Saturday to celebrate International Women’s Day. Pictured are speakers Laura
Newton, Naomi Jesse Huston, Trudy Griffiths and Kristy Neate with Peak Gold Mines general manager Angus Wyllie.
Aurelia Metals/Peak Gold Mines joined with the Cobar Business Association to host an International Women’s Day (IWD) event on Saturday.
IWD is a globally recognised event with this year’s theme, ‘Accelerate Action’.
Peak Gold Mines general manager Angus Wyllie said he was pleased that Peak were able to host an IWD event this year to celebrate and recognise the achievements of Peak’s female staff along with other women in the community.
Cobar Business Association president, Sharon Harland, acted as emcee for the event.
“According to the Australian Government’s Employer Gender Pay Gaps Report released last month, progress is happening and employers are becoming more aware there is a gender gap and it’s improving.
“But we still have a long way to go to gain equity with men,” Mrs Harland said.
Local business woman, Naomi Jesse Huston, founder of Nomes Custom Cleaning, spoke about how she had turned her passion for cleaning into a successful business that now employs a staff of 16.
Naomi spoke openly about the challenges she faced setting up and running her business and also juggling a young family.
She attributed her success today to her own stubbornness and to the support she received from her partner and staff.
Trudy Griffiths, who has owned and operated Gumnut Gifts & Homewares for 19 years, spoke about the women in her life who had inspired her and the challenges she faced competing in male dominated sports.
Trudy also proudly spoke about her daughter, Chloe, who is part of a Girls in Motorsport mentoring program.
She said Chloe has aspirations of being a V8 Supercars motor mechanic.
Peak Gold Mine apprentice electrician, Kristy Neate, talked about the “roundabout” direction she took in her career.
Kristy said she loved studying at TAFE and enjoys working as an electrician.
She encouraged more girls and women to look at getting into a trade.
“It wasn’t encouraged at my school, no one ever came to our school and talked about doing a trade,” Kristy said.
She also spoke about managing a family, study and her career and the great support she’d received from her husband.
Peak’s Senior Environment and Community Advisor Laura Newton outlined the varied roles and valuable contributions of females within the company.
“At Aurelia, women play a vital role, contributing expertise across all areas of the business, from the environment team like myself, electricians like Kristy, accountants, truck drivers, training, from engineering and human resources to leadership and operations, the list goes on,” Laura said.
