Released 16/01/2017
When Malcolm Buckley signed on with the government as an apprentice plumber on 16 January 1967 Canberra was a city of 100,000 people, Woden was brand new and Tuggeranong didn’t exist.
Today, 50 years later and still a government plumber, Mr Buckley celebrates a half a century of public service to a city that now exceeds 400,000 people.
Economic Development Director-General David Dawes said such length of service to the territory was a rare feat.
Mr Buckley was presented with a plaque to commemorate his long and dedicated service.
“I congratulate Malcolm on a fantastic achievement and I thank him for his long and dedicated service to the people of the ACT,” Mr Dawes said.
“For half a century Malcolm has provided a valuable service to the territory in helping maintain our public assets so they can be of the most use to the Canberra community.”
Mr Buckley began his public service career as an apprentice plumber with the Commonwealth Government and has remained in the same role as that department has changed names, structures and even jurisdictions, through the transition to self-government.
“In Canberra’s pre-self government days Malcolm played an invaluable role performing repairs and maintenance on high-profile Commonwealth buildings like Old Parliament House and The Lodge, while also looking after the government housing that was home to many of the new Canberrans who relocated to the territory to work in the public service,” Mr Dawes said.
“In recent decades he has used his skills, knowledge and experience to help maintain the ACT Government’s large property portfolio. From schools and hospitals to government office blocks and sports facilities, Malcolm has fixed leaks, stopped drips, repaired roofs and helped train generations of plumbers to do the same.”
Mr Buckley said much had changed in the 50 years since he first began his career as a government plumber.
Workplace safety had gone from being something that wasn’t thought about to being one of the first considerations. Dress codes have changed: Hi-vis clothes and safety boots have replaced gray overalls and leather shoes, while foremen wearing ties (and occasionally bow ties) were a thing of the past.
Also gone were the national “housing sporting galas” where Commonwealth housing employees from around the country would compete against each other in a week-long annual athletic showdown. Any sport could be catered for, with Mr Buckley regularly competing in cricket and darts.
Mr Buckley’s career has given him the opportunity to go behind the scenes in some of Canberra’s most iconic buildings, including Old Parliament House, Government House and The Lodge.
As well as the regular post-election work in Old Parliament House, as ministerial changes required structural alterations, Mr Buckley remembers less common jobs - like a trip to repair a burst pipe in Prime Minister Malcolm Fraser’s study, caused by a trapped rat, which had flooded the room.
MALCOLM BUCKLEY’S 50 YEARS OF SERVICE
- 16 January 1967 to 15 August 1978 – Department of Works
- 16 August 1978 to 17 August 1993 – Department of Urban Services
- 18 August 1993 to 29 February 2004 – Totalcare Industries
- 1 March 2004 to present – ACT Property Group as part of:
- Department of Urban Services
- Territory and Municipal Services
- Land and Property Services
- Economic Development Directorate
- Statement ends -
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