Women In Trades Wednesday- Leah Herlihy
Leah Herlihy is a Quarry Dump Truck and Machinery Operator at Bellingham Quarries Ltd, who has been working in the industry for about 2.5 years. Previous to this, Leah worked as a Site Traffic Management Supervisor.
Family ties to the quarry at the time ended up being Leah’s foot in the door to the quarrying industry, she explains: “I got My job through my step dad who used to work here part time. Management asked him if he knew anyone who wanted a part time job over the stripping season (removal of dirt or clay sitting on top of the rock to be processed). He said I would be interested in having a go, they said yes- if he trained me up, which he did over a couple of hours one Sunday afternoon. I was offered a full- time contract on the Monday, and started work at the quarry two weeks later, after I had worked out my notice at AWF where I was an STMS.”
Holding her wheels, tracks and rollers licence endorsements, Leah’s days see her busy with a variety of work that involves operating many of the machines in the quarry. “I like the fact that there are never two days the same. Some days I could be in the loader, loading trucks up with metal, other days I could be pushing dirt with the bulldozer, or I could be in the Volvo A30F dump truck moving various materials.”
While working in a traditionally masculine field can have its challenges- Leah notes that it took a while for her to be treated equally, her motivation is clear- “I just really wanted to prove that a girl could actually do it!” She also mentions the pay as being one of the things she enjoys most about the work she does.
Leah counts getting to train new crew members as some of her most proud moments- “It’s knowing that the bosses trust me and my decisions”. She also has some pretty cool goals for the future: “To get my road truck and trailer licence, and maybe try out working in an Aussie mine!”
Despite the enjoyment Leah gets from her career, there have been some adjustments to her personal life that she’s had to navigate since taking on a career in a quarry- “I have less time for social activity when working long hours, and 6 days a week in peak season. There’s less time to get to the gym- which is a new hobby, and less time to spend with family at gatherings.”
Included in Leah’s proudest moments is that “I am the first and only female working at the quarry in its 80-year history! I also still hold the NZ Junior record for a fish I caught years ago.” She is also a bit of a car lover- “My parents have always had classics and hot-rods and I definitely have caught their car bug!”
Advice Leah would give to someone looking to get into her line of work is: “You must have a bit of a thick skin to work in an all- male environment, but if you truly have the passion then just go for it! If you go into this industry, you will definitely have a laugh. To be honest, at times you will probably have a cry too. I find training the new or temporary guys a laugh - sometimes it’s a ‘fear for my life’ feeling, or a pee my pants laughing situation!”
“Below is a team photo from an award we won. Thanks to Bellingham’s Quarries for giving me a chance- that’s all girls need is for someone like them to give you a try. If you’re really wanting to get into this industry, go and ask if you can do a free day’s work and see what happens- you never know, you might end up with a job!”
