98.5 ONE FM Podcasts

Glenn Turner an employee of Australia Post for 50 Years

This interview first aired on Monday the 1st of July, 2024 on ONE FM 98.5 Shepparton.

One FM breakfast announcer Plemo interviews local Glenn Turner who has notched up 50 years an an employee of Australia Post.

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Duration:: 14m
Broadcast on:: 04 Jul 2024
Audio Format:: mp3

- You're listening to a one FM podcast. - Could you imagine doing the same job for 50 bloody years? Could you? I couldn't. I don't have that ability. But the man with me at the moment, Glenn, Glenn Turner from Australia Post, you have. You're a 50 year veteran of the postage scene. - Yep, that's correct. - Now, you haven't always done exactly the same job. Obviously you enjoy it, do you enjoy it? - Yes, I enjoyed it, all the different jobs I've done. - So, are you a locals? Were you like were you born in Shep or? - Yeah, I was born in Tachira. - In Tachira, you're a Tat boy? - Yep. - You're a Tat boy. So how did you fall into it? Was it just like a part time job when you're a kid to make a couple of dollars or did you actually apply for a job? - I just applied for it at the post office. - And you did all right, did you know someone? Did you have someone get you through the door or? - No, I didn't. Of course not, I don't need that. Of course not, of course not. Now, you started off as a telegram boy. Is that correct? - That's correct. - Now, for the listeners at home, Glenn's gonna explain, we were talking about, what is a telegram boy? - Telegram boy is just when the girls just stood right out, the messages they get, then they put them in there and relate with telegrams, none of them, and then we'd go around town delivering them. - So basically old school text messaging? - Yes, the old text way. - Did you must've been fit? - Yes, I was. - How many kilometers a day do you think you wrote? - Oh, gee, that's a good question. Depends on how many telegrams we get in a day. - But would it be like more than five miles or 10 miles? - I'll be more than that. - Oh my goodness. Oh my goodness, you think you're good folks, you think you're good on your pushy out there and you like your shorts, this fellow was doing it without an electric motor. Probably without gears either. Did you have gears on your bike? - Yes. - Oh, no, we didn't. - Didn't have one speeder. - One speed. - Go pedaler? - Go. - Yeah. So how long did you, were you a telegram boy for? - Probably. - Probably about two or three years. - Was the telegram boy stuff, was that a male dominated job? - Yeah, yes. - Yeah, I'm just wondering, so what kind of decade was that that you were a telegram person? - Oh, it's about 74. - Okay, okay, yeah, well that checks out. So you finished being a telegram guy, a telegram delivery, old school text mail, text message. Then what did you do? Did you, the telegram stuff, was that in tattoo or shepherding? - I was in shepherding. - Yeah, and where'd you go after that? - I went to become a postman. - You went to become a postman in shepherding? - Yes, in shepherding. - What's being a postman in tail? - A postman is delivering mail to people around the area. - Yeah, so how long have you been doing that now? - I did that for about three or four years, then I went to the Seymour Mail Center. - Oh, that's right, there's another twist and turn, folks. I forgot. I thought I'd had it all written down correctly, but clearly, I don't think Glenn's gonna correct me here, folks. Well, you know, you get that. So you went to a Seymour Mail Center, so that's a sorting center. - Yeah, that was a sorting center for all mail through. Say Aubrey, Redonga, Bendigo, Sheppin'en, and all the parcels and all that. - Yep, so if you had to make a call, would it have been easier working in a sorting center back in the day, or would it be easier working in a sorting center today? - Well, most of it's all electronic nowadays. So there's not much sorting done, it's all done by computers. - So, okay, tell me about that with the computers. You're from the era where things are pens and paper. - Yes, that's right. - And then computer stuff comes in to the post office. How did that go for you? - It was a bit of a challenge, but once we got going, it's really good. - So, does it make things easier? - It makes it a little bit easier. - Yep, have you ever punched a screen? No, you've never punched a screen? - No. - Wow. - Very close too. - Getting very close too. Probably getting close to punching a radio announcer at the moment with these questions that I'm asking. So we're gonna go to a quick break, we're gonna play a song and we're gonna come back. We're speaking with Glen Turner, 50 years. 50 years working with Australia Post. ♪ We love our sponsors ♪ ♪ And especially this one ♪ - Melton Christian College is launching their online campus in 2025. It's online learning, but not as you know it. Secondary students can now study online and still be part of the nurturing Melton Christian College community and discover their unique God-given gifts and talents. It's your learning, your way. The world is changing. Learning is changing. The future is here. At station sponsor Melton Christian College, search Melton Christian College online campus now. - Have you bought a smart TV, but not sure how to get the full use out of it? - Do you need some help to set up all the apps that offer thousands of free movies, TV shows and sports? Do you need KO set up to watch all AFL games with no ads during play? 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Did you turn into a bit of a bikey? - Yes, so when I came back to Shep Man, I did a motorbike round. - So the Posty Bikes, you fond of the CTs? - The CT 90s and the CT 10s. - Switch one, was your favourite? - Both of them. - Both of them? - Yes. - Yeah, they were a comfortable ride? - They were, yes. - Yeah, 'cause they're like, there's special rides and they're, you know what? I reckon the Posty bike, the CTs, the Honda CTs, I think they hold a place in Australian history. - Yes, that's correct. - So if Australia Post was gonna have a museum, they would have to have at least one CT in there. I reckon? - Yes, that's correct. - That would be good. So you come back and you started doing the rounds, Rainhale and Shawn? - Shawn? - Yes, yeah. - How do you keep the letters dry? - Oh, we've got little covers for 'em. - Okay. - In front of our bikes. - So you taught me through this 'cause I've often wondered, how do you know which letterbox? Do you have them all sorted out like the numbers from one to a hundred down the street? - Yep. - So you can just pull out the next one and it's there? - Yes. - Do you do that or does somebody else? - No, we do it ourselves. - So you have to go and work all that out on top? - Yep. (laughs) - Why would you wanna be a Posty? Oh my goodness. So you did that for a few years now, but now you're now you're stuck behind the counter, now you're a Republican. - Yes, in fact, I'm a Postal Service Officer now. - Yep, how long you been doing that? - Very long time. - Yep. So I'm guessing as a kid you didn't start off going, I'm gonna have a career in the Post. - No. - What did you wanna be when you grow up? - Not, anything, I'll just sleep school when I'm done. You gotta get a job. - Yeah, just get a job. - Get a job, brother. - Yeah. Let's talk about emails for a moment. - So I would assume, and not knowing myself, you're the perfect person to ask, when emails became more prevalent, what happened with physical letters? Did they stay the same amount? Did they go down? Did they go up? - No, they went down. - There was a dramatic decrease? - Yes, there was. - Did that make your job easier? - In a way, yes, but really we wanted people to still send letters and all that. - I shouldn't ask you this, but the price of stamps continually goes up. - I've got no say that way. You've got no say, we'll put it down, there's no comment as well. Stamp collecting, let's talk stamp collecting. Now, that was huge when I was a kid. - Yes, I. - Does this still happen? - Yeah, it's still do it. I used to go into the schools and teach kids how to collect stamps and what a first day cover is, a block of four or a sheet or anything like that. - Yeah, my dad would be loving this right now, 'cause he's got lots and lots of stamps. I don't know much about them. I just know that you get that little, like almost like a colouring book, but it wasn't, and there'd be all the spots for the stamps. And you go going home for two weeks and put about 30 stamps in it, and then one would never sort of see the light of day again. So are they kids, is it still a popular thing for kids to do, collect stamps or is it sort of gone? - Are there still a few kids that do collect stamps? - Yeah, yeah. So Australia Post will put out commemorative stamps and all that, don't they? - Yes, yes. - Okay, so let's talk about behind the counter. People have been waiting three weeks for their package from China, and they get told that it's arrived, and they come in and see you. What are people's attitudes like? - Some of them are not too happy, but once we get a tracking number, and we'd look it up on our system, it'll tell us where it is. - Yeah, so you would have to have good people's skills for that? - Yes, I'm not sure if I could do it, man, 'cause I've been banned from the phones a few times 'cause of my choice words with people that are disgruntled with me. So I don't think I could work behind the counter. It's definitely not at a post office. Do you enjoy it? - I do enjoy it, I've got good stuff. We at Wyndham Street now, they're terrific people. - What would you say to people that were thinking about a career in the postage industry? - Yes, they can, they can get on their website. AustraliaPost.com.au careers, and then can look it up and see what jobs are available. - I guess because you've been doing this so long, you're also a perfect person to ask, people's manners, have they declined? - A little bit, yes. - A little bit, yeah. Or get stuff then, mate. (both laughing) - We're doing it. - But it's not, I'd ask that whether there's been a decline. So people coming through the door, are there more people coming through the door, same amount of people coming through the door of a post office these days, or? - Yes, they still come through, yes. - Still come through. Now, do people still pay with paper bills? - Yes, some of them still pay with paper bills. - But you get electronic stuff as well. - Yep, and electronic stuff as well. - Yeah. So what can you tell me, moving forwards? What's the rest of your career with Australia Post look like? - Well, it's all right, I might do another year or two, and then call it quits. - Then what are you gonna do? Start up a history museum for a postage? History museum? - I don't know. - You don't know? - I don't know yet. Walk at it when to get up there. - Yeah, well, thank you very much for being part of a very important service. Throughout Australia, I suppose throughout the world, because you've got stuff. What's the craziest place you've ever written that you've ever read on a letter that it's come from? - Oh, gee, we've not had to really say anything about that, no. - Oh, okay. All right, so it's a Darrangal prison, folks. (laughing) Well, thank you very much, Glen, for coming in today. I've really enjoyed talking to you. - Thank you. - You have a fantastic day. And now, if you want a catch, Glen, in person, where do you work? - Windham Street. - Works in Windham Street. At the Post Office. - At the Post Office, yeah. - At the Post Office. - At the Post Office in Windham Street, 98.51 FM, live and local with it. Speaking with Glen Turner, who's done a fantastic 50 years of service for Australia Post. - You've been listening to a one FM podcast.