Tamara Gray-Thorpe started working for Anangu Mining in May 2021 as a cleaner on the Prominent Hill Mine site. Cleaning the Thiess and AMY Environmental Services crib rooms, offices and amenities. During the COVID-19 period the standards and intensity of cleaning around the site was closely monitored and scrutinized. The risk of outbreaks at the site would by extremely costly in lost production and lost time and wages. Toward the end of the pandemic, operational changes would see Thiess no longer requiring a cleaner on site. Tamara had impressed the Thiess team with her grit, determination and willingness to get the job done, so they wanted to retain her in employment if it was possible. With no vacancies available and the date where cleaning was no longer required approaching, The Thiess Supervisors started training Tamara in a dump truck one day per week in November 2021.
It was soon apparent that Tamara would have the desire and the skills to drive a large Haul Truck at the site. While Tamara continued cleaning, she also trained in a truck for one 12-hour day per week.
As there is so much to learn, the team found that Tamara would almost need to relearn what she had previously learnt the week before. Eventually the team bit the bullet and employed Tamara in a Full-time capacity learning the massive machine!
Tamara showed determination and patience in waiting for the full-time role, finally getting across the line in April 2022. Tamara is now an experienced and relied upon member of the Anangu Mining Team within the Thiess partnership at Prominent Hill.