Macarthur Wind Farm canteen staff (from left) Jodie Brabham, Tina Lloyd and Shaye Lowther have fed an army of hungry workers at the wind farm for about two years.
THE deep-fryers and ovens have been switched off for the final time at the Macarthur Wind Farm canteen.
Yesterday was an emotional day for canteen workers Jodie Brabham, Tina Lloyd and Shaye Lowther who have been on site almost from the beginning of the giant construction project, which started in 2010.
Ms Lloyd, said there were about 400 transactions on the register roll at the end of each day.
“It’s been a busy little place,” Ms Lloyd said.
“But we have had great fun and made lots of new friends.
“We are sad to leave but hopefully we can set up at another project and see some of the same faces again.”
Six days a week for the past 18-months, the women have been dishing up fresh meals for the workforce, which at its peak numbered more than 200 people.
Their alarm clocks have broken sleep at 3.30am each morning to ensure they were on-site with breakfast ready when the workers arrived at 6am.
The day rarely ended before 10pm when Ms Brabham, Ms Lloyd and Ms Lowther would finally find the time to plan and prepare the menu for the next day.
And it was clear that the workers were appreciative of the their efforts yesterday.
As they prepared to leave, construction staff made the effort yesterday to stop and tell them how much they would be missed.
Ms Lloyd said a short rest and then the canteen would soon be set up on a wind farm site at Ballarat.
“This is the end of an era, but there are other opportunities in the pipeline,” she said.
“A lot of the guys have said they hope to see us again soon, so it’s nice to know that our hard work has been appreciated.
“We will definitely miss coming out here everyday — its been an absolute joy to come to work.”
jwoolley@standard.fairfax.com.au
