Grovedale Delivery Centre’s Duane Smith is celebrating 40 years of service with Australia Post.
The postal delivery officer has had many roles in his career, including delivering and travelling across 37 Victorian suburbs and towns.
Mr Smith said a family member first introduced him to the job in South Melbourne, and he loved working with different people.
“It was the school holidays back in December 1981 and my step-dad was working there (Australia Post) and he said come and work for a few weeks delivering telegrams,” he said.
“I then went on to retail shops and did that for about five years before driving transport and parcels. I’ve been doing posties since July 1993.”
Mr Smith said his favourite part of the job was meeting everyone and moving around, so he wasn’t stuck in one place.
“Meeting the people you’re working with, building that bond and that relationship with those people,” he said.
“They get to know you, you see kids grow up, families grow up, you’re there every day, and you get to know all the dogs and their names.
“The not so favourite part is getting knocked over by cars. There have been a few instances.”
Mr Smith has spent many years working with the Greater Geelong community and said he began working in Grovedale after he moved to Anglesea.
