Cathy Buszan with her workmates.
Camera IconCathy Buszan with her workmates. Credit: Supplied/Jon Hewson         d442360

Years of service recognised

Jill BurgessMandurah Coastal Times

On Monday, she celebrated her 30 years with the company.

Now in her late 60s, Cathy first went to work for Bunnings in Perth when she was 16 but since 1985, it has been an unbroken 30 years, firstly in Bunbury, later at Barragup (where Spud Shed now stands) and the current Gilberts site on Rouse Road and latterly Bunnings Warehouse on Magenta Terrace.

She recalls when the uniforms were a drab brown dress, "like a nurse's uniform with a zip up the front and quite horrible" to a later grey skirt with stockings and a tuck-in blouse and scarf and the men wore ties.

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Now they all wear cheerful red and green outfits.

Cathy works mostly in the paint department and the changes she has seen are phenomenal.

She remembers when there were no machines and the staff had to mix up to 10 litres of paint by hand and paint tins would often fall off the shakers.

She said customers had even been known to bring in a leaf for scanning.

Cathy and her retired police officer husband Michael live at Falcon.

Son Dean is a footballer, her other son is an electrician and her daughter is a teacher at Meadow Springs Primary School.

Michael drives a special needs bus.

"I work with a lovely bunch of people and we get on so well,�" she said.

"People ask me �Are you still here�?"

"I hope to stay as long as I am making a contribution and they can put up with me,�" she said.