What a journey ... Meet three of UniSA’s longest-serving staff

By Megan Andrews

COMMUNITY

With the UniSA chapter coming to a close, many staff are reminiscing, celebrating with colleagues, or packing up desks for office relocations. Some have months of University memories, some a few years, some many more.

This final edition of UniSA News profiles three colleagues who commenced their UniSA journeys at antecedent institutions 50 or more years ago and have seen substantial changes – and made significant friendships – over this time.

David Kraft

UniSA’s longest serving (current) staff member is David Kraft, a senior technical officer in Clinical and Health Sciences. Kraft has accumulated an epic 53 years with the University and will see out his service as an Adelaide University employee (with retirement on the horizon in February).

Commencing his journey as a junior laboratory assistant in the School of Pharmacy and Medical Laboratory Technology at the South Australian Institute of Technology, Kraft was based at the Reid Building for around 30 years (now part of Adelaide Botanic High School).

Being a smaller organisation, he knew all the staff.

“I also got to know the carpenters, painters, gardeners, electricians and cleaners – who were all employed as staff,” Kraft recalls. 

“Due to small class sizes, I got to know the students well also, and particularly one about three years into my employment – who ended up becoming my wife.”

David and his wife Jenny in 1977

Kraft and his wife Jenny have been together for half a century now and share two children and five grandchildren.

Other UniSA colleagues have also influenced his life, including recently retired John Whittaker – a fellow technician Kraft worked with for 50 years – and academics Bob Guy (deceased) and Airdrie Finlayson, who he remained good friends with after their retirements. 

With a career-long focus on providing practical classes for pharmacy students, Kraft’s work has taken him through five laboratories across the Reid, Basil Hetzel and Bradley buildings.

He has also been involved in research projects relating to the pharmaceutical industry – including trialling new drug formulations (as both a subject and analyst) and developing testing processes more broadly.

“In the late ‘90s I was involved in the emerging olive oil industry in South Australia. I developed quality control tests, including one to verify whether oils were extra virgin,” he says.

Kraft says great colleagues and frequent change and variety in his work has kept it enjoyable throughout the years.

“All the staff I have interacted with have, on the whole, been a good bunch and the technical team have been an exceptional group to work with.”

Vincenza Raponi (Vinnie)

Vinnie Raponi’s Adelaide University stint will also be a short one as she looks to retire in the new year, but will cap off a marathon 50 years with UniSA and its predecessors.

A week of work experience at the Torrens College of Advanced Education (CAE) opened doors for Raponi in 1975, leading to a two-week school holidays position. When a permanent student records officer role became available, the registrar contacted her school principal to encourage her to apply.

“My most vivid memory is the office setting. When I began work, there were no computers, no photocopiers, no faxes and a good old-fashioned plug switchboard – but there were electric typewriters,” Raponi says. 

She has experienced many change processes over the years – including four mergers.

“I’ve been given many opportunities across many units, faculty and school offices at different levels. My roles involved student administration, admissions, enrolments, exams, graduations and some project work on the various new student systems in the early years.

“People always say to me ‘how can you stay in one place for so long’ but that is just it – it wasn’t just one place. With institutions merging, the structure, roles and locations always changed, which meant there was always variety.”

Great colleagues have also played a role in her lengthy stay.

“I’ve had the pleasure of working with so many wonderful people – students, academics and administrative staff. I finally found my work home at the International Office 22 years ago, as the staff and the culture created there I had not experienced before. Everyone is so welcoming, warm, friendly and no one hesitates to help each other out, and this is throughout all the teams in the unit.”

Raponi warmly recalls spending time with colleagues at the Cave, a bar at the Sturt CAE, and lunches by the river at the Torrens CAE. In the city, breaks have revolved around walking or shopping with colleagues, exploring eateries and reading in the park.

Many lifelong friends have been made, including her successor at a Torrens CAE role. “We had a one-week handover and just connected,” she says.

“We stayed in touch – originally about work, which developed into friendship, and 47 years later we have shared so many special moments.”

Shane McCarthy

Shane McCarthy, designer in audio visual and multimedia production in UniSA’s Teaching Innovation Unit, is celebrating 51 years of service this year.

Like Kraft, he commenced his journey at the South Australian Institute of Technology, initially working in the Audio Visual Services department.

“I was employed to move the AV equipment and keep it in working order. There weren’t enough overhead projectors for every room so every hour on the hour I would shift them from one room to another,” he says.

“The area I worked in had a great social atmosphere, so morning tea and lunch times were a time of getting together and having a good time. People would come from all different areas to join in.”

His department also looked after photography, graphics and video production – a growth area he was particularly interested in.

“When the video technician left, I slotted into his position. From then on, I have always worked doing video production.”

McCarthy has worked across various areas of the University from the Services Department to the library and then to the Flexible Learning Centre and its different iterations, covering City East, Mawson Lakes, Underdale and City West.  

The secret to his longevity at the University lies in the people and the enjoyment he gets from his work.

“I have always loved what I do and get to meet so many different people,” McCarthy says.

“I always say I know a little about a lot, because in my job I record so many different sessions from lectures in business to lab experiments.”

McCarthy and Raponi were among many staff members recognised for their long-standing contributions to UniSA at the recent Staff Service Awards – view some of the images from the celebration here. 

Photos: Catherine Leo @cathleophotos 

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