- blog by Jarrod Sawyer
Saint Eligius’ day is coming up.
Eligius is the Latin name for ‘Chosen’ and he joins Saint Joseph and Saint Vincent Ferrer as the patron saints of tradies.
Saint Eligius was a French bishop who was also a craftsman specialising in gold and silver.
It is fitting that we recognise tradies and tradies’ contribution in the lead up to Saint Eligius’ memorial.
Tradies grease the wheels of industry. Not only with guns but in their role as enablers, constructing, fitting, welding and maintaining the machinery and built infrastructure that provide for our standard of living.
We’re aware of it only too well at Northern Stevedoring Services. NSS has one of the largest fleets in regional Queensland including trucks, cranes and reach-stackers and forklifts. We’ve also got the trades to back it up.
Our maintenance team is at the forefront of change. When management wanted to decrease their carbon footprint, we adapted and made electric motors part of our repertoire.
The Liebherr harbour crane is state-of-the-art and NSS has been at the factory in Germany to be properly briefed on maintenance.
Our truck fleet increased this year and we’ve moved resources to offer a quick breakdown service to ensure they remain on the road, whether it is to the Ingham sugar mills, the mines near Cloncurry or the Bohle.
Tradie Saints
Evidently tradies are a talented bunch. Some of the more famous ones include comedian Whoopi Goldberg. Then known as Caryn Elaine Johnson, she helped build the walls at San Diego zoo.
Wartime British Prime Minister Winston Churchill was a member of the Amalgamated Union of Bricklayers and Elvis Presley was an electrical trades assistant before finding fame.
Another singer who could claim to be a sparkie included Beatle George Harrison. John Farnham and Michael Caine were plumbers.
So, Saint Eligius’ day is a chance to recognise our tradies and the contribution they make to the economy as a whole and helping keep us all in a job.
By recognising their diverse skills and training we can inspire future generations to explore a rewarding and fulfilling careers.
Saint Eligius died in France on December 1, 660 at the age of 72.