Three high-flyers share memories of their teenage gigs
For John Grant's holiday job at the Yeronga pool in Brisbane in 1965, he had to be on his bike early for a 4.30am start. "I had to have the vacuum in the water by first light," Grant says. During summer, he rose through the ranks of general hand to canteen assistant and eventually scored the coveted role of pool supervisor. The daily wage of $5 - "a lot of money in those days" - remained the same and was mostly reinvested in the canteen, Grant says.
Steve Baxter, Pipe Networks founder and BRW Rich Lister
Steve Baxter signed on as a boy soldier at 15. Before his service career, his string of part-time jobs included mowing and cleaning the facilities at a tennis centre with his older brother. "We were paid $15 each per week for four days before school, so I guess that is $2.50 an hour," Baxter says. The result of all that industry? "We bought an Atari 2600 and a ping-pong table."
Kym Quick, chief executive officer of listed recruitment firm Clarius Group
Kym Quick is an authority on getting jobs. Her own first gig, at 14 in a shoe factory managed by her father, was less than glamorous. "I worked during school holidays doing all sorts of tasks from working on the production line to packing cartons in the warehouse," Quick says. "We had to start work at 7am and often stayed there until 6pm waiting for dad to take us home. It made school look like a walk in the park!" One of the few perks was first pick in the adjoining seconds shop, where Quick says the bulk of her meagre pay packet was spent.
Frequently Asked Questions about this Article…
According to the article, John Grant worked at the Yeronga pool in Brisbane (starting as a general hand, then canteen assistant, then pool supervisor). Steve Baxter did mowing and cleaning at a tennis centre with his brother before signing on as a boy soldier at 15. Kym Quick’s first job was in her father’s shoe factory where she worked on the production line and packed cartons during school holidays.
The article reports John Grant earned a daily wage of $5, which he mostly reinvested in the pool canteen. Steve Baxter and his brother were paid $15 each per week for four days of work (about $2.50 an hour by his estimate) and used the money to buy an Atari 2600 and a ping‑pong table. Kym Quick describes her pay as meagre and says she mostly spent it in the adjoining seconds shop where she got first pick.
John Grant’s duties included early‑morning cleaning (he started work at 4:30am to have the vacuum in the water by first light), working in the canteen and eventually supervising the pool — a progression from general hand to canteen assistant to pool supervisor.
The article says Steve Baxter mowed and cleaned facilities at a tennis centre with his older brother, earned $15 each per week for four days of work before school, later signed on as a boy soldier at 15, and used his early earnings to buy recreational items like an Atari 2600 and a ping‑pong table.
Kym Quick’s first gig was at 14 in her father’s shoe factory during school holidays. She did production‑line work and packed cartons, starting at 7am and often staying until 6pm while waiting for her father to take them home.
The article identifies John Grant as Australian Rugby League Commission chairman, Steve Baxter as the founder of Pipe Networks and a BRW Rich Lister, and Kym Quick as chief executive officer of listed recruitment firm Clarius Group.
The article explicitly describes Clarius Group as a listed recruitment firm. It does not say whether Pipe Networks or the Australian Rugby League Commission are publicly listed.
The anecdotes highlight simple, investor‑friendly themes: starting small and learning practical skills, reinvesting small earnings (John Grant channeled pay into the canteen), and frugality/choiceful spending (Baxter and Quick spending modest pay on tangible items). For everyday investors, those translate into habits like building experience, being disciplined with modest sums, and making deliberate choices about where to allocate limited resources — all rooted in the real, early work experiences described in the article.
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