The Shire of Collie have said goodbye to a loyal employee after David Addison retired from his job of 37 years.
Mr Addison decided to retire to give more time to his hobbies and interests and said it would be most ideal for his health.
“The last couple of years I’ve had a few minor injuries and they’ve taken a long time to get heal. I’ve got a lot of interests and I didn’t really have time for them while I was working,” Mr Addison said.
He said his interests include bonsai trees, fishing, gardening, heading to Peaceful Bay or visiting his niece in Darwin and having a bet.
“I’ll be doing the things I enjoy like my bonsai's, fishing and having a bet, going to Peaceful Bay without having a scheduled return time to get back to work,” he said.
“I’ll be able to drive down there and be able to go home when I feel like it.”
Shire of Collie chief executive officer David Blurton farewelled Mr Addison and said he had been a great employee and would be missed.
“We are certainly going to miss him you don’t often get someone that stays in an organisation for 37 years these days, he’s given loyal, honest and good service to the shire in that time and we wish him good luck in retirement and thank him for all his years of service,” said Mr Blurton.
Sixty-five-year-old Mr Addison was born in Sydney and moved to WA, living in several country towns through the years following his fathers line of work in the police force.
He was asked 37 years ago to go and work for the Shire of Collie as a gardener and decided he would take the job, slowly the position developed from garden supervisor, to depot clerk and then store-man.
“I had a history of parks and gardens work in Bunbury and they obviously heard about it and came and offered me a job,” he said.
“Then it was a gardener on a trial basis and I took that on for about six years.”
He said his first role was much more challenging then it was today and his position changed considerably over the years with technology.
“Back in those days it was a difficult job because it incorporated manually counting instead of having it all computerised,” he said.
Mr Addison said over the period of his job he met many people and developed some great friendships.
“Two of my best friends I met through work and a lot of people I still see,” Mr Addison said.