Gloria’s Glory Days Continue

Aged 92, she is now the oldest employee at Crescent Head Country Club, calling the Club’s raffles and bingo games three times a week with pride — and a cheeky smile.

ClubLIFE recently sat down with Gloria to find out more about her incredible 33-year career at the Club.

Most people your age retired years ago — don’t you want to slow down?

I’ve always worked. I had five years off when my babies were little but other than that, I’ve always worked. I’m lucky I don’t have any health problems. And besides, I get spoilt rotten here, so why would I want to leave?

What do you love about working at the Club?

I used to work in the office, but I’ve cut my hours down as I’ve gotten older. Now I do the raffles and the bingo for the old girls. I mean, I’m older than most of them! I work Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Like I said, they spoil me rotten here. I love to come in. It’s an outing for me. I’m known to talk a lot and coming here gives me the chance to do that. While I’m healthy, I’ll keep working. It helps that the heaviest thing I’ve picked up in my life is a piece of A4 paper.

Every day I’m on top of the ground, I’m on top.

What is the secret to your unrelenting zest for life?

I live a great life. I’m sitting here on my deck watching the pelicans and ibis. I moved up here from Sydney quite a few years ago now and I love it here. I see generation after generation coming up here for holidays and I love to see them all and talk to them all. Every day I’m on top of the ground, I’m on top.

Tell us what led you to a career in the club industry?

I grew up in a little town in the Central West called Wellington. Like most young people, as soon as I could get out and explore I did. I took all the money I had saved from working in the Western Stores, which was the local department store, and moved to Manly. I met my husband in Sydney and we moved back to Wellington for a while before moving back to Sydney. Now, my son lives up here on the same property as me and my daughter lives not far from me. In the 33 years I have worked in the industry I’ve never had a young person in a club treat me with anything but respect. Clubs are a safe place for everyone, especially women. Wherever you go, you can always go to a club and feel safe.