The de Gits balance work and family
We sit down with Amanda, Michael and Caitlyn de Git, a much-loved local family that work at Batchfire Callide Mine, to find out how they balance work and life.
The de Git family share more than just a last name, with a collective passion for mining that has seen them all progress within the Batchfire Resources ranks – starting with Michael.
Michael has spent the past 20 years at Callide Mine, joining the team back in 2004 as a dump truck operator after a career in rural earthworks.
While there were similarities to the earthmoving work Michael had done previously, he quickly realised that the mining game is a different beast.
“Everything is on a bigger scale, there are a lot more rules and it’s far more safety oriented,” he says.
“It’s a bigger industry so there’s a lot more diversity amongst the people.”
It didn’t take long for Michael to work his way up through the operator ranks, gaining experience in a range of machines.
Michael tells us “I have just about driven everything with wheels or tracks onsite including excavators, dozers, dump trucks and loaders.”
“I went from dump truck to dozer, then loader. Now I spend most of my time on the excavator. There are some skills that I have that I don’t use anymore, including some that no longer operate at Callide Mine,” he says.
“The variety was part of the reason I got into the mining industry, it was the variety of machines I could learn and operate that I wanted.”
With two decades of experience under his belt at Callide Mine, Michael says a lot has changed, but his core role is essentially the same.
“There’s a few people that have been here longer than I have, but not that many,” he laughs.
“There have been a lot of advances in technology, like the electric-style trucks, but the mechanical side of the equipment is pretty much the same.”
In terms of operating alongside his daughter Caitlyn, he says they don’t actually see much of each other at work but will often debrief on the way home.
“We really don’t cross paths as a part of our day even though she’s in production with me we are usually working in different areas,” he says.
“We might have a chat at crib time and then most of the time we have a debrief in the car on the way to and from work.
Michael’s advice for the next generation coming into the mining industry is to prioritise mental health, because the industry is one that can take a toll over time.
“I think people coming into the industry need to take really good care of their mental health,” he says.
“It can be tough on mental health, and I don’t think night shift and fatigue help if you don’t stay on top of it. It can also be tough on families, with fatigue, long hours and potentially working away from home. We’re manipulating our body clocks every week which can be challenging.”
Caitlyn got her start in mining at a nearby mine in September 2021 before joining Batchfire Resources in October 2023.
“I always wanted to come across and work with dad, but I had to wait for the right opportunity to come up,” Caitlyn said.
“In amongst my busy life, I met my partner. He has recently completed the trade upskill programme which Batchfire offers so is now a qualified diesel fitter at Callide Mine in Field Maintenance. Just another reason why I wanted to be based locally.
“We have recently purchased our first home here in Biloela, so we are not going anywhere. Living locally is great especially with the lifestyle roster that we work. It gives us plenty of time to enjoy our days off and do the things we love like going on holidays and going fishing.”
Funnily, Caitlyn didn’t want to work in the mining industry growing up. It wasn’t until she started to experience life and the real world and tried out a few other jobs that she realised a life in mining might be the right move for her.
“I always said ‘I will never, ever do that,’” she laughs.
“The opportunity came up and once I tried it, I never looked back – I love it!”
A benefit of her daily debriefs with her dad Michael is the constant growth, Caitlyn explains, with constant feedback about her performance and insights from a veteran of the industry.
“I feel like I’ve really grown as a dump truck operator since being here, because dad can give me a lot of feedback and advice,” she says.
“We try not to talk about work too much, because when there’s four of us at the dinner table that all work there, there’s a lot of potential for work talk. Obviously, it comes up sometimes and it just can’t be avoided.”
In terms of her future plans within the industry, Caitlyn has her eye on a Mine Control (dispatch) role when the time comes to progress out of the cab.
“I’d like to work towards a dispatch role, just because I do have that office background from before I got into mining, which I do enjoy. The dispatch role is obviously very different and busy to what I’m used to, but I still want to be a part of all the action.”
Caitlyn believes young people considering a career in mining should get some life experience first, due to the maturity level and demanding schedule involved.
“Shift work is not an easy thing. Not to mention working weekends you tend to miss out on a lot of events and spending quality time together. I don’t believe it’s for everyone, but it works for our family.” Caitlyn says.
“You need to be mature enough to decipher between a safe and unsafe situation and be able to pull yourself up if you’re fatigued, because things can go wrong really fast if you’re not prepared.”
While the shifts are long and the scenery is unchanging at times, Caitlyn tells us the epic sunrises and sunsets make it all worthwhile.
“The awesome sunrises and sunsets are probably the best part of the job!” she says.
Amanda de Git, Senior Business Services Officer and organiser of the incredible Family Day event, is a critical cog in the Callide Mine administration team. Like her daughter Caitlyn, she didn’t consider a career in mining until the opportunity arose.
“I never expected to be here, or where I am now, growing up,” she says.
“My dad was an interstate truckie, so that’s how I grew up.”
Amanda was ready for a new challenge. After spending many years working hard as a stay-at-home mum, a part time job at Callide Mine quickly became so much more.
“I was a stay-at-home mum to three beautiful daughters, Tayla (27), Caitlyn (21) and Emily (16), and I’d done some part time work at local kindies, but I was in a bit of a rut after losing my mum,” she says.
“I saw the job listed and thought ‘why not try something different?’ For the first week, I was only supposed to do 10 to 15 hours and ended up doing a 45-hour week! It hasn’t slowed down since, and I wouldn’t have it any other way.”
“After 12 months employed by Workpac, I was offered a permanent role with Batchfire Resources.”
While there was a lot to learn at first, Amanda stepped up and quickly learnt the lingo used on mine sites – with the help of Michael, of course!
“When I started doing data entry, I had to do all of the truck load sheets and the operators would fill them out with random nicknames for the dumps,” she recalls.
“After day one, I thought, ‘I’m never going to get this,’ and went home to tell Michael that I was going to quit already. But with his help I went back the next day. Michael wrote out a big list with the actual names of everything on-site and then everything they might potentially call it! That list was my lifesaver.
“It’s now been seven years. I never expected to grow so much in my position and as a person, and to get to where I am now as a supervisor, but I couldn’t imagine not being here. I love my job, and I am part of a great team!”
“It’s so good that we’ve all got the opportunity to work locally, and we get to come home every night,” she says.
For Amanda, working with family is a perk of the job, but it’s all of the people on-site that make Callide Mine great, which is why the Family Day is so close to her heart.
“Giving our employees the opportunity to bring their families out to see where they go to work every day and seeing the smiles on the kids’ faces when they see how big the trucks actually are, makes all the hard work of Family Day worth it.
In their spare time the de Gits can be found helping the youngest of the clan, Emily, reach her 100 hours as a learner driver. The family also enjoys going on holidays together a couple of times a year, but as Amanda tells us, it “gets harder as the kids get older!”
“Another member of the family, Tayla, is based at the Gold Coast and Emily still has one year left of high school, as well as adding shift work to the equation,” Amanda says.
“Who knows, we may end up with a bit more hi-vis on the clothesline when Emily finishes Year 12 next year!”
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