ROB 46 YEARS ON THE RIGHT TRACK

was born in Moranbah in 1989, she now lives in Bundy and works in a vet clinic. The youngest Hayden was born in Bundaberg in 1993, he is in the army, and while he is now based in Amberley near Ipswich, he was based in Darwin, he also has two children it's not every day that an ETU organiser presents a 40 year membership certificate to a union member In 2023, Sunshine Coast and Wide Bay organiser Dan Bessell presented one to Queensland proud member Rob Bickmore

Retired signals electrician and proud 40+ year ETU member

Our great union is made up people from all walks of life, cultures and communities, for some, electrical work was not their first-choice career for many more it was We are proud of our history and excited about the future

Rob Bickmore’s story is one of performance, expertise, and longevity. The following is snapshot of Rob’s career spanning 46 years in Queensland Rail, 42 of them as a proud ETU member During his career Rob has at times gone above and beyond the role to save lives, while a other times, the important role he performs has been under the microscope One thing for sure Rob has left a legacy, and he will be missed.

The early days, family and starting a lasting career

Originally from Brisbane, Rob started his electrical career as an Apprentice Electrical Fitter Mechanic at the Queensland Rail Banyo workshops in January 1977. In 1981, he completed his apprenticeship and soon after, joined the ETU in October of that year, remaining a member throughout his career After stints in Mackay and Moranbah, in 1991 Rob secured a position as a signal electrician in Bundaberg, a place where Rob and his wife of 40 years, Susanne, raised their family and made home for the rest of Rob’s career

Rob and Susanne met at the Homestead Hotel Zillmere in 1979 and got married three years later in October 1982 Back in the 80’s The Homestead wasn’t just another pub, it was a thriving live music venue that hosted some of Australia’s iconic bands including INX, Crowded House, Midnight Oil and Cold Chisel

“They used to have live music at night at the Homestead back in the day where we first met. Last year we celebrated our 40th wedding anniversary, and we have three children and two grandchildren ”

Like many members who move around in their job, Rob was no different, so much so that he and Susanne had a child from each place they were based Samantha was born in Mackay back in 1986, she now lives in Ipswich where she works in hospitality and day care, Amanda

“Our granddaughters now 4 and 5 years old were born in Bundaberg, but with Hayden being in Darwin we didn’t see them in person for a while, now they are in Ipswich we get to see them regularly, which is great.”

While not brought up in a strictly union family, Rob knew what his father believed, and those beliefs did influence his views on life and careers including whether to join the union or not

“My dad Len had a strong dislike of Bjelke Joh He was a strong Labor man who believed in a fair day’s pay for a fair day’s work. And when it came to discussions about working as an electrician and joining the union, he thought my career choice was a good one and suggested I join the union when I could It’s fair to say my father’s views did have influence over my career choices and view on life ”