Newspaper Article 1984 – ‘Experience’ becomes 40 years

‘Experience’ became 40 years

What started out as a job interview just for the experience has ended up a job for 40 years for Miss Melva Mildenhall, accountant, with the Hawke’s Bay Herald-Tribune.

Today, Miss Mildenhall celebrated her 40 years with the company which has been her only employer since she left Hastings High School aged 17.

Miss Mildenhall admitted she did not plan to take the job as an office junior and only went to the interview because her mother reckoned it would be good experience. But by the time she returned home, Miss Mildenhall had the job and was due to start work two days later.

“I must have been happy here to have stayed so long. It’s been a most interesting place to work with never a dull moment.

“In the old days when I first came here, a telephone was a stranger to me. We didn’t have one at home,” she said.

During her time in the accounting section of the newspaper, Miss Mildenhall has had to come to grips with much more technical equipment than a telephone and she has taken the computerisation all in her stride.

In the early days with a much smaller staff it was easy for everyone to know one another. But as the Tribune has grown and now employs about 130 permanent staff plus dozens of casual workers the task is a little harder.

So while Miss Mildenhall might not remember every staff member’s name now, her face is one of the best known around the building.

Pictured: – Miss Mildenhall receiving a bouquet of flowers from the general manager of the (Herald-Tribune, Mr Ron J Hall, today in the staff tea room.

There was a young Lady with initials M.M.
Who has been here – It must be 4 x 10
We would just like to wish you the very Best,
From the Girls and Boys in your Little Nest.