to all others and have a good week

  9. #39
    Senior Member Kathryn's Avatar
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    Default Re: Before I was a Lawnie.....

    Hi, welcome to the forum

  10. #40
    Member regester64's Avatar
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    Default Re: Before I was a Lawnie.....

    Thanks Kathryn.

  11. #41

    Default Re: Before I was a Lawnie.....

    Quote Originally Posted by regester64 View Post
    After leaving school form 4 ,spent 7 years in a timber mill in Melbourne left to do 12 years with Telstra ( linesman ) mobile phones sales , 5 years picture framing ,push bike/locksmiths shop and then picked up a contract with Glenelg shire council in the HACC service mowing all the oldies lawns that cant do them any more (home help stuff ) mowing 85 at one stage and an hours highway driving, council pull the pin on us contractors to save money wife lost her spot too so another sea change to Hervey Bay and bought a 60 mowing round, full hydraulic trailer, Walker and acc and all going well after 3 years I have just become a Indi member and this is my first post, so hi to all others and have a good week
    Welcome to the madhouse

  12. #42
    Member regester64's Avatar
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    Default Re: Before I was a Lawnie.....

    Thanks John Was hoping it would be a funhouse. Re your bus name ,I grew up off Highbury Rd Glen Waverley...not far from you.

  13. #43
    Member Redeye's Avatar
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    Default Re: Before I was a Lawnie.....

    welcome mate, welcome onboard




    http://curraronggardening.com/

    "All sin is washed away in the Holy goodness of Beer"
    Book of Redeye, Psalm 69

  14. #44
    Member Greenie's Avatar
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    Default Re: Before I was a Lawnie.....

    When i did my Hsc i got in the top 10% of the state, future looked really good went to uni for 2 months and walked out,
    Not for me i got a forklift licence thought that should be fun, after 2 days i walked out of the job didnt like that,
    Got a job for the nsw Ambo's as a Office/storman job it was OK, then boss told me to work out on the floor ( Building ambo's I liked it, he offored me an apprenticship, "Coach building" I was there for 4 years, i then had a few issues with them started another trade panel beating, Finished that, in the game for 10 years. Then my boss went bankrupt, i lost all my super and so much went on i couldnt go back to panel beating it hurt too much after what happend, started my lawn business this time last year and loving it

  15. #45
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    Gulfview Heights South Australia
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    Default Re: Before I was a Lawnie.....

    Well lets see.
    Finished school then did Auto and mechanical engineering at TAFE.
    Bilo/Coles, several stores/departments.
    Apprentice mechanic. Hated it, told the boss to shove it up his arse.
    Back to Bilo full time. Few stores later wasn't liking it.
    Went to buy tyres, 20 mins later had a job. Told Bilo to shove it.

    10 years in the tyre industry and now I'm here and so far so good. Retail sucks a pair.

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