Rose Pedler
Ask me about
- What it's like in a mining camp
- How I take care of my mental health
- How I got started in mining
About me
- Regional Background
I was living in Queensland from 12 years old and completed my Cert 3 in Business Administration straight out of high school because I didn’t know what I wanted to do. I also knew that university wasn’t for me as I struggled to study and complete assignments. I now know that I am ADHD. After that, I worked for several state government departments, a few private companies and 2 TV Stations before I decided that I wanted to be a Shotfirer (explosives) in the mining industry.
I moved to Perth and gained some relevant licences and experience before getting my first mine site role. As it turns out, I’m allergic to explosives so no Shotfiring for me, but I ended up really enjoying Blasthole Drilling instead! I have since gained experience over 11yrs, across 27 mine sites, 3 industries (Gold, Lithium, Iron Ore) and various roles including Stores, Blast Crew, Drilling, Underground, Autonomous operations, Site Administration and Training. Also, as an LGBT+, Neurodivergent, Indigenous Woman, I enjoy putting a strong focus on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion into my career and I’m absolutely loving it!
About my role
- Flexible
- Humorous
- Passionate
- Reliable
- Thorough
Blasthole Drillers use a vertical, steel rod that rotates. It hammers down to crush the rock, and in the process creates an accurate hole to a specific diameter, depth and in a specific pattern. This pattern is created according to a design map that the engineers have created. We use multiple controls, gauges and sensors in this process. The blast crew and Shotfirer then fills the holes with explosives and blows up all of my hard work! This breaks the rock into smaller pieces so the excavator can dig it and load it into a dump truck to be processed.
We are required to attend meetings to exchange information, provide reports of what we have done including ground conditions so the engineers can do their jobs, communicate with other people on site using a 2way radio, as well as report any maintenance issues or dangers in the work area.
I am Fly In, Fly Out so, I fly to my mine site on a plane, live in a “camp” or “village” for the length of my roster, then fly home again for my break. We spend alot of time with our work colleagues so you build some really strong friendships!
Education
- Cert 3 Business Administration
- Cert 3 Drilling
- On The Job Trainer statements of attainment (towards completing Cert 4 Training and Assessment)
Subjects
- Accounting
- Art
- Business Studies
- English
- General Mathematics (Maths A)
- History
- Languages
- Mathematical Methods (Maths B)
- Science
Awards
- Literacy award for Short Stories
Hobbies
- Beach adventures
- Camping
- Hiking
- Reading
- Seeing family and friends
Pets
- 2 Cat
15 year old me!!
My career journey
-
Got first job out of school
-
Moved to Perth
-
Got my first mining job
-
Started my Drilling traineeship
-
Learning more new skills in mining
My typical day
My employer
