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Information
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Passion for plants
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Christopher LaBrooy migrated to Australia in 1973 from his home country of Sri Lanka. A tea planter for a number of years, Christopher had also worked with rubber trees and cardamom and had hoped that this diverse experience in plantations would find him employment in similar industries in Australia.
Unfortunately this wasn’t to be and he got a job with Victoria Railways as a booking clerk, a position that he held for 26 years. “Initially it was disappointing to find that I couldn’t work in areas similar to those I had experience in during my work in Sri Lanka, but I appreciated the time I spent with Victoria Rail and the opportunities that it provided for me,” he said.
It’s possible that Christopher may still have been with Victoria Rail if it hadn’t been for the transport provider’s eventual privatisation, which gave Christopher the chance to accept a redundancy payout and try something new.
After a year off he joined the Community Jobs Programme (CJP), a service that supports community organisations, local government and other government agencies to employ local jobseekers on community projects. Eligible for retraining, Christopher was able to work on contract for four months with the Kingston City Council in their parks and gardens.
“I can’t speak highly enough of the CJP,” said Christopher. “When you are in your late fifties it can be quite difficult to find a job, never mind actually establishing a new career. CJP had a strong commitment to helping me re-enter the employment market after years of working in one job. I believe that their support was important to me securing the position that I now have.”
At the end of the four months, the Kingston City Council offered him a permanent position as a New Apprentice in Horticulture, an opportunity he quickly accepted. The council provides on-the-job training, the formal components being offered by TASA, a training company that specialises in providing the Certificate 3 in Horticulture through the on-site council training officers.
“After so many years working inside it was a marvelous feeling being outside, working with my hands and experiencing all the different elements that the weather can throw at you, much like when I was in Sri Lanka. Though I am so much older now, the passion is still with me and I couldn’t be any happier than what I feel right now,” he said.
With his Certificate 3 in Horticulture almost completed, Christopher is excited about the prospects that are opening up to him. Working within the council’s annuals planting area, Christopher and his team ensure that the city’s parks and gardens are a proliferation of colour and scent for the many visitors. “I really find that working with annuals gives me a sense of great pride and fulfillment. I love the smiles that our gardens and flowers bring to peoples’ faces. Their obvious joy is the icing on the cake for me,” he said.
Unlike his work with tea, rubber trees and cardamom 32 years earlier, Christopher’s third career, starting as he approaches his sixties, will allow him to work throughout the world, should he be interested. “It seems in some ways that I have come full circle, returning to a vocation that allows me to work with the soil just as I had done so long ago,” Christopher said. “The difference now, of course, is that if I choose to I can apply for job positions absolutely anywhere and still be secure in the belief that I would at least be competitive. This gives me a great sense of security and confidence,” he said.
Christopher Labrooy is enjoying being back amongst plants. |
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